A Theotokos lamp from Antioch-on-the-Orontes in the Archaeological Museum of Hatay (southeastern Turkey)
A Theotokos lamp from Antioch-on-the-Orontes in the Archaeological Museum of Hatay (southeastern Turkey)

Summary/Abstract: Pilgrims returning home during the early Byzantine period carried with them numerous objects with sacred inscriptions. In Jerusalem—and in Syria—terracotta oil lamps were made with a specific formula of blessing mentioning both the Blessed Virgin as Theotokos and a certain John whose identification either with a saint or the manufacturer of these lamps remains unclear. The Archaeological Museum of Hatay in southeastern Turkey holds a lamp of this type, probably dating to the 6th century AD or shortly thereafter.

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