Horbat Uza
Researchers from the Israel Antiquities Authority discovered the ceramic stamp, engraved with an image of the Temple Menorah, while excavating at Horbat Uza (shown here), a small rural settlement east of the city Akko in Israel. [Read full story]
Menorah-Engraved Stamp
The seven-branched menorah was engraved on what researchers say was likely a bread stamp used by Jewish bakers to identify their kosher breads by name some 1,500 years ago.
Baker's Name
A number of Greek letters are engraved around a circle and dot on the menorah's handle, letters that seem to spell out the name Launtius, likely the baker's name, the researchers said.
City of Akko
Akko (also called Acre), just west of where the stamp was discovered, is a historic walled port city. Today, the city appears as a fortified town that dates to the 18th and 19th centuries, with a citadel, mosques, khans and baths. [Read full story]
Fortified City
Another view of the city of Akko, showing its fortification.
