Three-dimensional synagogue menorah

The menorah, the seven-branched candelabrum that stood in the Temple of Jerusalem, became a national and religious symbol after the destruction of the Second Temple in 70 CE. The image began to be widely used in the fourth century and has continued in popularity ever since. The menorah motif was believed to have the power of warding off evil and served as a symbol of national and personal redemption. Menorahs were drawn, incised, or fashioned in mosaics; they also appear in relief carved on marble or made in molds.Most of the stone or marble menorahs that have been found were carved in relief; few were modeled in the round. The latter conflict with the sages' proscription of making menorahs resembling the one in the Temple, and strengthen the assumption that menorahs were set up in synagogues and even lit, either for symbolic purposes or as part of the synagogue ritual. This tall, elegant menorah decorated with leaves and lions originally had oil lamps at the top of its branches. It is the largest three-dimensional menorah ever found.