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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 terra cotta, 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.
- (SP.415)
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