A metal halide lamp includes a discharge vessel surrounded by an outer envelope with clearance and has a ceramic wall which encloses a discharge space filled with a filling comprising an inert gas, such as xenon (Xe), and an ionizable salt. In the discharge space, two electrodes are arranged whose tips have a mutual interspacing so as to define a discharge path between them. The ionizable salt comprises NaI, TlI, CaI.sub.2 and X-iodide wherein X is selected from the group comprising rare earth metals.