“This cross medallion is not considered an antiquity by law as it is ‘only’ 100-200 hundred years old or so, but it is a unique object," said Dr Re'em of IAA.
"The exquisite artistic workmanship of the lamp, which was found complete, makes it outstanding and extremely rare."
One goal of the research was to further understand when the road was constructed and later abandoned.
“An artifact like this can connect people to the past, to history, and really stirs their imagination,” archaeologist Deni Seymour told The Washington Post.
Phanagoria's 1st century BCE synagogue was discovered last year, following excavations on the ancient Greek city.
After looking online, the family realized the importance of the object and contacted the Israel Antiquities Authority.
The construction project in Thessaloniki, Greece, began in 2003 and has led to thousands of archeological finds ranging from Roman-era roads to Greek mosaics.
Grave stelae found in the provinces of Anatolia are a main source of information about Roman gladiators.
A recent study has undermined prior assumptions about several victims of the Pompeii tragedy.
Co-authors Kathryn Kelley and Mattia Cartolano from the University of Bologna's Department of Classical Philology and Italian Studies studied seal imagery from before the invention of writing.
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