On the flag of Israel, the star of David is 11 letters. The origin of the six-pointed star sign. Value in different cultures

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The top is the top up, the bottom is the top down, forming a structure of six equilateral triangles attached to the sides of the hexagon. The name "Star of David" this symbol received, according to legend, because it was depicted on the shields of warriors. Another variant of it, a five-pointed star, a pentagram, is known as “ Solomon Seal". However, the connection of this symbol with the name of King David, like five pointed star   with the name of King Solomon, in all probability, is an attribution of the late Middle Ages. The Star of David is depicted on the State of Israel and is one of its main symbols.

Symbol story

In ancient times

Hexagram - an international symbol of a very ancient origin. This sign is found in India, where it was used, apparently, long before it appeared in the Middle East and Europe. Initially, the hexagram was not a specifically Jewish symbol and was not related to Judaism. In the Middle and Middle East, she was a symbol of the cult of the goddess Astarte.

Starting from the Bronze Age (the end of the fourth - the beginning of the first millennium BC), the hexagram, like the pentagram, was widely used for decorative and magical purposes among many peoples, so territorially distant from each other, such as the Semites of Mesopotamia and Celts of Britain.

It is worth noting that the pentagram was used as a magic symbol much more often than the hexagram. However, both geometric figures can be found among the illustrations on the pages of many medieval books on alchemy, magic and sorcery. Jewish Relationship Images six pointed star   was first discovered on the Jewish press of the VII century. BC, owned by a certain Yeoshua bin Yeshayau and found in Sidon. Similar stars also adorned many ancient synagogues, starting from the period of the Second Temple. As an example, we can note the synagogue in Kfar Nakhum (Capernaum) (II-III century AD), in the ornament of which five- and six-pointed stars alternate, as well as figures resembling a swastika.

Thus, a six-pointed star in this period has not yet been given a certain meaning. In addition, it is known that during the Hellenistic period this symbol was not associated with Jews. It should be noted that a truly Jewish symbol is considered to be the menorah - the temple lamp. For this reason, it is also a kind of identification mark. If an image of a menorah is found in an ancient burial place, this clearly indicates that the burial is Jewish.

Middle Ages

A thousand years ago, a hexagonal star was an international sign. It was found on early Christian amulets and in Muslim ornaments called "the seal of Solomon." In Christian churches, the hexagram is even more common than in synagogues. Magen David on the oldest, fully surviving copy of the Masoretic text of the Torah, Leningrad Codex, 1008. The earliest mention of the name "Magen David" probably dates back to the era of the Babylonian gaons (early Middle Ages). It is mentioned as the legendary “shield of King David” in the text interpreting the magical “alphabet of the angel Metatron.”

However, the earliest reliable source of this name is the book “Eshkol a-Kofer” by the Karaite sage Yehuda bin Eliyahu Hadasi (XII century). In it, he criticizes those who turned this symbol into an object of worship. From this we can conclude that at that time the Star of David was used as a mystical sign on amulets. However, it should be noted that in medieval Arabic books on magic, the hexagram is much more common than in Jewish mystical works. In addition, the hexagram is found on the flags of the Muslim states of Karaman and Kandar. The false messiah David Alroy, who attempted a military campaign against Jerusalem in order to recapture the city from the crusaders who ruled there at that time, was considered a sorcerer and was probably from areas that were still under Khazar rule in the 12th century. There is a version according to which he was the one who turned the magic symbol of the Solomon Seal into the symbol of Magen David (named, perhaps, in his honor), making him a family symbol of a kind. In the XIII-XIV centuries. The Star of David appears on the pediments of German synagogues and on Jewish manuscripts. In the same era, amulets and, and in the late Middle Ages, Jewish texts on Kabbalah began to adorn them. However, apparently, this symbol had only decorative meaning. In his work on Kabbalah, the grandson of Ramban (XIV century) wrote about the hexagonal “shield of David”. It was alleged that soldiers of the victorious army of King David used a shield of this form. The first evidence that the hexagram was used as a specifically Jewish symbol dates from 1354, when Emperor Charles IV (emperor of the Holy Roman Empire) granted the Jews of Prague the privilege of having their own flag. This flag - a red cloth with a six-pointed star - was called the "flag of David." Magen David also adorned the official seal of the community.

New time

Subsequently, the hexagram was used as a Jewish typographic sign and an integral part of the family emblems. In the Czech Republic of that period, one could find a six-pointed star as a decorative element in synagogues, books, on official seals, on religious and household utensils. Later (XVII-XVIII centuries.) Hexagram came into use by the Jews of Moravia and Austria, and then - Italy and the Netherlands. A little later, it spread among the communities of Eastern Europe. In cabalistic circles, the “shield of David” was interpreted as the “shield of the son of David,” that is, the Messiah. Thus, the followers of the false messiah Shabtai Zvi (the end of the 17th century) saw in him a symbol of imminent deliverance. Only at the end of the XVIII century. Magen David began to be depicted on Jewish tombstones. Starting from 1799, Magen David appears as a specifically Jewish symbol in anti-Semitic cartoons. In the XIX century. emancipated Jews chose the Star of David as a national symbol as opposed to christian cross. It was during this period that the six-pointed star was adopted by almost all the communities of the Jewish world. It has become a common symbol on the buildings of synagogues and Jewish institutions, on monuments and tombstones, on seals and letterheads, on household and religious objects, including on the curtains that cover the cabinets in which the Torah scrolls are stored in synagogues.

Versions of the Origin of Magen David

It should be noted that the origin of the symbol is not known reliably.

• According to commentators, the white lily, which consists of six petals that have blossomed in the form of Magen David, is the lily symbolizing the Jewish people, which the Song of Songs talks about:

“I am the daffodil of Sharon, the lily of the valleys! “Like a lily between thorns, so is my friend between virgins.” (Song 2: 1-2)

The Star of David was eventually cemented as a Jewish symbol when it became a favorite architectural decoration of Jewish buildings in the Middle Ages. According to a German-speaking Israeli philosopher and historian, many Jews adopted this symbol in Eastern Europe to match the prevalence of the Christian cross.

Jews were also forced to wear identification badges in the Middle Ages, although not always the Star of David. Last weekend, the organizers of the gay pride parade in Chicago threw out three people with pride flags decorated with the Jewish star of David. Subsequent bizarre statements attempting to rationalize their actions, arguing that Zionism is an “inherently white ideology of Suprematism,” only exacerbated the feeling that the organizers were deaf to the interests of the Jewish community and engaged in anti-Semitism - denying the Jews the same rights that extended to other participants mainly to celebrate their identity as Jewish strange women.

Israeli researcher Uri Ophir believes that the origin of the Star of David is associated with the temple menorah. Under each of her seven lamps was a flower. Uri Ophir believes that it was a white lily flower (Lilium candidum), which in shape resembles Magen David.

Although this incident can be dismissed as one group in one city, the fact is that it is a broader school of thought that fuels the tendency of creeping anti-Semitism among some sections of the political left. Over the past year, we saw other examples that raised eyebrows as inter-span intolerance arose among the progressive community. Similar stories telling about this in Chicago were published at the Israeli parade in New York earlier this month.

Influence on the principles of the universe

Last summer, on the Movement for the Living Black platform, Israel was fancifully accused of genocide. Linda Sarsur, leader of the women's rights movement, criticized Zionism as incompatible with feminism and advocated the exclusion of pro-Jewish Jews from activist groups.

The lamp was located in the center of the flower, so that the priest lit a fire, as it were, in the center of Magen David. The menorah was in the Tabernacle, during the wandering of Jews in the desert, and then in, until the destruction of the Second Temple. This, in his opinion, explains the antiquity and significance of Magen David.

• According to legend, Magen David was depicted on the shields of the soldiers of King David.
• According to another version, the shields were made of leather and strengthened by strips of metal in the form of intersecting triangles.
• According to the third version, the shields themselves were hexagonal.
• It is possible that Magen David was, in essence, the signature of King David, since the letter “Dalet” in the ancient Hebrew letter had the shape of a triangle, and the name דוד in Hebrew consists of two “Dalet”. At the same time, according to some sources, his personal seal contained an image not of a star, but of a shepherd’s staff and bag.
• There is a version according to which the false messiah David Alroy (Al-Roi) was the one in the 12th century. turned the magical symbol of the Solomon Seal into the symbol of Magen David (named, perhaps, in honor of himself), making him a family symbol of a kind.
• The followers of the false messiah Shabtai Zvi (end of the 17th century) interpreted the “shield of David” as the “shield of the son of David,” that is, the Messiah and saw in him a symbol of imminent deliverance.

Opinions on the meaning of Magen David

• The hexagram is interpreted as the connection and combination of the masculine (triangle pointing up) and the feminine (triangle pointing down).
• In ancient times, it was believed that Magen David personifies all four elements: the triangle, facing up, symbolizes fire and air, while the other triangle, facing down, symbolizes water and earth.
• According to another version, the upper corner of the triangle, facing up, symbolizes fire, the other two (left and right) - water and air. The corners of another triangle, facing one of the corners down, respectively: mercy, peace (peace) and grace.
• Also, Magen David is a combination of the celestial principle, which tends to the earth (a triangle directed downward) and the earthly principle, tends to the heavens (a triangle directed upward).
• According to one explanation, the six-pointed Star of David symbolizes the Divine control of the whole world: earth, sky and the four cardinal points - north, south, east and west. (An interesting detail: in Hebrew, the words "Magen David" (Hebrew מָגֵן דָּוִד) also consist of six letters.)
• According to Kabbalah, Magen David reflects the seven lower Sephiroth: each of the six triangles points to one of the Sephiroth, and the hexagonal center to Sephira “Malchut”.
• According to p. E. Essasa, this sign symbolizes 6 days of creation and reflects the model of the universe. Two triangles - two directions. Pointed upward triangle: the top point points to the Almighty and that He is one. Further, the divergence of this point to the left and to the right indicates the opposites that appeared during the creation process - Good and Evil. The tip of the second triangle of the star of David is directed downward. From two vertices distant from each other, the lines converge to one - the bottom, the third. This is the idea of \u200b\u200bthe goal of human existence, whose task is to harmoniously combine in itself (the lower peak) the concepts generated by the idea of \u200b\u200bthe existence of the “right” and “left” sides of the created world.
• There is a tradition of decorating Magen David with a sukkah - a special hut in which Jews live during the days of Sukkot. The six ends of the star hung in sukkah correspond to the six “distinguished guests” (uspizin) visiting the Jewish sukkah in the first six days of the festival of Sukkot: Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, Aaron and Joseph. What unites them all is the seventh "guest" - King David himself.

The triangle underlying the foundation, in his opinion, personifies three main subjects considered by philosophy: God, Man and the Universe. Another - reflects the position of Judaism in relation to these elements and their relationship between themselves - Creation (between God and the Universe), Revelation (between God and Man) and Deliverance (between Man and the Universe). The superposition of these triangles on top of each other forms the “Star of Salvation”.

For an organization such as the League against Defamation, which was founded both to fight anti-Semitism and to protect the Jewish people, as well as to ensure justice and fair treatment for all Americans, these manifestations are frustrating. But this happens too often, which makes it possible to clarify some moral and practical differences. We are committed to this work because it is the primary goal of our mission.

In the case of the Muslim community, we are working to combat discriminatory laws, such as the ban on Muslims, to provoke Islamophobia whenever this happens, for example, the recent use of scare tactics to get rid of the fear that Sharia law is invading this country and contributing to a deeper understanding of their faith through intergroup work.

Helpful information

Star of David
heb. מָגֵן דָּוִד
transliteration. Magen David
acc. "Shield of David"
in Yiddish pronounced: Mogendoid

Use as a Jewish symbol

• The family, having received the noble title in 1817, included Magen David in his family coat of arms.
• German poet of Jewish origin Heinrich Heine from 1840 put a hexagram instead of signing his articles in the German newspaper Augsburger Algemeine Zeitung.
• In 1879, the authorities convened a large symposium of rabbis in St. Petersburg in the Russian Empire, where they were asked seven questions about the foundations of Judaism. One of the questions was about the meaning of Magen David.
• In 1897 he adopted the draft flag of the Zionist movement, in the center of which was the blue Magen David and which is known today as the flag of the State of Israel.
•   , who led the Zionist movement, proposed in his book The Jewish State a different option: a white flag with seven golden stars in the center, but his proposal was not accepted, mainly because of the lack of Jewish symbols on his flag.
• In the same year, the six-pointed star also graced the cover of the first issue of Di Welt, published by Herzl.
• Heavyweight boxer Max Baer, \u200b\u200bwho played in the ring in the 30s, had Jewish roots (not being a Jewish Jew), and entered the ring with the Star of David on his underpants when he boxed with the German Max Schmelling.
• A considerable "merit" in linking the six-pointed star with the Jews forever belongs to the Nazis. In many cities and countries of Europe, the Nazi authorities chose yellow Magen David as the distinguishing mark of the Jew. This emblem separated Jews from the local population and served in their eyes a humiliating stigma. In addition, the star of David was used as an identification mark of certain categories of prisoners of Nazi concentration camps, and often (but not always) one of the two triangles that formed it was made of a different color depending on the prisoner category, for example, for political prisoners - red, for immigrants - blue , for homosexuals - pink, for people deprived of the right to a profession - green, for the so-called "asocial elements" - black, etc.
• At the same time, in the USA and Great Britain they saw a Jewish symbol in Magen David, similar to the Christian cross, and for this reason they depicted Magen David on the graves of Jewish soldiers who died in the ranks of the Allied armies, similar to how the graves of Christians are marked with a cross.
• The yellow Star of David against the background of two blue stripes, with a white stripe in the middle, served as the emblem of the Jewish brigade, which was part of the British army during World War II. Perhaps the authors of this symbol thereby wanted to turn the Nazi yellow star into an object of pride.
• After the creation of the State of Israel, it was decided to take the flag of the Zionist movement, in the center of which the blue Magen David is depicted, as the state flag.
• The Provisional Government of Israel adopted the decision of the emblem and flag commission and approved it on October 28, 1948. So the blue Star of David became a symbol of the State of Israel. At the same time, a more authentic and ancient Jewish emblem - Menorah, the image of the temple lamp was chosen as the coat of arms.
• Israeli Arabs say they cannot feel solidarity with national flag, since it is composed only of Jewish symbols.
• Members of the Jewish anti-Zionist sect "Neturei Kart" ceased to use Magen David, since they, according to them, are now associated with the Zionist state.
• In 1930, the Jewish organization of emergency medical care Magen David Adom was created in Tel Aviv.
• The name and emblem is a six-pointed star of red color on a white background - the Israeli emergency care society (similar to the names and emblems of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies).
• In 1950, Magen David Adom was officially recognized by the State of Israel. However, he did not receive international recognition, since the International Committee of the Red Cross and Red Crescent refused to recognize Magen David as another symbol of the international organization.
• At the end of 2005, as a result of the efforts of Israeli diplomats and representatives of the American Red Cross, the International Committee of the Red Cross proposed a draft of a third, “religiously neutral” symbol - a red diamond (“red crystal”). It was decided that a country that did not want to use a cross or a crescent could use a rhombus or a local emblem enclosed in a red rhombus. Thus, the International Committee of the Red Cross agreed to accept the Israeli organization into its ranks, but stipulated that the emblem of the Red Magen David will remain in use only in Israel, while outside it it will be enclosed in a red diamond.
• The emblem of the Israel Defense Forces is also based on the Star of David.

Other countries

• State symbols of the USA contain the Six-pointed Star in various modifications, for example, the Great Seal of the USA.
• The Star of David is depicted on the arms of the German cities of Cher, Hamburg and Herbstedt, as well as the Ukrainian cities of Poltava, Ternopol and Konotop.
• Three six-pointed stars are depicted on the flag of Burundi. They embody the national motto: “Unity. Work. Progress".
• Magen David is depicted on the Colonial flag of Nigeria (1914-60).
• Earlier, a six-pointed star was present on the flags of Northern Ireland in the center (on the flag of the British governor of Northern Ireland it is an element of the heraldic shield, on the Ulster Banner it is an independent central symbol).

), in which two equilateral triangles are superimposed on each other - the top end up, the bottom end down, forming a structure of six equilateral triangles attached to the sides of the hexagon.

The Star of David is depicted on the flag of the State of Israel and is one of its main symbols. According to legend, this symbol was depicted on the shields of the soldiers of King David. Another variant of it, a five-pointed star, a pentagram, is known as the Solomon Seal. However, the connection of this symbol with the name of King David, as well as the five-pointed star with the name of King Solomon, in all likelihood, is an invention of the late Middle Ages.

Opinions on the meaning of Magen David
The most common explanation of the hexagram is that it is a combination and combination of masculine (triangle pointing up) and feminine (triangle pointing down).
  In ancient times, it was believed that Magen David personifies all four elements: the triangle, facing up, symbolizes fire and air, while the other triangle, facing down, symbolizes water and earth.
  According to another version, the upper corner of the triangle, facing up, symbolizes fire, the other two (left and right) - water and air. The corners of another triangle, facing one of the corners down, respectively: mercy, peace (peace) and grace.
Also, Magen David is a combination of the celestial principle, which tends to the earth (a triangle directed downward) and the earthly principle, tends to the heavens (a triangle directed upward).
  According to one explanation, the six-pointed Star of David symbolizes the Divine control of the whole world: earth, sky and the four cardinal points - north, south, east and west. (An interesting detail: in Hebrew, the words "Magen David" (Heb. מָגֵן דָּוִד) also consist of six letters.).
  According to Kabbalah, Magen David reflects the seven lower Sephiroth: each of the six triangles points to one of the Sephiroth, and the hexagonal center to Sephira “Malchut”.
  According to p. E. Essasa, this sign symbolizes 6 days of creation and reflects the model of the universe. Two triangles - two directions. Pointed upward triangle: the top point points to the Almighty and that He is one. Further, the divergence of this point to the left and to the right indicates the opposites that appeared during the creation process - Good and Evil. The tip of the second triangle of the star of David is directed downward. From two vertices distant from each other, the lines converge to one - the bottom, the third. This is the idea of \u200b\u200bthe goal of human existence, whose task is to harmoniously combine in itself (the lower peak) the concepts generated by the idea of \u200b\u200bthe existence of the “right” and “left” sides of the created world.
  There is a tradition of decorating Magen David with a sukkah - a special hut in which Jews live during the days of Sukkot. The six ends of the star hung in sukkah correspond to the six “distinguished guests” visiting Jewish sukkah in the first six days of the festival of Sukkot: Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, Aaron, and Joseph. What unites them all is the seventh "guest" - King David himself.
  Magen David has 12 ribs, which corresponds to the 12 tribes of Israel over which David reigned and who will be restored with the coming of the Messiah, the direct heir to King David.
  The outstanding German-Jewish philosopher Franz Rosenzweig, in his main philosophical work “The Star of Salvation” (1921), proposed his own interpretation of Magen David. He sees Magen David as a symbolic expression of the relationship between God, man and the universe.
The triangle underlying the foundation, in his opinion, personifies three main subjects considered by philosophy: God, Man and the Universe. Another - reflects the position of Judaism in relation to these elements and their relationship between themselves - Creation (between God and the Universe), Revelation (between God and Man) and Deliverance (between Man and the Universe). The superposition of these triangles on top of each other forms the “Star of Salvation”.
  Another option that explains the construction of the Star of David is the combination of two triangles reflecting the distribution of the mass of the population (triangle up) power and wealth (triangle down).

Use as a Jewish symbol
The Rothschild family, having received the noble title in 1817, included Magen David in his family coat of arms.
  Since 1840, a German poet of Jewish origin Heinrich Heine put a hexagram instead of signing his articles in the German newspaper Augsburger Algemeine Zeitung.

Flag of the Zionist movement and Israel.
In 1879, the authorities convened a large symposium of rabbis in St. Petersburg in the Russian Empire, where they were asked seven questions about the foundations of Judaism. One of the questions was about the meaning of Magen David.
  In 1897, the First Zionist Congress adopted the draft flag of the Zionist movement, in the center of which was the blue Magen David and which is known today as the flag of the State of Israel.
Theodor Herzl, who led the Zionist movement, proposed in his book The Jewish State a different option: a white flag with seven golden stars in the center, but his proposal was not accepted, mainly because of the lack of Jewish symbols on its flag.
  In the same year, the six-pointed star also graced the cover of the first issue of Di Welt, published by Herzl.
  Heavyweight boxer Max Baer, \u200b\u200bwho played in the ring in the 30s, had Jewish roots (not being a Jewish Jew), and entered the ring with the Star of David on his underpants when he boxed with the German Max Schmelling.

Yellow star of david
A considerable "merit" in linking the six-pointed star with the Jews forever belongs to the Nazis. In many cities and countries of Europe, the Nazi authorities chose yellow Magen David as the distinguishing mark of the Jew. This emblem separated Jews from the local population and served in their eyes a humiliating stigma. In addition, the star of David was used as an identification mark for certain categories of prisoners of Nazi concentration camps, while one of the two triangles that formed it was made of a different color depending on the category of prisoner, for example, for political prisoners - red, for immigrants - blue, for homosexuals - pink, those deprived of the right to a profession have green, the so-called “asocial elements” have black, etc.
  At the same time, in the USA and Great Britain they saw a Jewish symbol in Magen David, similar to the Christian cross, and for this reason they depicted Magen David on the graves of Jewish soldiers who died in the Allied armies, just as they mark the graves of Christians with the cross.
  The yellow Star of David against the background of two blue stripes, with a white stripe in the middle, served as the emblem of the Jewish brigade, which was part of the British army during World War II. Perhaps the authors of this symbol thereby wanted to turn the Nazi yellow star into an object of pride.
  After the creation of the State of Israel, it was decided to take the flag of the Zionist movement, in the center of which the blue Magen David is depicted, as the State flag.
  The interim government of Israel adopted a decision by the emblem and flag commission and approved it on October 28, 1948. So the blue Star of David became a symbol of the State of Israel. At the same time, a more authentic and ancient Jewish emblem - Menorah, the image of the temple lamp was chosen as the coat of arms.
  Israeli Arabs argue that they cannot feel solidarity with the state flag, since it is composed only of Jewish symbols.
  In 1930, a Jewish ambulance organization was created in Tel Aviv, an analogue of the Red Cross in Christian and Red Crescent countries in Muslim countries. For this reason, the red Magen David was chosen as the emblem and name of this organization ("Magen David Adom").
  In 1950, Magen David Adom was officially recognized by the State of Israel. However, he did not receive international recognition, since the International Committee of the Red Cross and Red Crescent refused to recognize Magen David as another symbol of the international organization.

At the end of 2005, as a result of the efforts of Israeli diplomats and representatives of the American Red Cross, the International Committee of the Red Cross proposed a draft of a third, “religiously neutral” symbol - a red diamond (“red crystal”). It was decided that a country that did not want to use a cross or a crescent could use a rhombus or a local emblem enclosed in a red rhombus. Thus, the International Committee of the Cross of Red Cross agreed to accept the Israeli organization, but stipulated that the emblem of the Red Magen David will remain in use only in Israel, while outside it it will be enclosed in a red rhombus.
  The emblem of the Israel Defense Forces is also based on the Star of David.

Menorah   (Heb. מְנוֹרָה - menorah, letters. "Lamp") - a golden seven-barreled lamp (menorah), which, according to the Bible, was in the Tabernacle of the Meeting during the wandering of Jews in the desert, and then in the Jerusalem Temple, until the destruction of the Second Temple.
  Is one of ancient symbols   Judaism and Jewish religious attributes. Currently, the image of the menorah (along with Magen David) is the most common Jewish national and religious emblem. The menorah is also depicted on the emblem of the State of Israel.

The origin of the symbol.
Living in a Christian environment, the Jews felt the need to mark their religious and nationality with an appropriate symbol. Since the 2nd century, the menorah has become a symbol of Judaism, mainly as a counterweight to the cross, which has become a symbol of Christianity. For this reason, it is a kind of identification mark. If an image of a menorah is found in an ancient burial place, this clearly indicates that the burial is Jewish.
  Here are some possible reasons for choosing a menorah as a purely Jewish symbol.
  Of all the objects of the temple utensils, Menorah is second only to the Ark with its symbolic meaning, in which the Tablets of the Covenant were stored. However, according to legend, Menorah was also the only subject of temple utensils, which was miraculously made by the Most High Himself, since Moses and Veseleil (Betzalel) could not do it themselves on the instructions that they received from God.
  In Judaism, the candle is given special significance, as it is said: " The soul of man is the lamp of the Lord».
Researchers also note that such a menorah was not used in any pagan cult of that period. This, in particular, was the reason why, on the arch of Titus, dedicated to the conquest of Judea, it was Menorah who occupies a central place in the bas-relief depicting captured Jews.

A menorah may also have nine candlesticks, but in this case it is called hanukkah   (Heb. חֲנֻכִּיָּה) or menorah Hanukkah   (Heb. מְנוֹרַת חֲנֻכָּה, "Hanukkah lamp").
  Hanukkah is lit during the eight days of Hanukkah. Eight of her lamps, which once used to pour oil, and now, as a rule, put candles in, symbolize the miracle that happened during the revolt and victory of the Maccabees over the Greeks. According to legend, the only pitcher with consecrated oil found in the desecrated Temple was enough for eight days of burning the menorah. Ninth lamp called shamash   (שמש) - assistant, designed to light the remaining candles.
  Initially, the Hanukkah lamp was different in form from the menorah and was a series of oil lamps or candlesticks with a back plate that allowed it to be hung on the wall. Special Hanukkah candlesticks began to be produced only from the 10th century. In principle, any form of Hanukkah is allowed, the main thing is that at the same time eight lamps are on the same level, and their light does not merge into one flame.
  Subsequently, the custom appeared in the synagogues to light copies of temple lamps in Hanukkah. It was believed that this was done in favor of the poor and aliens who did not have the opportunity to light Chanukah. As a result, many Hanukkah lamps in Jewish homes also took the form of a menorah with two additional candlesticks.