Menorah: Worship, History, Legend Explained

"Menorah: Worship, History, Legend" is a 2017 museum exhibition sponsored jointly by the Vatican Museums and the Jewish Museum of Rome.^[1]

Context

Menorah refers both to the Menorah with eight candleholders and a ninth to hold the "servant" candle used on the Jewish holiday of Chanukah, and to the large, 7-branched solid gold Menorah used in the ancient Jewish Temple in Jerusalem. The original gold menorah from the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem is not on display.

Exhibition

The exhibition features 130 objects, including menorahs and images of menorahs, loaned by 20 museums, including the Louvre and the National Gallery in London.^[2] It ran from 15 May through 23 July 2017.^{[3] [4]}

Major artifacts in exhibition

• Magdala stone. The exhibition marks the first time that the Magdala Stone, discovered during a 2009 archaeological dig, has left Israel.^[5]
• Menorah designed by Joel Arthur Rosenthal. The sole work commissioned for this exhibition, it is the only piece of Jewish ceremonial art that Rosenthal has ever produced.^[6]

Notes and References

1. News: Lawrence Schiffman. The Magdala Stone. 12 June 2017. Ami. 28 May 2017. Lawrence Schiffman.
2. News: Pullella. Philip. Vatican and Rome Jewish community to host landmark menorah Vic exhibition. 19 May 2017. Reuters. 21 February 2017.
3. News: Gruber. Ruth Ellen. These stunning menorah depictions are on display in the Vatican and Rome. 19 May 2017. JTA. 16 May 2017.
4. News: Katz. Brigit. Blinged-Out Menorah Debuts at Pioneering Exhibit in Rome. 30 May 2017. Smithsonian Magazine. 24 May 2017.
5. News: Brockhaus. Hannah. Menorah exhibit in Rome underlines positive Catholic-Jewish relations. 18 May 2017. Catholic News Agency. 18 May 2017.
6. News: Friedman. Vanessa. JAR's Light in the Darkness. 18 May 2017. New York Times. 18 May 2018.