The Solkan oil lamp, made of fired clay and dated by experts to the 4th–6th century AD, was discovered in the garden of the Klemenčič-Komavec family, located behind the parish church of St. Stephen in Solkan, the mother church of many in the Goriška region. The lamp features the monogram of Christ and stylized palm leaves—a symbol of martyrdom and victory.
The Christogram on the “Solkan oil lamp” is composed of overlapping Greek letters: X (Greek “Chi”) and P (Greek “Rho”), the first two letters of the Greek word “Χριστός” (Christos). The lamp was likely brought to Solkan from Aquileia and may have been crafted in North Africa, possibly in Alexandria.
In the Bible, lamps are mentioned about 60 times (e.g., Ps 119:105; 132:17; 1 Kgs 11:36; 15:4; 2 Kgs 8:19; Job 18:5; Jer 25:10; Isa 42:6; 49:6; Lk 3:32). Light and illumination are referenced around 240 times (e.g., Gen 1:3-5; Job 24:13; Ps 17:15; Wis 7:26; Dan 2:22; Mt 6:23; Jn 1:5; 8:12; 12:36; Acts 13:47; 26:18; 1 Thess 5:3-4; Jas 1:17; Rev 21:25).
The distinction between wisdom and folly is significant. In Jesus’ parable of the ten virgins (cf. Mt 25:1-13), who await the bridegroom, five are wise, and five are foolish. The foolish virgins had lamps but no oil and were thus not admitted to the wedding banquet. Discrimination?
While many things can be bought, borrowed, or made, faith, hope, and love cannot be obtained unless we accept them as gifts from God. We are wise when we understand that, in addition to the clay lamp, we also need oil. Body and soul, faith and living by faith, God’s word and fulfilling it—all are interconnected. To separate what is united is folly that leads to ruin.
The Solkan oil lamp is not merely an archaeological find or a museum piece for us. It is a symbol. A lamp gains meaning when it is filled with oil, when the wick is lit, and a flame burns. This is a metaphor for our lives. We are grateful for the immeasurable grace of God with which we are endowed. God’s “invitation” is ongoing and accessible to all.
God first created light: “And God said, ‘Let there be light,’ and there was light. God saw that the light was good, and He separated the light from the darkness. God called the light ‘day,’ and the darkness He called ‘night.’ And there was evening, and there was morning—the first day” (cf. Gen 1:3-5). Another discrimination! Light and darkness symbolize good and evil.
The Christogram on the Solkan oil lamp proclaims that Jesus is the light of the world: “When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” (Jn 8:12). The Solkan oil lamp stands as evidence that the light of Christian faith was present in the Gorizia region in the earliest centuries of Christianity.
Discussion Questions
- Am I walking in the light amid the darkness of today’s world? Is there hope within me? What do I expect? What do I rely on? What is my ultimate goal?
- My “oil”? Is there “something” in my life I am willing to die for?
- Am I vigilant and guarding myself against traps and deceit? What temptations do I face?
- How much violence occurred in the past along the Italian-Slovenian border! Is it different today? Do we love one another? How is this visible?
Photo: In the background the reconstructed replica of the oil lamp, photo of the original oil lamp from the book published for the millennium anniversary of the first mention of Solkan:
Jako stara vas na Goriškem je Solkan, Krajevna skupnost Solkan, 2001.
The original oil lamp is private property of the Komavec family.
The replicas of the reconstructed oil lamp were created by Silva Karim.
Bogdan Vidmar, Episcopal Vicar for ECOC 2025, Nova Gorica, 1st March 2023
THE LAMP THAT BURNS AND SHINES
Koper, 7th March 2023
In the central area of the Temple in Jerusalem stood the famous seven-branched lampstand, on which seven lamps continuously burned to light the space in front of it (Exodus 25:37). To maintain the lamps, the Lord spoke to Moses: “Command the Israelites to bring you clear oil of pressed olives for the light so that the lamps may be kept burning” (Exodus 27:20).
The lamp is a metaphor for the Lord, who gives life: “You, Lord, are my lamp; the Lord turns my darkness into light” (2 Samuel 22:29). “The lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down in the house of the Lord, where the ark of God was” (1 Samuel 3:3). “The human spirit is the lamp of the Lord that sheds light on one’s inmost being.” (Proverbs 20:27).
The lamp is a metaphor for God’s word: “Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path” (Psalm 119:105). “For this command is a lamp, this teaching is a light, and correction and instruction are the way to life” (Proverbs 6:23). “We also have the prophetic message as something completely reliable, and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a light shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts” (2 Peter 1:19).
The lamp is a symbol of life: “Yet how often is the lamp of the wicked snuffed out? How often does calamity come upon them, the fate God allots in his anger? How often are they like straw before the wind, like chaff swept away by a gale” (Job 21:17-18). “The light of the righteous shines brightly, but the lamp of the wicked is snuffed out” (Proverbs 13:9). “For the evildoer has no future hope, and the lamp of the wicked will be snuffed out” (Proverbs 24:20).
The lamp is a symbol of the king and the prophet: “Then David’s men swore to him, saying, ‘Never again will you go out with us to battle, so that the lamp of Israel will not be extinguished’” (2 Samuel 21:17). The Lord promised King David: “Here I will make a horn grow for David and set up a lamp for my anointed one” (Psalm 132:17). The Lord described John the Baptist in this way: “John was a lamp that burned and gave light, and you chose for a time to enjoy his light” (John 5:35).
The lamp is a sign of a wise and watchful person: In the hymn of the virtuous woman, it is written: “She sees that her trading is profitable, and her lamp does not go out at night” (Proverbs 31:18). In the parable of the virgins waiting for the bridegroom: “The wise ones, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps” (Matthew 25:4). In the anticipation of the master’s return: “Be dressed ready for service and keep your lamps burning, like servants waiting for their master to return from a wedding banquet, so that when he comes and knocks, they can immediately open the door for him” (Luke 12:35-36).
SOLKAN OIL LAMP
The Solkan oil lamp, made of fired clay and dated by experts to the 4th–6th century AD, was discovered in the garden of the Klemenčič-Komavec family, located behind the parish church in Solkan. The lamp features the monogram of Christ and stylized palm leaves — a symbol of martyrdom and victory.
The Christogram on the “Solkan oil lamp” is composed of two Greek letters: the letter X (Latin H) crossed by the letter P (Latin R). These are the first two letters of the Greek name “Χριστός” (pronounced Christos). The lamp may have been crafted in Alexandria and brought to Solkan, likely from Aquileia. It serves as evidence that the light of Christian faith was present in the region as early as the first centuries of Christianity.
In the Bible, lamps are mentioned around 60 times, while light and illumination are mentioned approximately 240 times—four times as often. For example: “You are the light of the world” (Mt 5:14). “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven” (Mt 5:16).
