A stone capital bearing an image that resembles a menorah was discovered in 2020 in the Motza neighborhood during excavations conducted prior to the construction of a new entrance to Jerusalem. The artifact was discovered in a building that dates to the sixth or seventh century, although scholars believe the capital may date from as early as the second century and was reused in the Byzantine period. If this is the case, it presents an interesting problem, as it would mean a capital with a Jewish symbol once stood atop a column at a time when the Jews were barred from living in Jerusalem following the Bar Kokhba Revolt. One proposed solution suggests that the craftsman intended to carve a floral design, but that it unintentionally resembled an eight-branched lamp.
Source:
- https://www.timesofisrael.com/mysterious-capital-depicting-menorahs-found-in-1500-year-old-roman-site-in-jerusalem/
- https://www.iaa.org.il/en/page/news-index (See “In honor of Independence Day: A rare stone capital decorated with a menorah design, the Temple candelabrum, over 1500 years old, is now revealed to the public for the first time” [April 29, 2025])
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