Menorah

Christianity / Church / Temple

Menorah

Menorah
(heb. מְנוֹרָה — is the menorah (accent on the last syllable), lit. lamp)
The golden seven-barrel lamp (seven-candle), which was in the Tabernacle of the Assembly during the wanderings of the Jews in the desert, and then in the Jerusalem temple, until the destruction of the 2-nd Temple.
Today 23 Shvat 5730 AD Thursday, (10 October 2024)
25 And thou shalt make unto it a border of an hand breadth round about, and thou shalt make a golden crown to the border thereof round about.
26 And thou shalt make for it four rings of gold, and put the rings in the four corners that are on the four feet thereof.
27 Over against the border shall the rings be for places of the staves to bear the table.
28 And thou shalt make the staves of shittim wood, and overlay them with gold, that the table may be borne with them.
29 And thou shalt make the dishes thereof, and spoons thereof, and covers thereof, and bowls thereof, to cover withal: of pure gold shalt thou make them.
30 And thou shalt set upon the table shewbread before me alway.
31 And thou shalt make a candlestick of pure gold: of beaten work shall the candlestick be made: his shaft, and his branches, his bowls, his knops, and his flowers, shall be of the same.
32 And six branches shall come out of the sides of it; three branches of the candlestick out of the one side, and three branches of the candlestick out of the other side:
33 Three bowls made like unto almonds, with a knop and a flower in one branch; and three bowls made like almonds in the other branch, with a knop and a flower: so in the six branches that come out of the candlestick.
34 And in the candlestick shall be four bowls made like unto almonds, with their knops and their flowers.
35 And there shall be a knop under two branches of the same, and a knop under two branches of the same, and a knop under two branches of the same, according to the six branches that proceed out of the candlestick.
36 Their knops and their branches shall be of the same: all it shall be one beaten work of pure gold.
37 And thou shalt make the seven lamps thereof: and they shall light the lamps thereof, that they may give light over against it.
38 And the tongs thereof, and the snuffdishes thereof, shall be of pure gold.
39 Of a talent of pure gold shall he make it, with all these vessels.
40 And look that thou make them after their pattern, which was shewed thee in the mount.
(Exo 25:31-40)

The last detailed image of the menorah, which indicates that it was captured by the Romans at the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD, And brought as a trophy to Rome.

As you can see below, this image is taken as the basis for the coat of arms of Israel.


Reconstruction of the Menorah (full size).
Produced by Institute for the Study of the Temple.
Money for manufacturing menorah was given by a Jew from Belarus.
The menorah is kosher and therefore can be used in the temple.


Bronze menorah near the building of the Knesset

The bronze-sculpted five-meter sculpture of the menorah is set opposite the entrance to the Knesset building in Jerusalem.

The author is the English sculptor Benno Elkan (1877-1960).

The statue adorns 29 cast bas-reliefs with scenes from the history of the Jewish people, mostly biblical.
This menorah was donated to Israel in 1956 by the British Parliament.
On the pedestal is engraved:

The menorah is a symbol of light, faith and hope, which the Jewish people led through four thousand years through suffering ... In his mission - the preservation of faith in justice ...

At that time, Israel and the UK had complex relationships. And then the UK made this very significant gift "From the oldest parliament in the world to the youngest parliament in the world."

Bronze menorah near the building of the Knesset