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Artistic representation of the Judean Shefelah jurisdiction: The Beit Nattif oil lamps
Abstract
The oil lamps discovered in the thirties by Baramki never stopped raising questions about their origin and date of manufacture, especially regarding the disc oil lamps which were found in two parts – never to joined to a functional lamp (Fig. 1a,b and c). The style of the decoration and the tendency to cover with ornaments the entire space of the shoulders was compared by the author already in 1970 to resemble embroidery, influenced by the art known at Palmyra, that decorated the funeral sculptures, as both the disc and the decorations around do not follow any local tradition. Ties between Palmyra and the south are known to have existed already in the 2nd and 3rd century CE. A most interesting factor which links these lamps to a narrower regional circle of production, noticed by the author, but was not presented clearly, are the craters found at Mamre by Mader decorated with applied decorations (Fig. 5), such as the Abstracts 637 mask and the wreath, and also the geometric patterns on the shoulders. These lamps and decoration disappeared from the local scene just like the craters.
The fact that these un-fused oil lamps and the figurines which share decorative elements with the lamps, were not found with the moulds required for their production, it may suggest that the lamps were brought from elsewhere to be assembled for use for the Jewish population and which for unexplained reasons, was never done. It may suggest a practice from the Jewish population to keep with the Mishnaic Law (Kelim b; a and b) because its parts, especially a lamp, are pure before making a complete vessel.
The distribution of those lamps that were decorated as mentioned above are restricted (up to now) to Bet Nattif only, and the others pear-shaped lamps were restricted or also made in the southern region. This overlap more or less with that of the decorated craters with applied discs (Map 1) influenced by Parthian culture during the 3rd century CE.
... Although the location of the cisterns was lost after the abandonment of the village, recent expansion of Ramat Bet Shemesh led to their rediscovery (Shalev et al. 2022). Since the initial discovery, research of the Ḥorbat Bet Naṭif terra-cotta industry has focused on lamp typology (Sussman 1985(Sussman -1986 and decorative schemes (Sussman 2011), figurines (Lichtenberger 2016), lamp molds (Storchan 2019) and the correlation with other contemporaneous workshops in the region (Storchan 2017;Storchan and Lichtenberger 2019). The rediscovery of the cisterns and the consequent excavation have provided an unparalleled opportunity to examine the context and layout of the workshop and reassess our chronological understanding of the Ḥorbat Bet Naṭif terra-cotta products. ...
The Te’omim cave is situated on the western edge of the Jerusalem Hills. The cave consists of the main hall (approximately 50×70 meters with a maximum height of about 10 meters). Several passages lead from the main hall to other small chambers and systems of crevices. The cave detailed description is presented. The Te’omim cave has been researched by archaeologists since the late 19th century till now. Modern excavations discovered multiple artifacts of various periods of time, including Neolith, Bronze and Iron Ages, Roman and Byzantine periods and etc. Recent finds are described in the paper. In the antique times calcite deposits in the cave main hall were quarried to produce “calcite alabaster”. This is the first “alabaster” quarry known in the southern Levant. Quarry faces, toolmarks and unfinished blocks remained, and they are described in the paper.
As in the first volume of the ‘Between the Worlds’ series, this collection includes chronologically, geographically and thematically diverse topics concerning the phenomena of magic, wonders, and mysticism, and are reflecting the different scholarly backgrounds of our authors. The new e-collection ‘Between the Worlds: Magic, Miracles, and Mysticism’ presents a variety of viewpoints and analytical perspectives related to magical and mystical perceptions, experiences, views, beliefs, and practices in different historical periods – from Antiquity and the Middle Ages, to Modernity and the contemporary globalised world. The articles are focused on the individual and communal magical rituals, the wonders of nature, sacred places, icons, and cultural monuments, which continue to gather many believers each year in different parts of the world. The analysed magical and mystical practices testify to the fact that people still want to know the unknown and touch what cannot be seen. Thus, the created contact spaces between humans and supernatural forces bring different social and cultural aspects to the fore and in this way directly influence the identification strategies of the communities. As a result, magical and mystical perceptions, experiences, views, beliefs, and practices are becoming more visible today.
In 1936, Dimitri Baramki published an assemblage of oil lamps and figurines that he had excavated in two cisterns at Beit Nattif in southern Judaea. This rich assemblage, which was waste material from a workshop, was the starting point to characterize a Beit Nattif style. This article discusses late Roman figurines from Beit Nattif and figurines from other places in the Beit Nattif style, which were petrographically analyzed for the first time. In total, 35 samples were taken, and the clay used to make the products found in the cisterns was identified. Additionally, Beit Nattif-style figurines from other excavations were analyzed. While some of these were made of clay from the Taqiye Formation, others originated from different sources. Since a number of the Beit Nattif-style figurines are also stylistically slightly different from the material from the cisterns in Beit Nattif, it is clear that there were several workshops in southern Judaea producing figurines in the Beit Nattif style. It is also argued, however, that Beit Nattif was a center for production, as figurines from there made their way to the north, even as far as Megiddo.
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