Hanukkah discovery: Rare Hasmonean lamp, Second Temple stylus, near Jerusalem

[Buster's Uncle]

Jerusalem Post
Hanukkah discovery: Rare Hasmonean lamp, Second Temple stylus found near Jerusalem
SHIR PERETS
Mon, December 15, 2025 at 8:19 AM EST
2 min read



An archaeologist of Israel Antiquities Authority displays an oil lamp and coins dating back to the Sanhedrin era which have been uncovered at the Tel Yavne excavation site in central Israel, on November 29, 2021. (photo credit: Menahem Kahana/AFP via Getty Images)


The Civil Administration said the artifacts add to a growing corpus of Second Temple–era material recovered in recent years across the West Bank.

A rare clay oil lamp from the Hasmonean period was uncovered at the Nabi Samuel archaeological site northwest of Jerusalem on Sunday evening, the first night of Hanukkah, the Civil Administration’s Archaeology Unit said.

The lamp, exposed during work led by the head of the unit, was found together with a Second Temple–period writing implement believed to have been used on wax tablets. According to the Civil Administration, the discovery offers fresh evidence of Jewish life and settlement continuity around Jerusalem nearly 2,000 years ago.

The finds were located during ongoing excavation, documentation, and preservation activity at the hilltop complex, which rises about 885 meters above sea level and overlooks approaches to the capital.

The Civil Administration said the artifacts add to a growing corpus of Second Temple–era material recovered in recent years across the West Bank.

Archaeologists identified the lamp as a Hasmonean-era vessel typical of domestic use and ritual light, consistent with material culture from the late second to early first centuries BCE.



An archaeologist of the Israel Antiquities Authority, holds a recently discovered ''lucky'' bronze oil lamp meant for good fortune, uncovered during excavations of the City of David's Pilgrimage Road outside the old city of Jerusalem on May 5, 2021. (credit: Menahem Kahana/AFP via Getty Images)


The accompanying stylus-like implement indicates writing on wax tablets, a practice attested in the period’s administrative and educational contexts, the unit said. Together, the objects illuminate facets of daily and communal life near Jerusalem during the era commemorated by Hanukkah.


Artifacts to undergo analysis, conservation

Officials added that the artifacts will undergo conservation and analysis prior to public display. Their context will be integrated into the site’s stratigraphy to strengthen dating and provenance.

“With the lighting of the first candle of Hanukkah, a holiday that symbolizes the steadfastness of the Jewish people in their land, we are privileged to a moving discovery that once again illustrates the deep roots of our people in the Land of Israel," Binyamin Har-Even, head of the Civil Administration’s Archaeology Unit, said.

"The discovery of artifacts from the Hasmonean period strengthens the historical and cultural bond of the Jewish people to their land and underscores the importance of the research and excavation work we lead to preserve this heritage. We will continue to act with dedication to deepen the research and preserve the archaeological sites in Judea and Samaria for the benefit of future generations. Happy Hanukkah.”

https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/hanukkah-discovery-rare-hasmonean-lamp-131901231.html