A well-made black terracotta Jerusalem oil lamp, decorated with twin concentric circles below the nozzle. A broken handle at the back. An example of the scarce 'Jerusalem' type.
Circa 25 AD (+/- 25 years), from around the time of Jesus.
Fine condition; light accretions.
Length 10.3 cms (4 ins).
Provenance: Ex Judge Steve Adler collection Jerusalem, acquired since the 1960's. Exported with export approval licence of the Israel Antiquities Authority.
Noam Adler (Oil Lamps of the Holy Land: The Adler Collection, Israel 2004) explains that the main characteristic of these Jerusalem types is the black colour of the clay. These lamps were burned without oxygen, giving them the black colour. The few examinations done on lamps of this type reveal that they were manufactured in the area of Jerusalem.
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