The Menorah

[rgprice]

The design of the menorah is laid out in the Pentateuch:

Exodus 25:31 “Then you shall make a lampstand of pure gold. The lampstand, its base and its shaft, are to be made of hammered work; its cups, its bulbs, and its flowers shall be of one piece with it. 32 Six branches shall go out from its sides; three branches of the lampstand from its one side and three branches of the lampstand from its other side. 33 Three cups shall be shaped like almond blossoms on the one branch, a bulb and a flower, and three cups shaped like almond blossoms on the other branch, a bulb and a flower—the same for six branches going out from the lampstand; 34 and on the lampstand four cups shaped like almond blossoms, its bulbs and its flowers. 35 A bulb shall be under the first pair of branches coming out of it, and a bulb under the second pair of branches coming out of it, and a bulb under the third pair of branches coming out of it, for the six branches coming out of the lampstand. 36 Their bulbs and their branches shall be of one piece with it; all of it shall be one piece of hammered work of pure gold. 37 Then you shall make its lamps seven in number; and they shall mount its lamps so as to shed light on the space in front of it. 38 Its tongs and its trays shall be of pure gold. 39 It shall be made from a talent of pure gold, with all these utensils. 40 See that you make them by the pattern for them, which was shown to you on the mountain.

Exodus 37:17 Then he made the lampstand of pure gold. He made the lampstand of hammered work, its base and its shaft; its cups, its [p]bulbs, and its flowers were of one piece with it. 18 There were six branches going out of its sides; three branches of the lampstand from the one side of it and three branches of the lampstand from the other side of it; 19 three cups shaped like almond blossoms, a bulb and a flower on one branch, and three cups shaped like almond blossoms, a bulb and a flower on the other branch—so for the six branches going out of the lampstand. 20 And on the lampstand there were four cups shaped like almond blossoms, its bulbs and its flowers; 21 and a bulb was under the first pair of branches coming out of it, and a bulb under the second pair of branches coming out of it, and a bulb under the third pair of branches coming out of it, for the six branches coming out of the lampstand. 22 Their bulbs and their branches were of one piece with it; the whole of it was a single hammered work of pure gold. 23 And he made its seven lamps with its tongs and its trays of pure gold. 24 He made it and all its utensils from a talent of pure gold.

Numbers 8:1 Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “Speak to Aaron and say to him, ‘When you mount the lamps, the seven lamps will provide light in the front of the lampstand.’” 3 Therefore Aaron did so; he mounted its lamps at the front of the lampstand, just as the Lord had commanded Moses. 4 Now this was the workmanship of the lampstand, hammered work of gold; from its base to its flower ornamentation it was hammered work; according to the pattern which the Lord had shown Moses, so he made the lampstand.

And yet, am I to understand that not a single menorah or image of a menorah has been recovered from prior to the 2nd century BCE. The interesting thing about this is that a menorah is something that should be pretty well preserved archeologically. We have found examples of lamps dating back over 10,000 year old. There have been thousands of lamps discovered in the region of Palestine and Egypt that are over 2,500 years old. They are indeed one of the most commonly found items, along with coins and other forms of pottery. Both clay and metal lamps are common.

But there are no menorahs.

[John2]

This is an interesting subject and one I hadn't thought about before. And the first thing I see about it (The Menorah, the Ancient Seven-armed Candelabrum, Origin, Form, and Significance by Rāḥēl Ḥa̱klîlî) says that the description of menoroth in the Torah does not match the seven branched kind that existed during Second Temple times (with the first OT reference to a seven-branched menorah being Zech. 4:2-3).

(Pg. 18): From the biblical description, the menoroth in Solomon's Temple, including the Tabernacle menorah, were likewise of this type [i.e., single-branched]. It is present among the archaeological finds from the First Temple period, for example, the cultic lampstands and thymiateria (Figs. I-1-4) with flaring bases and decorated with floral capitals; the latter are the 'flowers' mentioned in the description of the early menoroth.

Thus, the biblical description of the menoroth in Solomon's Temple and the comparable examples strengthen the assumption that the early First Temple cultic menorah, like the Tabernacle menorah, also consisted solely of a lampstand.

https://www.google.com/books/edition/Th ... frontcover

[John2]

I'm not sure what make of what Ḥa̱klîlî says about the descriptions in Exodus though.

(Pg. 11): The description of the menorah in Ex. 25:31-40 and 37:17-24 deserves reexamination: do thse passages in fact describe the seven-armed candelabrum, the earliest cultic menorah, or did the menorah perhaps undergo a transformation from a relatively simple candelabrum to the elaborate seven-armed type that was common during the Second Temple period? The description in Exodus comprises two elements; the first is of a lampstand, which is called a 'menorah' in the opening verse; and the second, more elaborate menorah, to which six arms were added in the Second Temple period and which was assigned to the Tabernacle. The point of departure for this reevaluation is the biblical testimony and its reconsideration in the light of archaeological finds from Israel and neighboring lands.

So I guess what is being argued is that there is evidence that suggests the first menoroth were single-branched and that during the Second Temple era six arms were added to them (and added to the text of the Torah to the Tabernacle menorah?).

Maybe, but it would explain why there aren't any seven-branched menoroth before the Second Temple era, I guess.

[rgprice]

Interesting. Maybe that is apologetics to explain why no such menorah have been found. But is he suggesting that what we find in Exodus is later revision, or that it is somehow being "misread"?

[John2]

(Pg. 34): The above reconstruction shows that the early cultic menorah, traditionally the Tabernacle menorah, was not seven-armed, despite the conventional view inspired by the text of Exodus. The description there contains both earlier and later layers, and proves that the earlier component, called the 'menorah,' was a lampstand with a flaring base decorated on its upper section with a floral capital topped by a single bowl or lamp, as was common throughout the ancient Near East.

The text was tinkered with, appears to be the argument, and other OT verses indicate the menorah was originally single-branched.

[John2]

Ben Sira 26:.17 is also thrown into the mix as suggesting a single-branched menorah:

(Pg. 22): Ben Sira, whose composition is ascribed to the beginning of the second century BCE, has ... ("as bright as the light [a lamp] on the sacred lampstand"). At this time, then, the menorah apparently still had the form of the lampstand, or only one of the seven lamps was lit.

RSV: "Like the shining lamp on the holy lampstand"

[rgprice]

Of course works such as Kings don't describe the menorah. It seems that he's using the lack of description to imply that the lampstands of Kings aren't intended to have seven branches. But this of course is not the case. It can just as easily be that it was assumed that they matched the description of Exodus.

But anyway, the point is that if one claims that Exodus indeed records facts about the supposed time of Moses, then one should expect to find menorah with seven lamps in the archeological record. Even if, as Ḥa̱klîlî seems to indicate, we take Exodus as a later work and assume that the writers are anachronistically putting the menorah of their time into the past. One needs to move the writing of Exodus all the way up to the 3rd or 2nd century BCE.

The fact of the matter is that Exodus describes a menorah with 7 lamps. No such item, which should be easily preserved, has been found in whole or even in image, until the Hasmonean era. One could claim that such lamps were only for the temple, and thus uncommon. Perhaps. Perhaps one can argue that such menorah did not gain widespread use among Jews until the 2nd or 1st century BCE. But it is yet again one more piece of data for which there is no evidence in the archeological record.

I would say that of anything mentioned in the Pentateuch, menorah stand out as one of the items that we should expect to be able to find. Exodus, the main book of the Pentateuch, describes the 7 lamp menorah. If in fact this works existed and its traditions were practiced among the Jewish people dating from the time that the work claims the practices originated, then surely some menorah would have been found somewhere.

The fact that no 7 lamp menorah have been found prior to the 2nd century is eyebrow raising to say the least.

[John2]

(Pg. 36): The record in Exodus of the Tabernacle menorah is a retrojection of the Second Temple type (also Gutmann 1971:37), which retains elements dating to the Tabernacle menorah as well as the version that evolved following the Return to Zion.

Again, maybe, but I am intrigued by the descriptions of the menorah in other OT verses (and Sira) which appear to indicate that the menorah was single-branched.

[John2]

Of course works such as Kings don't describe the menorah. It seems that he's using the lack of description to imply that the lampstands of Kings aren't intended to have seven branches. But this of course is not the case. It can just as easily be that it was assumed that they matched the description of Exodus.

It seems like the argument is that the way the menorah is described in other OT verses (and Sira and such) matches the single-branched cultic lamps that were common in the ancient Near East.

But anyway, the point is that if one claims that Exodus indeed records facts about the supposed time of Moses, then one should expect to find menorah with seven lamps in the archeological record.

Well, but in that case (according to the story), the menorah in Exodus would have been lost after the Babylonian destruction. But we would still be left with the question of why there are no depictions of it until Hasmonean times. All things considered, it seems simplest to suppose that the Hasmoneans changed Exodus to reflect their version of the menorah (and left all the other OT verses that indicate a single-branched menorah).

Even if, as Ḥa̱klîlî seems to indicate, we take Exodus as a later work and assume that the writers are anachronistically putting the menorah of their time into the past. One needs to move the writing of Exodus all the way up to the 3rd or 2nd century BCE.

Well, at least the interpolation would have been made during Hasmonean times, is my take.

I would say that of anything mentioned in the Pentateuch, menorah stand out as one of the items that we should expect to be able to find. Exodus, the main book of the Pentateuch, describes the 7 lamp menorah. If in fact this works existed and its traditions were practiced among the Jewish people dating from the time that the work claims the practices originated, then surely some menorah would have been found somewhere.

The fact that no 7 lamp menorah have been found prior to the 2nd century is eyebrow raising to say the least.

Alright, but there is archaeological evidence (including from Israel) that single-branch lamps like the ones that appear to be described outside of Exodus were used before Hasmonean times. That seems like too much of a coincidence and makes me think there could be something to the later interpolation idea.

[rgprice]

It seems like the argument is that the way the menorah is described in other OT verses (and Sira and such) matches the single-branched cultic lamps that were common in the ancient Near East.

But Sira and others don't actually describe the lampstand, they just mention it. And why would the menorah be so bright, as Sira says, with only a single lamp?

Well, but in that case (according to the story), the menorah in Exodus would have been lost after the Babylonian destruction. But we would still be left with the question of why there are no depictions of it until Hasmonean times.

My presumption, however, is that the seven lamped menorah would have seen use outside the temple as well. As I've said, maybe this can be a point of contention. If it were the case that the menorah described in Exodus was ONLY used in the Temple and nowhere else, then perhaps we shouldn't expect to find examples of it. But one would still expect drawings. However, I would argue that if the menorah with seven lamps were actually known from the supposed time of Moses, then surely it would have seen wider use than just a single example in the temple.

Well, at least the interpolation would have been made during Hasmonean times, is my take.

Except the verses are the same in the Samaritan Pentateuch. Theories of the Samaritan Pentateuch support the view that the Samaritan version come from prior to the Hasmonean split, i.e. that it was during the Hasmonean era that the split occurred with the Samaritans parting ways and taking their version of the scriptures with them.