The Menorah represents
the continuation of the Jewish people more than any other symbol.
Detailed instructions of how to create it can be found in Exodus
25: 31-36 "And thou shalt make a candlestick of pure
gold ..." Today the menorah is the state symbol of Israel.
A large menorah stands outside the Knesset (parliament building)
in Jerusalem.|
When the first temple was destroyed by
the Babylonians in 586 BCE the golden menorah was also lost.
Legend claims that it was hidden and brought back by the exiles.
At the time when the second temple was build, the menorah was
recreated only to be carried of by the Romans in 70 ACE. This
event was depicted on the Arch of Titus build in Rome. To this
day observant Jews will not walk under the arch symbolizing the
exile of the Jewish people. After the destruction of the second
temple the menorah became a symbol of Jewish survival and continuation.