A well-made black terracotta Jerusalem oil lamp, decorated with a dotted line below concentric circles either side of the nozzle, as well as a grouping of concentric circles between the nozzle and the discus. A broken handle at the back. An example of a scarce 'Jerusalem' type.
Circa 25 AD (+/- 25 years).
Fine condition; light accretions.
Length 9.8 cms (3.9 ins).
Published: Noam Adler, Item 154: 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.
Noam Adler 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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