The Ancient Mystery of the Ever Burning Lamps

Fire is only produced when certain materials a combustible material, an oxidiser, and a source of heat, are present in the right proportions. The
absence of one or more of these elements would extinguish a flame. It is believed, however, that there are lamps whose flames have continued
burning for an exceptional amount of time without human intervention. This phenomenon, which has not been scientifically explained, is indeed a
very intriguing one. What are these so-called ever burning lamps? Do they really exist?
Ever burning lamps have been recorded by writers from various parts of the world at different points of time. In the ancient world, for instance, the
writer Plutarch mentions in his work De Defectu Oraculorum that a lamp that burned over the door of the temple of Jupiter Ammon in Egypt.
According to Plutarch, the priests of the temple claimed that the lamp stood in the open air, and neither wind nor rain put it out. Similar accounts
are given for the altar of the Temple of Apollo Carneus, at Cyrene, and the great Temple of Aderbain, in Armenia.

The Cyrene Temple of Apollo was said to once have an ever-burning lamp. Credit: megalithic.co.uk
Another Classical author, Pausanias wrote about a gold lamp in the temple of Minerva Polias in Athens. This lamp, which was built by the scholar
Callimachus, was said to have been able to maintain a flame steadily for a year without needing refuelling or having its wick trimmed. It was also
believed that Numa Pompilius, the legendary second king of Rome, was able to communicate directly with the gods, and that he created a light that
burned perpetually in a temple he had dedicated to an elemental being. Some have even postulated that Numa had knowledge of electricity, and
that his successor, Tullus Hostilius, was killed when his attempt to draw electricity from lightning went wrong.

Pausanias wrote about a gold lamp in the temple of Minerva Polias. Picture: The Erechtheion, the west end of the Temple of Minerva Polias and the
Pandrosium on the Acropolis, Athens by James Stuart, 1750s-60s. Credit: grey pony / flickr
Ever burning lamps have also been described during the Late Antique and Medieval periods. It is said that during the reign of the Byzantine emperor
Justinian, an ever burning lamp was found by soldiers at either Edessa or Antioch. According to the story, the lamp was discovered in a niche over
the city gate, and the inscriptions suggest that the lamp has been burning for 500 years.
St. Augustine mentions an ever burning lamp in an Egyptian temple dedicated to Venus, and suggests that it was the work of the Devil. During the
reign of Henry VIII (or the Early Medieval period, according to another source), an ever burning lamp was reported to have been found in England. As
Henry separated from the Roman Catholic Church, and established the Church of England, he demanded the destruction of Catholic churches and
communities should they refuse to be incorporated into his new church. It seems that even the dead were not spared, as the tomb of a wealthy man
who died around the 4th century A.D. was opened. When the tomb was opened, a lamp that was still burning was found. Some have even claimed
that this tomb belonged to Constantius Chlorus, the father of the emperor Constantine.

Emperor Constantius I Chlorus (Wikimedia Commons).

In India, the ancient Hindu temple of Jwala Ji, located in the lower Himalayan town of Jawalamukhi in Himachal Pradesh, has a constantly burning blue
flame that comes from the rocks in various places within the temple, and is said to have been constantly burning since the beginning of its known
history.
Although there is a surfeit of stories regarding ever burning lamps from various periods of time, it seems that there is a conspicuous lack of physical
evidence for such objects. Furthermore, there is no known substance with such properties. Numerous explanations have been proposed to explain
this mystery, ranging from the work of the Devil to alien gods. Others, however, have attributed such inventions not to external forces, but to the
genius of human beings. Could our ancient ancestors have held knowledge regarding a way to create a perpetual flame, which has become lost to
the pages of history?
It is certainly possible, however, given the fact that there is no physical proof for such lamps, some are inclined to believe that the ever burning
lamps are just mere legend. Nevertheless, be it the work of extra-terrestrials, or human sages, or simply non-existent, the ever burning lamps will
probably continue to be a mystery for a long time to come.
Featured image: Picture of an old lamp. Photo source: BigStockPhoto
References
Lloyd, E., 2014. The Mystery Of Ancient Ever-Burning Lamps. [Online]
Available at: http://www.messagetoeagle.com/mysteverburninglamps.php#.VIeiBDGUeSo
MacGowan, D., 2014. Ever Burning Lamps. [Online]
Available at: http://www.historicmysteries.com/ever-burning-lamps/
Mystery of India, 2014. Eternal Flames of Jwala Ji Temple. [Online]
Available at: http://www.mysteryofindia.com/2014/12/eternal-flames-jwala-ji-temple.html
Sguin, X., 2014. Perpetual Lamps. [Online]
Available at: http://eden-saga.com/en/initiation-science-atlantis-perpetual-lamps-vril-booya-jiechele.html
Thurtle, E., 2014. 10 Unsolved Mysteries From Ancient Times. [Online]
Available at: http://listverse.com/2014/08/21/10-unsolved-mysteries-from-ancient-times/
Westcott, W. W., 2014. Rosicrucian Thoughts on the Ever-Burning Lamps of the Ancients. [Online]
Available at: http://www.levity.com/alchemy/westcott.html
www.sacred-texts.com, 2014. Wonders of Antiquity. [Online]
Available at: http://www.sacred-texts.com/eso/sta/sta14.htm

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