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Tuesday, March 14, 2017

17-spout "Herodian" lamp emerges in the Netherlands

BUT HOW DID IT GET THERE? Jewish artist unearths ancient ‘star-shaped lamp’ at Maastricht fair. David Breuer-Weill recalls stumbling upon an ancient Jewish candle-holder at an arts fair in the Netherlands (STEPHEN ORYSZCZUK, Jewish News).
A Jewish artist from London has recalled how he stumbled upon the significance of an ancient Jewish candle-holder being exhibited at an exclusive arts fair in Maastricht.

David Breuer-Weill came across the “visually-striking, star-shaped lamp” last week and has since learned that it is one of only three such examples to have survived from the reign of King Herod.

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UPDATE (15 March): Archaeologist David Stacey e-mails the following:
Re yesterday's post.

The multi-spouted lamp found in Jericho - and, incidentally dug up by my own fair hands - was not found in Herod's Palace but in a 1st CE villa built upon its ruins. Thus it is not 'Herodian' but is dated to the 1st CE. As it was found in an archaeological context dating a similar lamp - a replica? - to the time of Herod is erroneous.