National Geographic: Byzantine Site in Israel Yields Church-Shaped Lantern
In Israel, any turn of a spade can reveal surprising pieces of history.
That occurred recently when a large winepress from about A.D. 500, the early Byzantine era, turned up southwest of Jerusalem near the spa town of Hamei Yoav.
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In this same area, the archaeologists found a miniature model of a Byzantine church, about the size of a loaf of bread, indicating that the owner of the winepress was likely a Christian. The intact ceramic structure appears to be a religious lantern. Patterns cut into its roof and walls would have cast flickering crosses of light on the walls of a room. An oval opening in one end allowed an oil lamp to be placed inside.