(לא) וְעָשִׂ֥יתָ מְנֹרַ֖ת זָהָ֣ב טָה֑וֹר מִקְשָׁ֞ה תֵּעָשֶׂ֤ה הַמְּנוֹרָה֙ יְרֵכָ֣הּ וְקָנָ֔הּ גְּבִיעֶ֛יהָ כַּפְתֹּרֶ֥יהָ וּפְרָחֶ֖יהָ מִמֶּ֥נָּה יִהְיֽוּ׃ (לב) וְשִׁשָּׁ֣ה קָנִ֔ים יֹצְאִ֖ים מִצִּדֶּ֑יהָ שְׁלֹשָׁ֣ה ׀ קְנֵ֣י מְנֹרָ֗ה מִצִּדָּהּ֙ הָאֶחָ֔ד וּשְׁלֹשָׁה֙ קְנֵ֣י מְנֹרָ֔ה מִצִּדָּ֖הּ הַשֵּׁנִֽי׃ (לג) שְׁלֹשָׁ֣ה גְ֠בִעִים מְֽשֻׁקָּדִ֞ים בַּקָּנֶ֣ה הָאֶחָד֮ כַּפְתֹּ֣ר וָפֶרַח֒ וּשְׁלֹשָׁ֣ה גְבִעִ֗ים מְשֻׁקָּדִ֛ים בַּקָּנֶ֥ה הָאֶחָ֖ד כַּפְתֹּ֣ר וָפָ֑רַח כֵּ֚ן לְשֵׁ֣שֶׁת הַקָּנִ֔ים הַיֹּצְאִ֖ים מִן־הַמְּנֹרָֽה׃
(31) You shall make a lampstand of pure gold; the lampstand shall be made of hammered work; its base and its shaft, its cups, calyxes, and petals shall be of one piece. (32) Six branches shall issue from its sides; three branches from one side of the lampstand and three branches from the other side of the lampstand. (33) On one branch there shall be three cups shaped like almond-blossoms, each with calyx and petals...
תניא רבי יוסי ברבי יהודה אומר ארון של אש ושלחן של אש ומנורה של אש ירדו מן השמים וראה משה ועשה כמותם שנאמר (שמות כה, מ) וראה ועשה כתבניתם אשר אתה מראה בהר
§ It is taught in a baraita: Rabbi Yosei, son of Rabbi Yehuda, says: An Ark of fire and a Table of fire and a Candelabrum of fire descended from the Heavens, and Moses saw their format and fashioned the vessels for the Tabernacle in their likeness. As it is stated after the command to fashion these items: “And see that you make them after their pattern, which is being shown to you in the mount” (Exodus 25:40).
(א) וששה. טעם קנים. עגולים ארוכים חלולים
The six branches' explanation: circular, long, hollow.
(א) יצאים מצדיה. לְכָאן וּלְכָאן בַּאֲלַכְסוֹן, נִמְשָׁכִים וְעוֹלִין עַד כְּנֶגֶד גָּבְהָהּ שֶׁל מְנוֹרָה שֶׁהוּא קָנֶה הָאֶמְצָעִי, וְיוֹצְאִין מִתּוֹךְ קָנֶה הָאֶמְצָעִי זֶה לְמַעְלָה מִזֶּה...
(1) יצאים מצדיה [AND SIX BRANCHES] SHALL GO OUT OF ITS SIDE — on each side a diagonal, extending on high up to the level of the candlestick proper, i. e. of the middle branch. They came out from the middle branch, one above the other.
ראיתי לצייר בכאן צורת המנורה שלימה...
I saw fit to draw here the shape of the completed Menorah...
Searching for the Menorah
At this time one of the priests [Yeshua b. Thebutus]…having been promised by Caesar that he would be saved if he would deliver certain Temple treasures, came out of it, and delivered him from the wall of the holy house two candlesticks like those that lay in the holy house, with tables, and cisterns, and vials, all made of solid gold, and very heavy.
(ח) . כָּל הַכֵּלִים שֶׁהָיוּ בַמִּקְדָּשׁ, יֵשׁ לָהֶם שְׁנִיִּים וּשְׁלִישִׁים, שֶׁאִם נִטְמְאוּ הָרִאשׁוֹנִים, יָבִיאוּ שְׁנִיִּים תַּחְתֵּיהֶן. כָּל הַכֵּלִים שֶׁהָיוּ בַמִּקְדָּשׁ, טְעוּנִין טְבִילָה...
For each of the vessels that were in the Temple, there were two or three sets, so that if the first vessels were rendered impure, they would bring the second in their place.
“The other spoils were carried in great abundance. But those that were taken in the temple of Jerusalem, they made the greatest figure of them all; that is, the golden table, many talents in weight; and a lampstand, also made of gold, but constructed on a different pattern from those which we use in ordinary life.”
אמר ר' אליעזר ב"ר יוסי אני ראיתיה ברומי [שהיה עליה] טיפי דמים [ואמרו לי אלו מדמים] של יום הכפורים.
R. Eliezer b. R. Yossi said, "I saw the parochet in Rome and there were drops of blood on it. I was told they were from [the sprinklings of] Yom Kippur."
3rd century CE
"The Temple of Peace was the richest of all the temples, and, because it was a safe place, was adorned with offerings of gold and silver; every man deposited his possessions there. But this fire, in a single night, made paupers of many rich men."
[408 C.E.] It was at length agreed, that the city should give five thousand pounds of gold, and thirty thousand of silver [to Alaric]…they not only robbed the statues of their ornaments, but also melted down some of them that were made of gold and silver.
6th Century CE
[In 507 CE, the Germans] laid siege to Carcassone with great enthusiasm, for they had heard that royal treasure was there, which Alaric the elder had taken as booty when he captured Rome. Among these were also the treasures of Solomon…a most noteworthy sight. For most of them were adorned with emeralds...
[510 CE]
…[there appeared at the Hippodrome] all the royal treasure…and among these were the treasures of the Jews, which Titus, the son of Vespasian had brought to Rome after the capture of Jerusalem. And one of the Jews, seeing these things, approached an adviser to the emperor and said: “I think it inexpedient to carry these treasures into the palace in Byzantium. Indeed, it is not possible for them to be elsewhere than in the place where Solomon…formerly placed them. For it is because of the these that Genseric captured the palace of the Romans, and that now the Roman army has captured that of the Vandals.” When the Emperor heard this, he became afraid and quickly sent everything to the sanctuaries of the Christians in Jerusalem.
circa 959 CE
"The Heptalychnos used to be lit at festive processions in the Byzantine palace."
Aharon shall burn upon [the incense altar] sweet incense every morning, when he tends the lamps [of the menorah], he shall burn incense. And when Aharon lights the lamps [of the menorah] in the evening, he shall burn incense..