Menorah

Everyone knows that the main symbol of Judaism is the Star of David. However, this only became a Jewish symbol in the Middle Ages. Despite its prominence on the flag of Israel and kiddush cups, it is a rather late representative of the Jewish People. However, for most of the history, the Menorah was the preeminent symbol of Judaism. Currently, it is featured on the coat of arms of Israel.

The Menorah is a seven-branched candlestick that was found first in the Tabernacle of Moses, and later in the Temple of King Solomon in Jerusalem. It is mentioned for the first time in Exodus 25:31-40:

Make a lampstand of pure gold. Hammer out its base and shaft, and make its flowerlike cups, buds and blossoms of one piece with them. Six branches are to extend from the sides of the lampstand—three on one side and three on the other. Three cups shaped like almond flowers with buds and blossoms are to be on one branch, three on the next branch, and the same for all six branches extending from the lampstand. And on the lampstand are to be four cups shaped like almond flowers with buds and blossoms. One bud shall be under the first pair of branches extending from the lampstand, a second bud under the second pair, and a third bud under the third pair—six branches in all. The buds and branches shall be all of one piece with the lampstand, hammered out of pure gold.

Then make its seven lamps and set them up on it so that they light the space in front of it. Its wick trimmers and trays are to be of pure gold. A talent of pure gold is to be used for the lampstand and all these accessories. See that you make them according to the pattern shown you on the mountain.

Numbers 8:1-4 adds that the seven lamps are to give light in front of the lampstand and reiterates that the lampstand was made in accordance with the pattern shown to Moses on the mountain.

The lamps were lit using fresh, consecrated olive oil and burned from evening until morning, according to Exodus 27:21. The Talmud (Rashi, Tractate Shabbat 22b) mentions that only the center lamp was left burning all day.

A lamp stand in today's synagogues, called the ner tamid (Hebrew for "the eternal flame"), that symbolizes the Menorah.

After the Temple was destroyed, a tradition developed not to duplicate anything from the Temple. Therefore, menorot (Hebrew plural for menorah) no longer had seven branches. The use of six-branched menorot became popular. In modern times, though, seven-branched menorot are back. It can be argued that they are not the same as those used in the Temple; reasons include variations on the designs that make them different.

The next picture shows a reconstruction of the Menorah of the Temple created by the Temple Institute:

Data have been sourced from here and here.