A stone capital, so unique that it is a type that has never been found anywhere else in the world, and decorated with an eight-branch menorah-resembling figure, will be revealed to the public in celebration of Independence Day in Israel, the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) announced Tuesday.
This stone fixture was found as the IAA worked to excavate for a new bridge entering Jerusalem by the National Transport Infrastructure Service. The limestone architectural artifacts will be revealed to the public for the first time at the Jay and Jeanie Schottenstein National Campus for the Archaeology of Israel in Jerusalem.
This stone capital is considered one-of-a-kind and has not been found anywhere else in the world, according to the IAA. Uncovered in 2020, researchers at the IAA and the Hebrew University of Jerusalem have been conducting both scientific and historical research to understand its purpose.
It was found in a Byzantine period building, dating back to the 6th-7th Century CE, laying upside down on the floor of a room. It was believed to have possibly decorated an even earlier structure.
Excavation managers Dr. Uzi Ad and Ann Ehrlich from with the IAA said that this potentially symbolic capital stood atop something of prestige. “It seems this capital stood atop a column in a magnificent building or on a street, in a late Roman period settlement here (2nd-4th Century CE). From its local context and finds this settlement was apparently populated by descendants of Roman army retirees. If so, what was a capital with a menorah decoration on it doing here of all places – a distinct Jewish symbol? This is a true conundrum,” they said.
They gave further context, “In the classical periods, architectural capitals standing on top of columns were intended to support the beams which held up ceilings. Usually they featured a plant decoration, and occasionally with different symbols – in this case, it features the menorah, based on the Temple candelabrum. In its upper section, each of the capital’s sides is decorated with an eight-branched candelabrum, and each side of its lower section is decorated with eight leaves – while a vertical element is incised above the upper part of each side’s middle leaf, appearing as the foot of the candelabrum.”
The find raises questions about context, purpose
Ancient architectural decoration expert Dr. Orit Peleg-Barkart from the Hebrew University noted that Cinthian capitals were common throughout the region in the period of the Second Temple through the Byzantine periods.
“Despite being skillfully crafted, it appears to be the work of an artisan less familiar with architectural conventions prevalent in urban public structures. Most significantly, the upper section—traditionally adorned with a floral motif—instead features what resembles an eight-branched menorah. This is particularly intriguing because seven-branched menorahs typically appear on capitals from synagogues of the late Roman and Byzantine periods, such as those found at Capernaum and Caesarea,” Peleg-Barkart said.
“The absence of any evidence suggesting a synagogue at this site raises questions about the capital's original purpose and context. It's possible the craftsman intended to carve a conventional flower design but, due to his limited familiarity with standard models, created something that bears a resemblance to a symmetrical eight-branched lamp."
Deputy Director of Archaeology at the IAA, Dr. Yuval Baruch, who also researches the menorah symbol, said that the stone capital came from Motzva in the Jerusalem hills. It was deemed as a rare discovery. Baruch emphasized the the importance finding the eight-branched menorah in this area.
According to Dr. Yuval Baruch, Deputy Director of Archaeology at the Israel Antiquities Authority and a researcher of the menorah symbol, “A few decades after the Second Temple’s destruction, the menorah became the distinct symbol of the Jewish people, both in the Diaspora and in the Land of Israel. Finding objects decorated with menorahs, certainly on heavy stone objects, is a clear indication of the existence of a Jewish settlement,” Baruch said.
Baruch added, “Now, let us consider that historical texts supported by archaeological research shows that the Jewish settlement in Judea – and especially in the Jerusalem hills, suffered a great blow as a result of the Bar Kokhba revolt in the 2nd century CE – in fact, it can be considered eliminated in this region. Based on this reality, it is reasonable to surmise that this capital was brought from a destroyed site elsewhere merely to serve as useful building material here, in secondary usage.
Israel’s Heritage Minister Amichai Eliyahu commented on the connection of this capital to the Jewish people, Jerusalem, and Israel throughout thousands of years. “This rare archaeological find, unparalleled anywhere in the world, serves as a bridge between our glorious past and the renewal of our independence in the State of Israel,” he said.
This item will be available for viewing, starting over independence day’s activities. “There is no more appropriate time to reveal this find to the public than in these very days of celebrating our identity as a nation,” exhibitors said. “The connection to roots and to values is the source of our strength.”