A rare and intricately decorated Roman-period stone capital that has baffled Israeli archaeologists was unveiled in Jerusalem on Tuesday.
The artifact, carved with the image of an eight-branched menorah, was discovered during excavations in 2020 ahead of a major infrastructure project at the entrance to Jerusalem.
“This is a one-of-a-kind find,” said Dr. Uzi Ad and Anna Eirich, excavation managers with the Israel Antiquities Authority. “It seems this capital stood atop a column in a magnificent building or along a street in a Roman-period settlement here — likely from the 2nd to 4th century CE. From our findings, this settlement appears to have been populated by descendants of Roman army retirees. So what was a capital with a menorah decoration — a distinct Jewish symbol — doing here of all places? This is a true conundrum.”
The limestone capital, which once topped a column, was unearthed near Motza, just west of Jerusalem, during preparatory work for a new bridge. According to archaeologists, the object was found upside-down in a Byzantine-era structure dating to the 6th–7th centuries CE, suggesting it was reused after being removed from an earlier building.