Ancient Menorah Stamp Marked Kosher Bread

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.

(Image credit: Dr. Danny Syon, courtesy of the Israel Antiquities Authority.)

A tiny stamp bearing an image of the Temple Menorah and likely placed on baked goods some 1,500 years ago has turned up during excavations near the Israeli city of Akko, researchers announced.

The Israel Antiquities Authority discovered the ceramic stamp while excavating at Horbat Uza, a small rural settlement east of the city Akko, before construction of a railroad track connecting Akko and Karmiel in northern Israel.

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Engraved into the stamp is the seven-branched menorah on top of a narrow base. Several Greek letters appear around a circle and dot, all of which are engraved on the end of the menorah's handle. The researchers suggest the letters spell out the name Launtius, a common name among Jews of this period and a name that has shown up on other bread stamps. Launtius was likely the name of the baker, they added. [Photos of stamp & excavation]

"A potter engraved the menorah image in the surface of the stamp prior to firing it in a kiln, whereas the owner's name was engraved in the stamp's handle after firing," said David Amit of the Israel Antiquities Authority who studies bread stamps. "Hence we can assume that a series of stamps bearing the menorah symbol were produced for Jewish bakers, and each of these bakers carved his name on the handle, which also served as a stamp."

Jeanna Bryner is managing editor of Scientific American. Previously she was editor in chief of Live Science and, prior to that, an editor at Scholastic's Science World magazine. Bryner has an English degree from Salisbury University, a master's degree in biogeochemistry and environmental sciences from the University of Maryland and a graduate science journalism degree from New York University. She has worked as a biologist in Florida, where she monitored wetlands and did field surveys for endangered species, including the gorgeous Florida Scrub Jay. She also received an ocean sciences journalism fellowship from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. She is a firm believer that science is for everyone and that just about everything can be viewed through the lens of science.