A Theotokos lamp from Antioch-on-the-Orontes in the Archaeological Museum of Hatay (southeastern Turkey)

Pilgrims returning home during the early Byzantine period carried with them numerous objects with sacred inscriptions. In Jerusalem—and in Syria—terracotta oil lamps were made with a specific formula of blessing mentioning both the Blessed Virgin as Theotokos and a certain John whose identification either with a saint or the manufacturer of these lamps remains unclear. The Archaeological Museum of Hatay in southeastern Turkey holds a lamp of this type, probably dating to the 6th century AD or shortly thereafter.