Lamps were commonly made of pottery and burned olive oil through a wick. Designs changed over time, giving archaeologists useful chronological evidence.
Customs & Culture
Oil Lamps in the Home
Small oil lamps were the ordinary portable light source in biblical homes. Their limited light made lamp placement, fuel, and readiness familiar parts of daily life.
Primary Scripture
Historical and Cultural Background
Biblical Examples
Jesus speaks of placing a lamp on a stand rather than hiding it, wedding attendants carry lamps, and a woman lights a lamp to search her house for a lost coin.
Biblical Significance
Lamp imagery draws on ordinary experience: a small light is useful only when supplied with fuel and placed where it can illuminate its surroundings.
Common Misconceptions
The lamps in Jesus' parables should not automatically be pictured as modern lanterns or candles.
Historical Setting and Evidence
Culture: Ancient Near Eastern, Israelite, Judean/Jewish, Greek/Hellenistic, Roman
Period: Patriarchal Period, Exodus and Wilderness, Conquest and Judges, United Monarchy, Divided Monarchy, Kingdom of Judah, Babylonian Exile, Persian Period, Hellenistic Period, Hasmonean Period, Roman / Second Temple Period, Apostolic / Early Church Period
Evidence: Well Attested
Interpretive Importance: Major
Thousands of ancient oil lamps survive archaeologically from biblical lands.
Scripture References
Related Information
Sources
Matthew 5; Matthew 25; Luke 15