Mother-Of-Pearl Menorah

It was only when restoration work at Caesarea was being done nearby that the most significant find emerged—a small slab of mother-of-pearl. Carved on the tablet’s surface was a six-branched menorah. The artifact was unique for its precious material and Jewish iconography.

Experts are almost certain that it was once part of a box. More specifically, a container that likely held a Sefer Torah scroll. This handwritten text holds the first five books of the Old Testament and is fundamental to Jewish law. The 1,500-year-old carving was created during the late Roman-Byzantine era and shows that Caesarea had a Jewish population during that time.