Menorah: Worship, History, Legend

Magdala stone

"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.[2]

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]

References

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