A tiny stamp bearing the image of the Temple menorah was found in recent weeks at an archaeological site near Acre. The artifact was probably used to stamp baked goods and may have belonged to a bakery that supplied Jews in Acre with kosher bread during the Byzantine period, some 1,500 years ago. The Israel Antiquities Authority is currently conducting controlled excavations at Horbat Uza, to the east of Acre, preparatory to the laying of the Acre-Carmiel railway. Excavators recently found a clay stamp at the site, believed to be what is known as a "bread stamp," used in ancient times to mark baked goods. "This is the first time such a stamp has been discovered in a controlled dig, allowing us to determine its origin and date," Dr. Danny Syon, who is directing the excavation on behalf of the Israel Antiquities Authority, said on Tuesday. "The great significance of the find is that it proves there was a Jewish community in Uza during the Christian Byzantine period. The fact that a Jewish community existed near Acre in an area that was overwhelmingly Christian at the time constitutes a new discovery. Due to Horbat Uza's geographical proximity to Acre we can surmise that the village supplied the Jewish community of Acre with kosher baked goods during the Byzantine period." The stamp bears the relief of a seven-branched menorah on a narrow base. At the top of the handle several Greek letters are carved around a circle and dot. Dr. Leah Di Segni of the Hebrew University suggests that this is the name "Launtius," which was common among Jews at the time and even appears on another Jewish bread stamp of unknown date and origin. The Antiquities Authority believes it is probably the name of the baker from Horbat Uza. Dr. David Amit of the Antiquities Authority, an authority on bread stamps, said Tuesday, "We can conjecture that stamps bearing a menorah symbol were systematically produced for Jewish bakers and that each baker subsequently carved his name on the handle, which served as a stamp as well. Before baking, the dough could be stamped twice: first with the menorah, a general symbol used by Jewish bakeries, and then with the name of the individual baker, which added an extra guarantee that the baked item could be trusted as kosher."
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Pat it, roll it, and mark it with a menorah
1,500-year-old Jewish stamp discovered near Acre • Item was most likely used to mark bread and other baked goods.
