Rare 1,300-Year-Old Menorah Pendant Found Near Temple Mount

by Emmitt Barry, with reporting from Worthy News Jerusalem Bureau Staff

JERUSALEM (Worthy News) – A remarkably rare, 1,300-year-old lead pendant decorated with a seven-branched menorah has been uncovered during archaeological excavations beneath the southwestern corner of the Temple Mount, shedding new light on Jewish presence in Jerusalem during a period when Jews were officially barred from entering the city.

The discovery was announced by the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA), which has been conducting large-scale excavations in the Davidson Archaeological Park in cooperation with the City of David Foundation and the Company for the Restoration and Development of the Jewish Quarter. The area lies just north of the City of David and adjacent to the Temple Mount complex.

Dating to the Late Byzantine period, between the sixth and early seventh centuries CE, the pendant is considered one of the rarest Jewish artifacts ever found in Jerusalem. Only one other ancient lead pendant bearing a menorah symbol is known worldwide, currently housed at the Walters Art Museum in Baltimore.

The artifact was discovered within a layer of rubble inside a Late Byzantine building that was later buried beneath approximately eight meters of fill. Archaeologists say this massive fill was deposited during early eighth-century construction projects associated with the Umayyad caliphate, which sealed and preserved earlier structures in the area.

Ayayu Belete, a City of David excavation worker, described the moment of discovery as deeply moving. While digging inside an ancient structure, Belete noticed a small gray object among the stones. Upon lifting it, he realized it was a pendant bearing a menorah. He immediately brought it to excavation director Esther Rakow-Mellet, who recognized its extraordinary rarity.

The pendant is disk-shaped with a small loop at the top, indicating it was likely worn on a necklace. Both sides are decorated with an identical image of a seven-branched menorah enclosed within a circular frame. Each branch features a horizontal bar at its top, with stylized flames rising above. One side of the pendant is exceptionally well preserved, while the other is covered in patina from centuries of natural weathering.

Scientific testing conducted at the IAA’s analytical laboratories using X-ray fluorescence technology revealed that the object is composed of approximately 99 percent lead. According to researchers, including Dr. Yuval Baruch, Dr. Filip Vukosavović, Dr. Shulamit Terem, and Rakow-Mellet, this material choice is significant.

“A pendant made of pure lead, decorated with a menorah, is an exceptionally rare find,” the researchers said in a joint statement. While menorah motifs are known from glass and bronze artifacts, lead examples are virtually unknown. The fact that the menorah appears on both sides of the pendant underscores the deep symbolic importance of the image as a visual expression of Jewish identity and memory of the Temple long after its destruction.

The find has puzzled archaeologists because historical sources indicate that Jews were prohibited from entering Jerusalem during much of the Byzantine period. Scholars are now weighing several possibilities, including that the pendant belonged to a Jewish merchant, administrator, secret pilgrim, or someone who may have lived in the city unofficially despite imperial edicts.

Dr. Baruch, who has directed excavations at the site for nearly 25 years, emphasized that the pendant represents more than a decorative object. He described it as a personal emblem of faith and identity, possibly worn as an amulet rather than jewelry. Lead, he noted, was commonly used for protective charms in late antiquity.

“During the Byzantine period, the menorah became a symbol of national memory and hope for renewal,” Baruch said. “This object testifies that even when Jews were forbidden to live in Jerusalem, they did not stop coming. Increasing archaeological evidence suggests they found ways to reach the city, and perhaps even to settle there.”

Israeli Minister of Heritage Rabbi Amichai Eliyahu said the discovery adds to a growing body of evidence demonstrating the enduring Jewish connection to Jerusalem across centuries of upheaval and restriction. He invited the public to view the pendant during Heritage Week events held over the Hanukkah holiday.

The artifact will be displayed at the Jay and Jeanie Schottenstein National Campus for the Archaeology of Israel in Jerusalem.

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