Greek oil lamps from the Hellenistic period in Judea 332-63 B.C.
This type of oil lamp was used by the Jewish people after the exile. During the Hasmonean period we read from the Talmud about the war of the Maccabees. Read More...
Chanukka comes into being at this time when the Temple in Jerusalem was defiled by Mathias Antigonus.
During the Hellenistic period, Greek culture swept through the Holy Land. The Jewish people had returned from exile in Babylon and were once more living in the Holy Land. This was also the period of the Maccabean revolt, and the story of Chanukah, in which the menorah in the temple was said to have miraculously burned for eight days with only a small quantity of oil.
Three forms of oil lamps were used during this period. One is similar to the lamps from the preceding periods but are much smaller and finer. Another form of oil lamp copied Greek round-bodied lamps. These were wheel-made lamps featuring a closed spout. The third style of lamp from the Hellenistic period was mold-made. Some of these lamps featured decorations such as geometric designs.