Jerusalem, 21 February, 2023 (TPS) -- A family of five out for a walk in the Modi’in Hills of central Israel found a 1,500-year-old Byzantine-era candle holder on Saturday.
Doron Lavi and his family, residents of Yitzhar, south of Shechem (Nablus), said they noticed a small face, made of clay, “looking” at them from the ground.
Doron contacted the Israel Antiquities Authority, and archaeologist Issy Kornfeld came to collect the ‘photogenic’ find.
An examination of the object by Dr. Itamar Taksel, head of the Authority’s ceramic specialties branch, revealed that the Lavis found the decorative end of a candle handle from the Byzantine period 6th – 7th century CE.
According to Kornfeld, “Although this is not a rare find, the item is certainly handsome. The clay candles were used for lighting, and were a typical find for those periods, but not every candle had a handle, certainly not a designed one.”