The Knesset Menorah is a bronze menorah that is 4.30 meters high and 3.5 meters wide and weighs 4 tons. It is located at the edge of Wohl Rose Park opposite the Knesset in Jerusalem. It was designed by Benno Elkan (1877–1960), a Jewish sculptor who escaped from his native Germany to the United Kingdom. It was presented to the Knesset as a gift from the British Parliament on April 15, 1956, in honour of the eighth anniversary of Israeli independence.
Knesset Menorah
Benno Elkan in his studio working on the Menorah
Knesset Menorah and the Knesset
Unveiling ceremony of the Knesset Menorah in 1956
The menorah is a seven-branched candelabrum that is described in the Hebrew Bible and in later ancient sources as having been used in the Tabernacle and in the Temple in Jerusalem.
A reconstruction of the menorah of the Temple in Jerusalem, manufactured by the Temple Institute.
Maimonides' drawing of the menorah.
Depiction of the menorah on the Arch of Titus in Rome
Stone with menorah that was found in the archaeological site Magdala.