The Christian menorah is a legacy of the Hebrew temple tradition of worship, a candlestick for seven candles or lamps, used in Christian churches for worship. Being the heir to the Jewish menorah (from the Hebrew “lamp”), in liturgical practice of the Orthodox Church there are menorahs. The only difference between them is where this item will stand in the altar: on the throne or behind it.
Menorah is a sacred object known from the Pentateuch of Moses. The book of Exodus tells of God's direct command to establish a menorah in the Tabernacle of Service - the first portable temple to the Invisible God. From there, the menorah was taken to the Jerusalem temple, services in which were attended by both Jesus Christ himself, and the apostles, and the first Christians.
Among Christians, there were many converted Jews who began to conduct the Christian New Testamental worship on the basis of the already existing Old Testamental type. Because of that the menorah was not perceived as something foreign and unnecessary. On the contrary, it showed the connection of centuries and in the Christian context was perceived as a transition from the Jerusalem temple to Christian churches, as well as a symbol of the unity of Christ and believers.
The Orthodox menorah in form differs from the classical Jewish menorah. It is based on a triangle: the central candle in the center is on an elevation, and from two sides of it the candles go down to the bottom. In addition, now in menorahs instead of wax candles ordinary lamps with oil and wicks are used. They are much easier to care for and shine much longer than regular wax candles. The on-altar menorah is compact and is placed on the throne with one or two wide props. It is lighter than the behind-altar menorah, which usually stands on a high massive base.
In the Axios online store you can buy a menorah of any form and various installation methods. Depending on the size of the throne, you can buy both the behind-altar menorah and the menorah on-altar if you serve in a small church or chapel. All you need to do is a couple of mouse clicks and our consultants will call you to clarify the details of the order. We guarantee high quality of our products and fast worldwide delivery.
