Two IDF reservists on duty at a staging area near the Gaza border discovered a Byzantine-era clay lamp in the muddy ground. They contacted the Israel Antiquities Authority after realizing the importance of the item. 

Reservists Natanel Melchior and Alon Segev from the 404th Battalion of the 282nd Artillery Brigade were responsible for the discovery.

“During one of our wanderings in the field, I came across pottery lying upside down, and its round shape attracted me,” said Melchior. “It was covered in mud, I cleaned it and after I realized what it was about, I called the Antiquities Authority.” 

Sara Tal, an Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) archaeologist, identified the lamp as a “sandal candle” from the Byzantine period, about 1,500 years ago.

"The candle, which was common in antiquity, is made in a pattern and is typical of the lowlands and southern part of the Land of Israel." Tal said.

Read the full article at All Israel News.