A buff terracotta oil lamp, decorated with a cluster of grapes or leaves between three groups of ladder patterns below the nozzle as well as dot in circle and line patterns around the central filling hole, which has been pierced on first use, leaving an inner ragged edge. The lamp stands on a ring base with a central knob.
 
Samaritan Holy Land: Circa 4th Century AD.
 
Fine condition; complete and intact.
Length 8.9 cms (3.5 ins).
 
Published: Item 634: Oil Lamps of the Holy Land: The Adler Collection; Israel 2004
 
Provenance: Ex Judge Steve Adler collection Jerusalem, acquired since the 1960's. Exported with export approval licence of the Israel Antiquities Authority.
 
The Samaritans occupied the region of modern-day Tel Aviv to Haifa. The Samaritans were not Jewish, Muslim, or Christian. They were a distinct religious group descended from the northern tribes of biblical Israel, specifically the tribes of Ephraim, Menashe, and Levi. They developed a unique culture, including special symbols, art, and oil lamps. Samaritan lamps are characterized by their shape and decorations and appear from the end of the Roman period to the early Islamic period.