The remains of a Jewish settlement of the Second Temple period, including the shard of a rare oil lamp depicting a menorah with nine branches, have been discovered for the first time in Beersheva, revealing proof of Jewish day-to-day life there, according to the Israel Antiquities Authority. Along with the menorah, limestone vessels used by Jews for ritual purity were uncovered.

The site, dated from the first century C.E. until the Bar-Kochba Revolt in 135 C.E., also appears to contain underground hidden passageways used by Jewish rebels. The site is located along the southern border of the ancient kingdom of Judah, next to a road that led from Tel Beersheva to the southern coastal plain.