MORNING JOGGER DISCOVERS ANCIENT OIL LAMP:
Posted onTuesday morning 27 June 2016, started normally for Meir Amshik, a ranger (rescue personnel) for the Nature and Parks Authority. As he jogged along the coast, however, "I saw a few pottery shards had been washed up by the waves, and I stopped to pick them up. To my surprise, I saw that a new part of the cliff had crumbled. I went to check it out, and I saw a strange lamp resting there, whole.” Guy Pitosi, inspector for the Israel Antiquities Authority, rushed to the scene. "NPA rangers, and rangers in general, are our eyes on the coast. They don’t just save people, they save artifacts. Finds like this can be incredibly important for research, and for our understanding of history. Happily, more and more people are reporting ancient finds.” According to Saar Ganor, archaeologist for the Ashkelon Center for the Israel Antiquities Authority, "This ancient oil lamp, which was used a light source, dates back to the 12th century. The lamp demonstrates a part of the cultural wealth of the ancient city Ashkelon, which once was an important merchant city.” (Aurtz-7)