An exceptionally rare lead pendant decorated with a seven-branched menorah has been discovered during archaeological excavations at Jerusalem's Temple Mount, in the southwestern corner, raising questions about Jewish presence in the city during a period when they were officially prohibited from entering, according to the Israel Antiquities Authority. The 1,300-year-old artifact was found in the Davidson Archaeological Park by workers conducting excavations in cooperation with the City of David Foundation and the Company for the Restoration and Development of the Jewish Quarter.
The pendant dates to the 6th to early 7th century CE during the Late Byzantine period and features identical menorah images on both sides. Researchers believe the artifact was worn by a Jewish individual who traveled to Jerusalem despite Byzantine-era restrictions barring Jews from the city, the report stated.
Ayayu Belete, a City of David worker who discovered the pendant, described the moment of finding it. "One day while I was digging inside an ancient structure, I suddenly saw something different, gray, among the stones," Belete recounted, according to the Israel Antiquities Authority. "I picked up the object out and saw that it was a pendant with a menorah on it. I immediately showed the find to Esther Rakow-Mellet, the area director, and she said it was an especially rare find. I was deeply moved and excited!"
This structure, along with remains of other buildings from the same era, was subsequently covered by an eight-meter-thick layer of fill material that was deposited during construction of monumental Umayyad structures in early 8th century Jerusalem, according to the Israel Antiquities Authority.
The pendant features a disc-shaped design with an attachment loop at the top, suggesting it was intended for necklace wear. Both surfaces display a seven-branched menorah enclosed within circular frames, with one side well-preserved and the other bearing a weathered patina. The menorah designs show three arms extending from each side of a central shaft, topped by horizontal crossbars with flames rising above. Laboratory analysis by conservator Ilya Reznitsky revealed the pendant contains approximately 99% lead.
Dr. Yuval Baruch, Dr. Filip Vukosavović, Esther Rakow-Mellet, and Dr. Shulamit Terem of the Israel Antiquities Authority explained the significance of the find. "A pendant made of pure lead, decorated with a menorah, is an exceptionally rare find. Research has identified pendants of glass and other metals decorated with a menorah, but we know of only one other pendant in the world bearing the symbol of the menorah, made of lead. That pendant, of unknown origin, is housed in The Walters Art Museum in Baltimore, USA. The double appearance of the menorah on each side of the disc indicates the deep significance of this symbol, and the central place of the menorah in the visual expression of connection to the Temple and its memory, even in periods long after the destruction of the Temple," the researchers stated.
Historical records indicate Jews faced prohibitions against entering Jerusalem during Byzantine rule, complicating the interpretation of menorah-decorated artifacts found in the city. Researchers question whether such finds represent random occurrences or belonged to Jews who came to Jerusalem for commerce, administrative purposes, or clandestine pilgrimages under unofficial circumstances, according to the report.
Dr. Yuval Baruch, who has directed excavations at the site for approximately 25 years and specializes in menorah studies, provided additional context. "This is an unusual find. This pendant, bearing the symbol of the menorah, is not just a material object; it is a personal seal, an emblem of memory and identity, which probably belonged to an anonymous Jew who chose to wear it around his or her neck. This choice is not only the essence of a personal commitment to one's religious faith, and perhaps even an expectation of that unanimously recognized person who held the artifact for national revival, but it also attests that during periods when imperial edicts were issued prohibiting Jews from residing in the city, they did not stop coming there!"
"It can be further surmised that the choice to use lead, rather than one of the more common metals for making jewelry, suggests that the owner of the object wore it as an amulet, not jewelry. There is a strong basis to this contention, because lead was considered a common and particularly popular material for making amulets at that time," Baruch explained.
"During the Byzantine period the menorah became a symbol of national memory, and it expressed the expectation of national revival among the Jewish communities in the Land of Israel; in the Diaspora, they adopted it in exactly the same way. Moreover, in recent years, there is increased archaeological evidence that show that Jews, despite all the prohibitions and difficulties imposed on them, found the ways to reach Jerusalem and it is possible that there were even some who settled there," Baruch added.
Israeli Minister of Heritage Amichai Eliyahu offered reflections on the discovery's significance. "The exciting find of the menorah pendant joins a series of testimonies that continue to be discovered in Jerusalem, and that tell the story of the continuity and devotion of the Jewish people in the city. Even during periods when Jews were prohibited from entering Jerusalem, the connection to this holy place did not cease. I invite the public to see and get impressed by this rare find as part of the Heritage Week events led by the Ministry of Heritage during the Hanukkah holiday," Eliyahu stated.
Public viewing of the rare menorah pendant will occur for the first time during Hanukkah through family tours and activities hosted at the Jay and Jeanie Schottenstein National Campus for the Archaeology of Israel in Jerusalem.
