Seven‑branched candelabrum

Provenance	Mas Trempat, Sant Feliu de Guíxols
Chronology	Unknown (before 1950)
Material	Metal
Record	MHJ144
Section	The origins

The menorah is a seven‑branched candelabrum. It is the oldest symbol of the Jewish people. It represents divine light, the seven days of creation, and also the burning bush seen by Moses on Mount Sinai, as described in the Book of Exodus. The Hebrew Bible speaks of a golden menorah that stood in the Temple of Jerusalem, and today we can see it depicted in stone on the Arch of Titus in Rome, which describes the temple's sacking in the year 70. Traditionally, menorahs burned only olive oil, but nowadays candles are also used.
In 2015 the Girona History Museum transferred to the Museum of Jewish History a wrought‑iron candelabrum from a farmhouse in Sant Feliu de Guíxols. The seven branches for holding candles are all arranged at the same height, a characteristic feature of the Jewish menorah, and are decorated with spirals.

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