These are oil lamps found in a mountain cave called Te’omim, (“cave of the twins” in Hebrew), located about 15 miles west of Jerusalem. Archaeologists have studied the place for years, finding ruins from many points of human history. But in a paper published this month in _Harvard Theological Review_, a team of archaeologists argues that these some 120 lamps were likely used by the ancient Romans for necromancy — communication with the dead.
The evidence comes from various corners. For one, Te’omim has an internal spring — caves with water sources were prime sites for magical rites concerning the dead, almost like portals to another dimension. The fact that archaeologists found remnants of disembodied skull craniums in the caves adds to this (see second image). The skulls in this cave were deliberately placed in hard-to-reach crevices near oil lamps, which suggests a ritualistic function, since the lamps couldn’t have been lit in such narrow and out-of-the-way areas.
Necromancy in the Roman world was connected to the ritual use of skulls. The myth of Orpheus featured the musician’s skull singing prophesies. In “The Greek Magical Papyri,” which is a bunch of spells from Greco-Roman Egypt, there are instructions on how to raise a spirit with the use of a skull. Necromancers also used oil lamps, interpreting the flickering flames as messages from the land of the dead.
The necromancy — and attendant oil lamps and skulls — from Te’omim Cave seems to have been practiced from about 200-400 CE.
