Menorah in the Beth Shearim Catacomb, Lower Galilee, 2nd- 4th centuries CE

An example of the intricate carvings in the catacombs of Beth She’arim, this menorah stands on top of the head of a man in a Roman military tunic. Jewish symbols such as the menorah appear side by side with pagan motifs of lions, eagles, bulls’ heads and garlands. A carved shell, another common ornament, decorates the burial niche on the right.

Pieter W. van der Horst. “Jewish Funerary Inscriptions—Most Are in Greek.” Biblical Archaeology Review 18, 5 (1992).