Since biblical times, the seven-branched menorah has symbolized Judaism. It first appears in Exodus, as a lighting fixture within the Tabernacle, a sort of portable temple used by the Israelites during their desert wanderings. The menorah is described in Exodus in minute detail, based on a heavenly prototype .
What is a menorah and what does it symbolize?
The seven lamps allude to the branches of human knowledge, represented by the six lamps inclined inwards towards, and symbolically guided by, the light of God represented by the central lamp. The menorah also symbolizes the creation in seven days , with the center light representing the Sabbath.
Why did the menorah burn for 8 days?
In order to rededicate the temple, the Maccabees had to light a menorah that would burn within the temple at all times. However, they only had enough pure olive oil to last for one day. Miraculously, the oil burned for eight days, leaving time to find a fresh supply of oil.
What is the story behind Hanukkah?
The story of Hanukkah celebrates the tale of the Maccabees, who defeated the Greek King Antiochus’ troops after a three year war . It commemorates the rededication of the Second Temple in Jerusalem after the 167-160 BCE revolt against the Seleucid Empire.
How did the menorah originate?
The original Hanukkah menorah dates to 164 B.C.E., when a band of Jews, led by Judah the Maccabee, defeated its Syrian oppressors in a hard-fought battle . As the Jews reclaimed their temple and lit its golden candelabrum, their only supply of oil, which should have run out after one day, miraculously lasted for eight.
What does the menorah represent in the Bible?
Since biblical times, the seven-branched menorah has symbolized Judaism . It first appears in Exodus, as a lighting fixture within the Tabernacle, a sort of portable temple used by the Israelites during their desert wanderings. The menorah is described in Exodus in minute detail, based on a heavenly prototype.
Is the menorah mentioned in the Bible?
The menorah is first mentioned in the biblical book of Exodus (25:31–40) , according to which the design of the lamp was revealed to Moses by God on Mount Sinai. ... Although the menorah disappeared and the Talmud forbade its reconstruction, it became a popular symbol signifying Judaism.
What do the 8 candles of Hanukkah mean?
Eight candles symbolize the number of days that the Temple lantern blazed ; the ninth, the shamash, is a helper candle used to light the others. Families light one candle on the first day, two on the second (and so on) after sundown during the eight days of Hanukkah, while reciting prayers and singing songs.
What do the 8 days of Hanukkah stand for?
Hanukkah means “dedication” in Hebrew . The eight-day holiday celebrates the rededication of the Temple of Jerusalem after it was retaken by the Maccabees, a group of Jewish warriors, from the Greeks in the 2nd century BCE, as explained by Tablet magazine.
Do you light Hanukkah candles left right?
A: The candles are lighted in the opposite direction from how they are placed in the chanukiah. They are lighted from left to right , so that the newest candle is always lighted first. The helper candle, or shamash, is lighted first, and that candle is used to light all the other candles.
What does the word Maccabees mean?
The term Maccabees as used to describe the Jewish army is taken from the Hebrew word for “hammer”. The revolt involved many battles, in which the Maccabean forces gained notoriety among the Seleucid army for their use of guerrilla tactics.
What are the Hanukkah blessings?
Baruch atah Adonai Eloheinu Melech ha-olam, asher kid’shanu b-mitzvotav, v-tzivanu l’hadlik ner shel Hanukkah. Blessed are you, Our God, Ruler of the Universe, who makes us holy through Your commandments, and commands us to light the Hanukkah lights .
Why is Hanukkah so important?
By 164 BCE, the Jewish revolt against the Seleucid monarchy was successful. The Temple was liberated and rededicated. The festival of Hanukkah was instituted to celebrate this event. Judah ordered the Temple to be cleansed, a new altar to be built in place of the polluted one and new holy vessels to be made.
Who lit the first menorah?
The National Menorah is a large Hanukkah menorah located in the northeast quadrant of The Ellipse near the White House in Washington, D.C. It was first lit in 1979 by President Jimmy Carter , and has been erected and lit every year since. The Menorah has grown in size as well, and is now 30 feet (9.1 m) high.
Who designed the menorah?
The menorah was made in Israel during the 1920s by a pioneer designer, Ze’ev Raban , who trained in Europe and blended European, Jewish and Palestinian Arab design elements to create a new aesthetic for Jewish art in what would become the State of Israel.
Does the Vatican have the menorah?
But the most colorful and perhaps most repeated, if unsubstantiated, account is that the Vatican has hidden the menorah for centuries in an underground deposit , either in Vatican City or under the Basilica of St. John the Lateran, as a church official theorized in 1291.
