The menorah, the seven-branched candelabrum, is undoubtedly the oldest Jewish symbol, even older than the shield of David, which is more recent. Not only is it older, but its design is also specified in the Torah, unlike the shield of David, which is not mentioned in the Bible.

In chapter 25 of the Book of Exodus, God commands the construction of the Mishkan, the Tabernacle. And in verses 31-40 of the same chapter, He orders the making of a candelabrum for the Mishkan, which was to be hammered from pure gold, with seven branches, one in the center and three on each side, decorated with cups shaped like almond blossoms, apples, and flowers. Verse 40 says: “See that you make it according to the pattern that was shown to you on the mountain.” Chapter 31 tells us that God chose Bezalel, the son of Uri, from the tribe of Judah, to build the Tabernacle, including the seven-branched menorah.

In 1000 BCE, King Solomon built the first Temple in Jerusalem. It is written in chapter 7, 48:49 of the book of Kings: “Solomon made all the furnishings that were in the house of the Lord,… and the lampstands, five on the right side and five on the left side, in front of the sanctuary, of gold.” The lampstands remained in the Temple until 586 BCE, when Nebuchadnezzar destroyed it. When the Temple was rebuilt 70 years later, a new menorah was crafted with the same design. In 70 CE, after destroying the Second Temple, Roman soldiers took the menorah to Rome, just as it is depicted on the Arch of Titus. The earliest known representation of the menorah appears on the coins of Antigonus Mattathias II (40-37 BCE), the last of the Hasmoneans. Ida Huberman tells us: After the destruction of the Temple, the menorah became a central figure in Jewish art. Professor Erwin Goodenough lists at least 182 examples of seven-branched candelabra among his finds. The menorah shape was depicted on synagogue doors and portals, and was incorporated into designs on mosaic floors, clay lamps, crystal goblets, and bracelets. The menorah shape has also been discovered carved in stone. Its use as a decorative motif was equally prevalent in Israel and in the Diaspora.

The menorah soon became a simple, often schematic, yet meaningful figure, a symbol that maintained its central position in Jewish tradition for centuries, even into modern times. German Jews placed menorahs in their homes, much as Christians placed crosses in theirs. In the 19th century, with the rise of Jewish nationalism, the seven-branched menorah re-emerged as a Zionist symbol, and since 1948 it has served as the emblem of the State of Israel.

An ancient midrash states that: «Three things presented difficulties to Moses, until the Blessed Holy One showed Moses with His finger: … the menorah.» According to another ancient tradition, not God, but the angel Gabriel drew a picture so that Moses could see in image what God was representing in words. Undoubtedly, the menorah was designed by the Great Architect.

By Marcos Gojman.

Bibliography: Article by Ida Huberman, Encyclopaedia Judaica, and other sources.