28 Dec 2020
A BBC World Service radio program aired a show in the runup to Christmas titled “Black Jesus,” in which presenter Robert Beckford made the anachronistic claim that Jesus was a “Palestinian,” even though that term came into use a century later.
Throughout the show, Beckford repeatedly referred to Jesus as a “first-century Palestinian Jew.” As noted by monitoring group the Committee for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting in America (CAMERA), which first broke the story, the term “Palestinian” came into common more than a hundred years after Jesus’ crucifixion in the aftermath of the Bar Kokhba Revolt against the Roman Empire.
Ancient Ceramic Oil-Lamp Workshop Unearthed in Jerusalem Published December 15th, 2020 - 11:25 GMT
Ancient ceramic oil-lamp (Shutterstock)
Highlights
The oil-lamp workshop was actually first discovered in 1934 by archaeologist Dimitri Baramki, an inspector with the Department of Antiquities during the British Mandate.
An ancient ceramic oil-lamp workshop, one of the largest of its kind, has been unearthed in Beit Shemesh, a city located west of Jerusalem in Israel.
Several Islamic-era artifacts from the workshop, including lamp molds, a kiln and several well-preserved, unused oil lamps all dated between the 7th and 11th centuries AD were put on displace at the Israel Museum in Jerusalem this week.
12-14-2020
Israel Antiquities Authority excavations at Ramat Beit Shemesh. Photo: Assaf Peretz, Israel Antiquities Authority.
Israeli archaeologists excavating outside Jerusalem have unearthed hundreds of pottery oil lamps and one of the largest oil-lamp workshops in Israel, the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) announced on Monday.
Two of the lamps bore the symbol of the menorah and others carried a fish – one of the symbols of early Christianity. They were made during the early Roman Period, about 1,600-1,700 years ago and were used for lighting in ancient times.
Archaeologists also found stone lamp molds for their production and terracotta figurines in the IAA excavation in Beit Shemesh, prior to the development of a new neighborhood there. Many of the workers were volunteers – young people and those awaiting their service in the IDF.
Oil lamps found at the the Beit Nattif excavation in Beit Shemesh. (Itai Aviv/Israel Antiquities Authority)
Oil lamps found at the the Beit Nattif excavation in Beit Shemesh. (Yoli Schwartz/Israel Antiquities Authority)
Lamp fragment with menorah symbol found at the the Beit Nattif excavation in Beit Shemesh (Moran Balila, Israel Antiquities Authority)
A figurine found at the Beit Nattif excavation in Beit Shemesh being washed. (Yoli Schwartz/Israel Antiquities Authority)
Excavation director Itai Aviv with a 1600-year-old human figurine found at the the Beit Nattif excavation in Beit Shemesh (Yoli Schwartz/
Israel Antiquities Authority)
Archaeologists said Monday that they have unearthed one of the largest oil lamp workshops discovered in Israel, dating back 1,600-1,700 years, in a discovery that also solves a more modern mystery: the lost location of a cistern with ancient artifacts that was found by a researcher more than 85 years ago.
A Roman workshop that made pagan figurines in Israel was first found in 1934
However, the village where it sat was abandoned in 1948 and it was forgotten
Experts announced it had rediscovered the location and hundreds of figurines
There were oil lamps that were designed with both Hebrew and pagan designs
The trove of figurines includes naked women, animals and horse-riders