When studying history, we often focus on major events, landmark years, significant treaties, or great leaders and iconic figures. In recent years, "new history" has shed light on daily life, on the people who, without "making it into the history books," shaped the past with their everyday lives, a past we now long to understand.

Archaeology, by studying material culture or everyday objects, helps us visualize and imagine that more common past, a past that feels closer to our present reality. That’s why, through some of the archaeological objects found in Magdala, I would like us to reflect on that daily life.

As Night Falls...

Nowadays, as night falls, we simply turn a switch, and we have bright light that allows us to continue with our lives as though night doesn’t exist. But not too long ago, this wasn’t the case, and in antiquity, it wasn’t either. So, what happened when night fell? The same as today: the lighting of lamps, except that those faint lights came from candles or oil lamps.

The light emitted by oil lamps wasn’t very powerful, and it always served as a reminder that it was already night; it didn’t aim to extend the day’s activities. For ancient Judaism, the lighting of lights was so important that even today, two religious traditions are maintained in relation to light: the Mitzvá (commandment) of lighting the Shabbat candles, which is performed by women, and the celebration of Hanukkah, the Festival of Lights.

In daily life, the light produced by oil lamps was not eternal; its duration was limited, depending on the size of the lamp and the intensity of the light, which varied depending on the number of nozzles with wicks, allowing for one or several flames at once. Archaeologically, there is evidence of lamps of various sizes and with multiple nozzles. However, In First Century Galilee, the most common were the ones known as "Herodian oil lamps." These are simple clay lamps with a single nozzle and a characteristic "spatulate" shape. This shape is generally used as an indicator of Jewish ethnicity, as they were produced and used by Jews in the 1st century. Another style of oil lamp is known as "Darom," and it is generally attributed to the southern region, near the Dead Sea.

Until a few years ago, it was believed that only cities produced oil lamps, which were then traded to the surrounding villages. However, in 2015, a discovery in Galilee, in Shikhin, led to the hypothesis that oil lamps were also produced locally in the region. You can click here if you’d like to learn more about this discovery.

What happened when the light ran out? If the oil in the lamp ran out, the lamp went out. That’s why it was common to have small ungunetaria or flasks with the amount of oil needed to refill the lamps and keep the light on. The production of oil is another interesting factor that allows us to talk about the "light industry," if you’ll forgive the anachronism, but we’ll save that for another time. In the Gospel, Matthew (25:1-13) presents us with the parable of the ten virgins with oil lamps, reminding us of the simple and wise act of having oil to keep the light burning, a metaphor, in Jesus’ words, to explain the importance of being spiritually prepared.

In the ancient world, the passage of night and the use of light didn’t carry the same intention it does today. Night was a temporal marker; lights gained religious importance, reflected in mitzvot and festivals, helping to create a tradition and a special atmosphere. Meanwhile, the use of lamps and unguentaria with oil was a daily task, an inseparable binomial. For this reason, it is common to find both types of pottery in archaeological sites: the lamps and their unguentaria.

"...but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps." (Mt.25:4)

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