This is a group of "fixer-upper" Samaritan oil lamps that date to the Byzantine/Islamic period. Samaria was the region of northern Israel whose population included Jews, Christians, and Pagans who co-existed in a unique and fluid culture. The biblical Israelites conflicted often with the Samaritans, which is why the Christian parable of the "Good Samaritan" features a Samaritan as an unexpected source of kindness. Adler's "Oil Lamps of the Holy Land" categorizes ...click for details
This nice, hefty lamp is a typical example of what was used in the Holy Land after the Islamic conquest in the early Medieval period. Islamic period lamps varied very little in style over long periods of time, which results in correspondingly wide age estimates. Adler's "Oil Lamps of the Holy Land" categorizes this lamp as a IS.2 type, which is pear-shaped with a "tongue" handle. The nozzle has a deep trench, and the shoulders are decorated with floral designs.
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