Rare Stone Capital With Menorah Design Unveiled in Jerusalem
A rare 1,500-year-old stone capital carved with a menorah design is being presented to the public for the first time at the Jay and Jeanie Schottenstein National Campus for the Archaeology of Israel in Jerusalem. The limestone artifact, discovered in 2020 during excavations ahead of construction on the city’s new entrance, is believed to have originally adorned a Roman-era building before being reused in a Byzantine structure.
Excavation leaders Dr. Uzi Ad and Anna Eirich of the Israel Antiquities Authority suggest the capital once stood atop a column in a settlement inhabited by descendants of Roman army veterans. The presence of a menorah—an explicitly Jewish symbol—at such a site presents a historical puzzle.
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Dr. Orit Peleg-Barkat of the Hebrew University noted the capital’s unusual eight-branched design, differing from the traditional seven-branched menorahs typically found in synagogues of the Roman and Byzantine periods.
Dr. Yuval Baruch, deputy director of archaeology at the Israel Antiquities Authority, emphasized the artifact’s significance, saying, “Finding objects decorated with menorahs, certainly on heavy stone objects, is a clear indication of the existence of a Jewish settlement.”
Heritage Minister Rabbi Amichai Eliyahu called the find “tangible evidence of the profound and undeniable connection between the Jewish people, Jerusalem, and the land of Israel throughout thousands of years.”
The Israel Antiquities Authority invites visitors to view the capital during Independence Day events, highlighting its importance in preserving the nation’s cultural heritage.
