What is a 7 branch menorah?

Since biblical times, the seven-branched menorah has symbolized Judaism. For many Jews in antiquity, the menorah’s seven branches represented the five visible planets, plus the sun and the moon, and its rounded branches suggested their trajectories across the heavens.

Why do menorahs have different numbers of candles?

Eight of the Hanukkah menorah’s candles are level with each other, to symbolize the eight days that the oil lasted. The ninth candle which is either elevated or shorter than the others, is used to light the other eight candles, and referred to as the Shamash.

What is the difference between the menorah and the Hanukiah?

A menorah, which has only seven candleholders, was the lamp used in the ancient holy temple in Jerusalem — now a symbol of Judaism and an emblem of Israel. A Hanukkiah, however, has nine candlesticks — one for each night of Hanukkah and an extra one to light the others.

How many arms does the menorah have?

Ancient images of Hanukkah menorahs usually had seven arms, per the divine dictate, but alternatives may have arisen due to bitter mourning, and a rabbinical ban. The menorah today has nine branches: one for each of the eight days of the Hanukkah miracle, and the central stem holding the shamash.

Why do some menorahs have 7 branches?

The 7 branches menorah’s made dates back to the ancient times during the period of the first temple in jerusalem and has been a symbol of Judaism. The 7 branches menorah’s made is a means of remembering the period of the temple and it is also meant to serve as a reminder of how God created the earth with everything in it in seven days.

What do the 7 branches in a menorah stand for?

For many Jews in antiquity, the menorah’s seven branches represented the five visible planets, plus the sun and the moon, and its rounded branches suggested their trajectories across the heavens. One ancient Jewish thinker, Philo of Alexandria, compared the “harmony” of the menorah’s branches to “an instrument of music, truly divine.”

What does the 7 branched menorah stand for?

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 the 7 branched candleholder of Judaism called?

Menorah , also spelled menora, multibranched candelabra, used in the religious rituals of Judaism, that has been an important symbol in both ancient and modern Israel. The seven-branched menorah was originally found in the wilderness sanctuary and then later in the Temple in Jerusalem and was a popular motif of religious art in antiquity.