A unique menorah mosaic was recently uncovered on an ancient synagogue floor at Horvat Kur in the Galilee. Dated to the Byzantine period (fourth—seventh centuries), the mosaic depicts an elaborate seven-branched menorah (lampstand) with oil lamps resting at the top of each arm of the candelabrum. The lamp on the middle branch has its wick—and accompanying flame—in the very middle of the lamp. This type of lamp has not been attested in the archaeological record, but the lamps on the other arms of the menorah resemble well-known Byzantine types. These lamps face the center with their wicks and flames […]
