Login
Home > Sensing the Synagogue

Image Details

Bronze lamp with menorah, Beth Shean_IMJ, 89_114$1

© THE ISRAEL MUSEUM, JERUSALEM, BY DAVID HARRIS

ACCENT LIGHTING. Small portable lamps were common in ancient synagogues. Ceramic lamps were especially popular for their affordability. Pricier kinds were cast in metal. Either type could combine practicality with style, as they typically featured the Temple menorah and other ritual implements. The bronze example here from Beth Shean in northern Israel features a menorah, a shofar (ram’s horn), and a lulav (palm frond).