A rare bronze oil lamp, in the shape of a grotesque face cut in half, was recently discovered in excavations conducted by the Israel Antiquities Authority in the City of David National Park.To be clear, they found the complete lamp. It was intentionally fabricated as half a face.IAA archaeologists Ari Levy and Dr. Yuval Baruch believe that the lamp, which was discovered in the foundations of a building built on the pilgrimage road, was intentionally deposited to bring good fortune to the building’s residents.
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Ancient bronze lamps are rare. I have blogged about only one other. It was excavated at the late-antique Um el-Kanatir synagogue in the Golan. Coincidentally (or not, I don't know), it too was in the shape of a funny face.
The synagogue was a basilica, the standard Roman-influenced design for public buildings at that time. There were balconies, supported by pillars, around three sides of the inner space, and a central nave some 40 feet high. The diggers found Byzantine coins under the floor, left there when the building was constructed, perhaps for good luck. They found household implements, agricultural tools, and a bizarre, beautiful Aladdin-style bronze lamp shaped like the head of a satyr; the flame would have flickered from the tip of his beard.My emphasis.
Also worth mentioning: the funny-faced faucet at Sepphoris.
For more on the Jerusalem Pilgrimage Road / Pilgrims' Path, see here and links.
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