Survivals and Revivals of the Menorah in Medieval and Early Modern European Synagogues

The Menorah was perhaps the most distinct ancient Jewish symbol: its early depictions are found on artefacts dated to the 1st century BCE. The Menorah, often accompanied by the images of shofar, lulav, and etrog, was a ubiquitous ornament in Jewish sepulchral and synagogue art during the Greco-Roman and Byzantine periods. The prevailing mark of Jewish identity during the centuries of ancient Jewish history and a common motif in the illuminations of medieval Hebrew manuscripts, the Temple Menorah had a considerably lesser impact on medieval synagogue decoration. The Menorah's comeback in synagogues is attested to in the early ¹⁶th-century Jewish quarter of Rome, a short walk from the legendary ancient Menorah relief on the Arch of Titus. Later in Poland, images of the Menorah returned to synagogue decoration as a powerful amuletic device. Over the course of time, the Menorah became a distinctive sign of Judaism and a common decoration of synagogue arks. The Menorah was included in sets of images of Temple implements, usually together with the Table of Showbread and altar, on either inner or outer sides of doors and on synagogue walls. As a symbol, it enhanced parallels between the synagogue and its ark and the Tabernacle in the wilderness of the Temple in Jerusalem. This chapter explores the Menorah paintings and reliefs in medieval and early modern European synagogues.