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Biblical Antiquities :
Bronze Age Oil Lamps : Late Bronze Age Terracotta Oil Lamp
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Late Bronze Age Terracotta Oil Lamp - LK.348
Origin: Hebron, Judean Hills
Circa: 1500
BC
to 1250
BC
Dimensions:
2.2" (5.6cm) high
x 7.50" (19.1cm) wide
Collection: Biblical Antiquities
Medium: Terracotta
£250.00
Location: Great Britain
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| Description |
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This ancient lamp might have burned in the Holy
Land during the time of the Hebrew patriarchs,
prior to the time of Moses. Judging by its open
construction and vaguely pinched wick channel,
this lamp derives from the Late Bronze Age and
is the ancestor of later designs that permeated
the culture of the Middle East in Antiquity. Its
simple, pinch pot construction is a tribute to the
antiquity of the design, likely having Canaanite
origins. Made of terracotta, this simple item
would have held olive oil and probably a wick of
plant fibers or textile, allowing it to provide light
for a few hours perhaps. This lamp of open-bowl
design would later give way to more elaborate,
enclosed lamps of the Hellenistic and Roman
periods.
A metaphor for joy and prosperity, for hope, for
life itself, lamps have illuminated the path of
civilization for centuries. They have shed light on
mundane and extraordinary events alike, guiding
great thoughts through the night, and standing
vigil with lonely passions. In the presence of this
simple object, we are in touch directly with a
vanished world, with the rooms and shrines once
warmed by its glow, with the people who drew
comfort from its light. Today it remains as an
enduring symbol of man's desire to conquer the
darkness.
- (LK.348)
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