Archaeologists have discovered a Roman-era oil-lamp workshop in the village of Shikhin in northern Israel. Robin Ngo writes:
The lamps from Shikhin are estimated to have been made between 70 and 135 CE—between the end of the first Jewish revolt against Rome and the end of the Bar Kokhba revolt. “One type of lamp [found at the site] is a relatively plain lamp that resembles the well-known Herodian lamp with a ‘spatulated’ or ‘knife-pared’ nozzle,” explained [the excavation’s director, James Riley] Strange. “It was made in two molds, one for the bottom half of the lamp and another for the top half—both halves also molding the nozzle, which was pared after the two halves were joined.”
“The [other] kind of lamp is called a ‘Darom’ or ‘southern’ lamp,” Strange continued. “It was originally made in the Daroma region of Israel, south and west of Jerusalem. Most famously, lamps of this type were found in hideaway caves near the Dead Sea.”
The lamp workshop may also provide insights into the lamp makers themselves. “It may tell us something about the migration of Jewish lamp makers north into the Galilee from Jerusalem and Judea after 70, and perhaps again after 135, bringing their artisanal traditions with them and distributing their wares in the Galilee.” said Strange.
Read more on Bible History Daily: http://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/ancient-cultures/daily-life-and-practice/an-ancient-jewish-lamp-workshop-in-the-galilee/