The Menorah to Rome
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
Gallery: Menorahs at the Temple, at the Knesset, and at Home King Antiochus plunders the Second Temple Menorah, 169 BCE (Courtesy of the Library of the Jewish Theological Seminary of America) The Arch of Titus — 70 CE The Roman general Titus destroyed Jerusalem after a four-year battle ending in 70 CE and carried off the Temple utensils including the menorah to Rome. The stolen menorah was probably the one fashioned by Judah the Maccabee in 164 BCE for the first Hanukkah, since the earlier menorah had been plundered by Antiochus IV. The Arch of Titus was built in honor of Titus in 81 CE after he had already become the Roman Emperor. (An engraving by Francois Perrier 1695, after the bas-relief on the Arch of Titus) The Menorah — Into Exile and Back Home The Symbol of the New State of Israel, 1949 CE. 228 Ben-Gurion and the Cabinet Return the Menorah to Jerusalem Cartoonist A. Navon, portrayed the transfer of the Knesset from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, 1949, as a reversal of the famous procession of Titus removing the menorah from Jerusalem two thousand years ago. David Ben- Gurion, identifiable by his balding head and bushy white hair, and Golda Meir, the only woman in the picture, are carrying the new symbol of the State of Israel, a menorah designed to resemble the captured menorah on the Arch of Titus in Rome. Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion’s pose recalls King David who brought the ark up to Jerusalem (circa 1000 BCE) accompanied by musical instruments like the shofar and the flute. Declaring Jewish Sovereignty from the Rooftop The menorah atop the Israeli Knesset with the traditional blessing for miracles, “in those days and in our own era.” (December, 1950, Central Zionist Archives, Jerusalem) MENORAHS’ GALLERY 229 The Persian Rose Menorah This circular menorah, made of stone, was used for Hanukkah and for everyday use in 19th century Persia. Traditional Menorahs at Home Ancient Oil Menorahs/Lamps (from the Schlesinger Collection of the Archeology Institute and the Hebrew University, displayed in and photographed by the Israel Museum) The German Jewish Menorah For use on Shabbat and Hanukkah (Germany, 18th century) 230 The New Knesset Menorah The New Knesset Menorah This Menorah was given to the State of Israel by the British Parliament in 1956. The relief panels review significant Jewish moments such as the exiled Jews weeping in Babylon, Ezekiel’s vision of the dry bones revived, the Maccabees’ Revolt, and the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising. Zechariah’s prophecy about the golden menorah is inscribed on the menorah: “Not by might and not by power, but by my spirit, says the Lord.” (The artist was Benno Elkan.) MENORAHS’ GALLERY 231 “In the mountains the question arises: ‘Whom will I send?’ Send me! To serve the good and the beautiful! Will I be able to do this?” “God, if you have given me fire in my soul, let me be able to burn and to provide a worthy light in my home, the House of Israel! And let these words be not just flowery formulas but a mission for my life. To whom are these words directed? To the goodness in the world, of which there is a spark in me.” — CHANA SZENES, DIARY Chana (Anikó) Szenes, aged sixteen, ready for her first ball, in Budapest, Hungary, 1937. (Courtesy of the Senesh family) 232.