What Is The Oldest Symbol Of The Jewish People (Hint: It’s Probably Not What You Are Thinking)

Do the Jewish people have a symbol, and if we do what is that symbol? 

How many of you are thinking of the six-pointed Star of David?  If you did, I would have to say that is a good answer.  The Star of David or as we used to call it, the Jewish Star is a leading symbol of Judaism.  It adorns art, religious imagery, and is even a much requested design for tattoos for those who chose to assert their Jewish identity and pride in this decidedly foreign art form.  And of course, in our time, it adorns synagogues, and perhaps most famously the flag of the State of Israel.  It is about as common and mainstream a symbol as the Jewish people have.  Christians have a cross, the Muslims have the sickle, and we have the star.  This is so much a symbol that for years the International Red Cross refused Israel membership because it insisted on displaying the star and not a cross or the Islamic crescent. 

This week’s Torah reading Parshat Beha’alotecha deals with a variety of different subjects.  It talks about the preparation of the Levites for their special tasks and responsibilities, the second Passover, the special opportunity for those who engaged in the important task of  burying the dead and thus were not able to observe Passover at the appointed time, the trumpets that would summon the people together and announce when it was time to march, as well as the beginning of various rebellions that would characterize the rest of the book of Numbers and would eventually lead the Jewish people to wander in the desert for 40 years. So there is a lot going on.

Yet the Torah reading begins with the instructions for the lighting of the menorah, and how the menorah was supposed to be made.  To quote “It was a hammered work of gold, hammered from base to pedal according to the pattern that the Lord had shown Moses.” (Numbers 8:4). What is particularly important about this is that the entire Menorah was made of gold, as opposed to all other sacred objects inside the Mishkan which were made out of gold-plated wood.   This alone hints at its great significance and importance.

The menorah is a seven branched candelabra. We know that it is often confused with the nine branched candelabra which we use on Chanukah, which is often called a menorah, or a Chanukah menorah, but is actually known in Hebrew as a Chanukiah.    But what you may not know is that the menorah is the most ancient symbol of the Jewish people. 

Let’s go back to the Star of David.  How long has this been a Jewish symbol?  Research shows that it became common in Europe in the 17th century, but we can find no evidence of its use as a particular Jewish symbol before the 14th century.  The menorah, has been a recognized symbol of Judaism for over two thousand years.  From the famous depiction on the arch of Titus in Rome commemorating the defeat of the Jews and their exile after the destruction of the Second Temple, to recent archeological excavations that have uncovered the menorah used to decorate ancient synagogues in northern Israel, the menorah was and remains the ancient symbol and traditional symbol of the Jewish people.  Indeed, though the flag of Israel has a star of David, Israel’s coat of arms is distinguished by a menorah. 

It makes sense that of all ancient Biblical treasures, the menorah was chosen as Israel’s first symbol.  After all, the purpose of the menorah was to radiate light, the symbol of God presence and the eternal relationship with the Jewish people. That relationship is as important and meaningful today as it was when the instructions for its construction were first given to the Jewish people.