A one-of-a-kind stone capital, a type never found anywhere in the world, decorated with an eight-branched lamp over 1,500 years old, will be revealed to the public for the first time at the Jay and Jeanie Schottenstein National Campus for the Archaeology of Israel in Jerusalem, in honor of Independence Day events. Made of limestone, the capital was unearthed in 2020 during Israel Antiquities Authority excavations conducted prior to constructing the new Jerusalem city entrance, and financed by the Netivei Israel – National Transport Infrastructure Company. Since then, experts of the Israel Antiquities Authority and the Hebrew University in Jerusalem have subjected it to a range of scientific and historical investigations.

The capital – a rare architectural artifact that has no archaeological parallels, was discovered in a Byzantine period building (6th-7th Century CE), resting upside-down on one room’s flooring.

The researchers believe it was placed into this structure in what is termed “secondary use” – changing its primary purpose, and that originally, it served to decorate an even earlier structure.

According to Dr. Uzi Ad and Anna Eirich, excavation managers on behalf of the Israel Antiquities Authority, “It seems this capital stood atop a column in a magnificent building or on a street, in a late Roman period settlement here (2nd-4th Century CE). From its local context and finds this settlement was apparently populated by descendants of Roman army retirees. If so, what was a capital with a menorah decoration on it doing here of all places – a distinct Jewish symbol? This is a true conundrum.

In the classical periods, architectural capitals standing on top of columns were intended to support the beams which held up ceilings. Usually they featured a plant decoration, and occasionally with different symbols – in this case, it features the menorah, based on the Temple candelabrum. In its upper section, each of the capital’s sides is decorated with an eight-branched candelabrum, and each side of its lower section is decorated with eight leaves – while a vertical element is incised above the upper part of each side’s middle leaf, appearing as the foot of the candelabrum.

According to Dr. Orit Peleg-Barkat from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, who specializes in ancient architectural decoration, "While Corinthian capitals with smooth leaves were common throughout our region from the late Second Temple through Byzantine periods, the capital discovered at Motza exhibits truly distinctive features. Despite being skillfully crafted, it appears to be the work of an artisan less familiar with architectural conventions prevalent in urban public structures. Most significantly, the upper section—traditionally adorned with a floral motif—instead features what resembles an eight-branched menorah. This is particularly intriguing because seven-branched menorahs typically appear on capitals from synagogues of the late Roman and Byzantine periods, such as those found at Capernaum and Caesarea. The absence of any evidence suggesting a synagogue at this site raises questions about the capital's original purpose and context. It's possible the craftsman intended to carve a conventional flower design but, due to his limited familiarity with standard models, created something that bears a resemblance to a symmetrical eight-branched lamp." 

According to Dr. Yuval Baruch, Deputy Director of Archaeology at the Israel Antiquities Authority and a researcher of the menorah symbol, “The stone capital from Motza in the Jerusalem hills, decorated with the eight-branched menorah design, is unique, and a rare kind of discovery. Especially due to its findspot, its importance should not be underestimated. A few decades after the Second Temple’s destruction, the menorah became the distinct symbol of the Jewish people, both in the Diaspora and in the Land of Israel. Finding objects decorated with menorahs, certainly on heavy stone objects, is a clear indication of the existence of a Jewish settlement. Now, let us consider that historical texts supported by archaeological research shows that the Jewish settlement in Judea – and especially in the Jerusalem hills, suffered a great blow as a result of the Bar Kokhba revolt in the 2nd century CE – in fact, it can be considered eliminated in this region. Based on this reality, it is reasonable to surmise that this capital was brought from a destroyed site elsewhere merely to serve as useful building material here, in secondary usage.

According to the Israeli Minister of Heritage, MK Rabbi Amichai Eliyahu:
"The discovery of the stone capital adorned with a menorah provides tangible evidence of the profound and undeniable connection between the Jewish people, Jerusalem, and the Land of Israel throughout thousands of years. This rare archaeological find, unparalleled anywhere in the world, serves as a bridge between our glorious past and the renewal of our independence in the State of Israel."

“We invite the public to come on guided tours of the new Jay and Jeanie Schottenstein National Campus for the Archaeology of Israel in Jerusalem, and appreciate this unique piece,” says Eli Escusido, Director of the Israel Antiquities Authority. The stone capital will be presented to the public as part of the Israel Antiquities Authority's commitment to making the cultural assets of the Land of Israel accessible. There is no more appropriate time to reveal this find to the public than in these very days of celebrating our identity as a nation. The connection to roots and to values is the source of our strength.”