Rarest of Ancient Oil Lamps Proven to be Authentic

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So now, ten years later,BARis delighted to present this extraordinaryand genuineBiblical artifact to its readers.

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This stone oil lamp, once believed to be a forgery, has been proven to be one of the rarest types of ancient oil lamps.

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The lamp is made of stone, not clay, and has seven nozzles rather than the single nozzle typically found on ancient oil lamps made of stone. This lamp is uniquethere are no other lamps of this type known among the thousands of Biblical artifacts found in the land of Israel.

Tagged withAntiquitiesBiblical ArchaeologyBiblical ArtifactsIsrael Antiquities AuthorityJamesOded Golanantiquities authorityarchaeologicalarchaeological excavationarchaeologyarchaeology reviewartifacts foundbib arch orgbiblicalbiblical archbiblical archaeology reviewbiblical artifacts hershel shanksholy landin the land of israeljames ossuaryossuarythe biblical worldthe holy landthe ossuary

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Rarest of Ancient Oil Lamps Proven to be Authentic!

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Ancient oil lamps are not terribly rare in the archaeology of Israel. They are one of the more frequent types of Biblical artifacts found during archaeological excavations in the Holy Land. About ten years ago, however, a very special lamp surfaced in the archaeological world.

Continue reading about the rare stone oil lamp in Hershel ShankssTainted Stone Oil Lamp Authenticated,Biblical Archaeology Review, September/October 2011.

Ten years ago,Biblical Archaeology Review(BAR) editor Hershel Shanks was approached by the lamps owner, who wanted to have the rare artifact published inBAR. At the time, Shanks declined the offer, since the authenticity of the objectone of the rarest ancient oil lamps from the Biblical worldcould not be confirmed.

The lamp resurfaced recently, however, when it was included in the list of Biblical artifacts found on the antiquities market that the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) believed to be forgeries. Oden Golan, the Israeli antiquities collector at the center of the James Ossuary controversy,*stands accused by the IAA of having forged the ossuary and various other artifacts, including the stone oil lamp. During the IAAs investigation, the lamp underwent a rigorous chemical analysis. The tests confirmed the authenticity of the piece, making it one of the rarest ancient oil lamps ever discovered.

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