The Lamp of the Lord

The menorah was an important component of the Tabernacle. It had two purposes: to furnish light and to remind all Israel that God is light. Indeed, from the second Temple through the Greco-Roman period, the menorah became the most frequently used symbol in Judaism.1 Today it is the national emblem of the State of Israel. Known in Hebrew as ner Elohim (“the lamp of God”), the menorah, like t