FALSE MENORA: 2 Eagles = Rome + dragon w/tail of a fish

Reference : If one looks closely at the base of the Menora, one discovers the matter is even more horrific. The panels on the base include: the picture of two eagles (the symbol of Rome), and a dragon with a tail of a fish! (Fig. 8) The dragon was one of the idols of Greek mythology, worshiped during Roman rule.

#23
01-10-2003, 05:06 AM
The Mysterious Shape of the Menora
Rabbi Yisroel Greenwald

(from: http://www.shemayisrael.com/chanukah/shape.htm - see there for figures)

Branches of the Menora - Curved or Straight?

Another subject of intense debate is the shape of the branches themselves. The branches are commonly depicted as curving upwards like an upside rainbow, and this is exactly how it appears in the standard edition of the Rambam's commentary of the Mishna. (Fig. 2) However in the diagram drawn by the Rambam himself, they extend diagnally from the center stem in a straight line (Fig. 3). One can attempt to reconcile the dramatic departure of the Rambam's diagram from the traditional view by suggesting that the Rambam never intended his illustration to be an accurate artistic representation, exact in all its details, but only - in his words - "To make it easier [for the reader] to envision." The diagram gives the appearance of the handiwork of a draftsman rather than that of an artist, who perhaps felt more proficient in drawing a straight line instead of a curve. However the testimony of his son, R Avraham, negates this theory explicitly. He writes, "that the six branches stemmed from the centre shaft in a straight line, as my father depicted it, and not as a curved arch as other's drew it."

The question arises: if the Menora did have straight branches, how did it become universally accepted to picture it with curved branches? A possible answer may be the existence of one of the most famous pieces of archaeological evidence from the Temple period - the Arch of Titus. After the Romans destroyed the Second Temple, General Titus brought many Jewish slaves and the vessels of the Temple back to Rome. In 71 CE there was a procession in the main square of Rome of the booty and captives from Yerusholayim, and ten years later, the Roman Caesar erected a victory arch to "commemorate" that event. The most prominent vessel depicted in the procession was the Menora. (Fig. 4)

It is interesting that the Menora held special significance to the Romans in demonstrating their power over the Jews. In the story of Chanuka, the Menora represented the victory of the Jews over the mighty Greek Empire, of the few against the many. Lacking this symbol of their miraculous victory, perhaps the Romans figured that the Jewish people could no longer rely on their miraculous victories against powers greater than them. Little could they comprehend that whereas the Roman Empire would eventually decline and fall, Jews around the world would nonetheless continue to exist and perpetuate the miraculous light of the Menora.

Is the Menora from the arch of Titus taken from the Temple?

Aside from the general difficulty in utilizing archaeological evidence to establish Halacha, 7 the accuracy of the Arch of Titus is particularly questionable. While the upper part of the Menora is possibly an authentic portrayal of the Temple Menora, the lower half is a blatant forgery.

The Gemara states that the Menora was 18 tefachim high, and that its legs, including the first flower motif, totalled a height of 3 tefachim. (Fig. 5) 8 In other words, the total base of the Menora comprised one sixth of its height. Furthermore, the base was not one solid block, but composed of three legs.

On the panel of the Arch of Titus, the upper part of Menora is roughly similar to Menora as described in the above Gemara. All branches come to the same height; branches have flowers, knobs, and cups, although the numbers are inaccurate. The proportions of the upper half also accurate reflect the words of Chazal. The most glaring departure from the Gemara in Menachos is the gigantic base, rising to one third of the height of the Menora! Even artistically, the heavy and inelegant base contrasting with the delicate branches gives the appearance of the base being a later addition. (Fig. 6)

When was the Roman styled base attached to the Menora? From the coin of Mattisyahu Antigunus (37 BCE) (Fig. 7), the last of the Chashmanaim kings, it is clear that the Menora was intact up till that period. One side of the coin read 'Mattisyahu the Kohen Gadol and friend of the Jews,' and the other 'the [coin] of King Antigunus.'9 On one side of the coin was imprinted the Menora, presumably that of the Temple. As the small coin was made using only basic minting technology, one cannot expect it to be true in every detail. Still, the base roughly corresponds to Chazal's proportions, being roughly one sixth of the height of Menora, and totally missing is the gaudy appendage found on Titus's arch. 10

If one looks closely at the base of the Menora, one discovers the matter is even more horrific. The panels on the base include: the picture of two eagles (the symbol of Rome), and a dragon with a tail of a fish! (Fig. 8) The dragon was one of the idols of Greek mythology, worshiped during Roman rule. The Mishna in Avoda Zara states that, "if one finds vessels and upon them are the picture of a dragon... they must be thrown into the Dead Sea." 11 They must be destroyed because one is forbidden to derive any benefit from as an idol. In fact, an exact duplication of panel, both the picture of the dragon as well as the border motif, is found in a Roman Temple in Turkey (Fig. 9).

Some historians suggest that the Menora's idolatrous addition was constructed during the rule of Herod, who, having deposed Mattisyahu in 37 BCE, possibly added the abominable base in order to find favour with the Romans. Josephus writes that Herod placed images of eagles atop the gates of the Beis Hamikdash against the will of the populace. Quite possibly he made this change to the Menora as well.

Alternatively, one could suggest that the Romans themselves made the alteration. The Romans saw the capture of Jerusalem and destruction of the Temple as perhaps their greatest achievement. 12 The Arch of Titus was erected to immortalize this victory and to perpetuate the degradation of the Jews. 13 It is quite possible, therefore, that when the Romans plundered the Menora, they themselves fitted it with the idolatrous base illustrated in the Arch, or indeed, simply depicted the Menora with the altered base (without actually modifying the Menora itself), to demonstrate the subjugation of the Jews and Hashem, to their idols r'l. 14

The Menora as the emblem of the State of Israel

In July 1948, months after the establishment of State of Israel, the agenda of the tenth Parlimantary meeting included deciding on the emblem of the new state. Most of the suggestions were to use the motif of the Menora of the Beis Hamikdash. The graphic artists entrusted with producing the design originally used a modern image of the Menora. (Fig. 11) However, when the design was brought before the committee, its members felt "their hearts were torn." "How can we use a modern image?" they lamented. "Let us go back to the ways of the past, and use the image of the Menora as we have from tradition, from the ancient archaeological drawings!" 15

The Committee chose to adopt the Menora as it appeared in the Arch of Titus. (Fig. 12) Rabbi Herzog z'tl, then Chief Rabbi of Israel, noted how unfortunate it was that the committee chose the Menora on the Arch of Titus, over the profusion of archaeological evidence from Jewish sources. Indeed, the countless ancient mosaics and engravings of the Menora found in catacombs in Jewish cemeteries and the ruins of ancient synagogues, both during the Temple period and immediately afterwards, all depict a base comprised of three legs, which fully corroborate the view of the Talmud in Menachos 28b. 16 The committee's choice showed an unfortunate disdain for authentic Jewish sources, in favour of a pagan structure constructed to mock the Jewish people. It is also a pointed twentieth century illustration of the spiritual conflict that we commemmorate on Chanuka.

May we merit to possess the true Menora, in its full height and splendour, with the rebuilding of the Beis Hamikdash speedily in our days.

1 Menachos, 28b.
2 Bamidbar 8:2.
3 According to this view, the Menora appeared similar to the Judenstern, (literally, "star of the Jews") a circular lamp in the shape of star, which typically had six or seven lamps. Centuries ago, Jews had the custom to suspend a Judenstern from the ceiling, and light it for Shabbos. Hundreds of these lamps still exist in museums, and in Judaica collections around the world. (Fig. 1)
4 Yoreh De'ah 141:8
5 Shemos 25:31.
6 Menachos, 28b.
7 See letters from the Stiepler Gaon, Vol 2 p. 154
8 Menachos, 28b
9 The Ramban (Bereishis 49:10) writes that the Chashmanaite dynasty sinned by taking the mantle of royalty, a crown reserved exclusively for the tribe of Yehuda. For this indiscretion they were punished in that Herod usurped the throne and annihilated every last vestige of their family.
10 It is interesting that the shape of the branches is clearly curved, unlike the opinion of the Rambam.
11 Avodah Zara, 3:3.
12 The Romans even minted a coin that proclaimed Judea Capta - "Judea is captured!" - that depicted a Roman soldier standing over Judah portrayed as a maiden, sitting on the ground in mourning. (Fig. 10)
13 In fact, the Romans would force the Jews to visit the Arch regularly in order to publicly humiliate them.
14 This would also explain why the base was not built in proportion to the upper half of the Menora, but is glaringly ostentatious.
15 As quoted in Sefer Minhagei Yisrael vol.5 P 206
16 In Rome, for example, after the building of the arch of Titus, the artisan of this glass plate drew the Menora, not as found on the well-known arch, but with three legs. (Fig. 13)

The author is indebted to the author of Sefer Minhagei Yisrael , upon which this article and the illustrations therein are largely based.

***

Here's another article (Hebrew):
http://www.daat.ac.il/daat/kitveyet/sinay/beayat.htm

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Last edited by shpitzchabad; 01-24-2003 at 05:50 AM.

Research on the Menorah continues ...


http://amberneve.newsvine.com/_news/2008/0...orah-prophecies

THE RELATION OF TYPE TO ANTITYPE IN THE HANUKKAH MENORAH

Much of the Bible is written in symbols. This is particularly true of the prophetic writings, such as the books of Daniel and Revelation. Symbols are used to refer to something when ordinary language is not sufficient to include the scope of its full meaning. When the object of a symbol appears, he or it is said to fulfill, or fill up, its significance.

The thing or event that a type predicts is called an antitype. The study of types and anti-types is called typology. Jesus Himself is the object of many of these biblical types. For example, He is the Lamb. He is also the Light.

In biblical thinking the prefix “anti-“ does not necessarily mean “opposed to”. The prefix “anti-“, as in Christ and Antichrist, means “in the place of”, suggesting fulfillment.

Light is a major theme in the Bible and especially in the Book of John. The word occurs about fifty times in John. When Jesus said, “I am the Light of the world”, He drew His inspiration in part from the symbolism of the Menorah, which was used to light the temple in Jerusalem. Besides its association with the Menorah and the Shekinah, the meaning of light varies according to its context. In chapter 1, for example, the Light is pre-existent, necessarily pre-dating its temple symbolism, where its meaning is restricted to its association with the Jewish people.

thanks for that crown that put some things into perspective in my lil head.

http://www.bridgesforpeace.com/modules.php...le&sid=1810

The tree of life is also identified with the Torah, the wisdom of God’s Word. Solomon declared that wisdom is a “tree of life” (Proverbs 3:18). In the Apocalypse, God says that they who do His commandments [Torah]” have a right “to the tree of life” (Revelation 22:14). Even without its flames of fire, then, the menorah contains supreme meaning, a message of God’s life-giving force and of the divine foundation of all existence.
The blending of tree and fire motifs is clearly seen in the profound incident of the burning bush that initiated the process which established the Chosen People. Moses was called and commissioned by God Himself in divine words spoken from a bush that was burning, but not consumed (Exodus 3:2). Perhaps this was a preliminary manifestation of the menorah’s rich symbolism to the prophet who would liberate Israel. God who “dwelt in the bush” (Deuteronomy 33:16) was first manifest to Moses through this flaming bush. From the fire of the Shekhinah came the Word of God. The menorah likewise appears as a golden tree from which the fire is manifest that brings both light and life through God’s Word. The menorah also speaks of eternal life through the resurrection. Its arborescent symbolism, along with the mechanics of its operation, leaves this clear picture. In compliance with divine law, the pure oil used for the menorah light was exclusively from the olive tree. The ancients considered the olive tree to be eternal, a tree that never died; therefore, they regarded the olive tree as a symbol of enduring life. Olive trees presently exist that are more than 2,000 years old in the Garden of Gethsemane on the Mount of Olives. Even when the trunk of an olive tree is cut down, new life springs forth from its roots in the form of a netzer, a shoot.

thank you for all of these gifts.

bridgesforpeace were the sponsoring ministry in Israel on my first trip to
Israel in 1988.

the scripture that took me there 2 times has been coming round again.

i always felt that there would be a third trip after 1988 and 1989. it would
be such a joy and travail to go again in the near future...i experienced
something there like falling in love, i guess you could say. it took me by
surprize and i cried through boarding and into the air leaving her behind
like leaving my heart somewhere and it has been like that since.

in Welsh there is a term for longing for a loved one, and longsuffering...
"herith". i would say that i experienced that for Israel, and Jerusalem
was not of this earth, somehow. i never expected to be taken in so deeply
and completely with the overwhelming love that i experienced in those
times, praise Yeshua our Menorah!

i am sensing a deep healing coming in our midst.

shalom,
signet

Blessings to you dear, sister :

I found this for you . . . I put in the sentence you used : Yeshua our Menorah

http://mysite.verizon.net/godwithus/id11.html

Isaiah listed for us seven spirits of God in a way that is reminiscent of the seven lamp menorah when he prophesied the coming of Messiah. The Spirit of the Lord is He who fills or completes the other six spirits common to every man. When completed, they are seven spirits of God making us one with the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit like Yeshua prayed on our behalf.

"I do not ask on behalf of these alone, but for those also who believe in Me through their word; that they may all be one; even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me. (John 17:20-21)