Ancient oil lamp discovered in central California —

— IN A MUSEUM, THAT IS: Calavers County museum discovers ancient oil lamp in its collection. Sixth century Holy Land relic found in jailhouse kitchen (Charity Maness, The Calaveras Enterprise).

Found amid the other miscellaneous items one would find in a museum jailhouse kitchen was an unexpected surprise for Calaveras County Historical Society office Manager Karen Nicholson: a sixth century Holy Land oil lamp in practically mint condition.

The markings on the lamp, according to experts, are fairly consistent with the dating.

Often referred to as a slipper lamp or a Byzantine slipper lamp, the lamp was common in Jewish and Christian homes alike during the ancient Byzantine Empire, Phoenicia and Judea around 500. All those places are in what we now call the Middle East.

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One finds these things in California.