Greco-Roman Period Seven Branch Oil Lamp

This elegant lamp has seven spouts, which suggest it may have been used as a menorah. It burned in the Holy Land in the period between the rise of the Hasmoneans and the first Jewish revolt. A metaphor for joy and prosperity, for hope, for life itself, lamps have illuminated the path of civilization for centuries. Lamps have shed light on mundane and extraordinary events alike. They have guided great thoughts through the night and stood 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. It remains as an enduring symbol of man’s desire to conquer the darkness.