A Roman Perversion of the Truth

I found this Menorah in the background of a picture (where's Waldo?) in last week's Time magazine. The picture shows a Menorah with seven branches, unlike the Menorah Jews use during the holiday of Chanukah. The seven branch Menorah was used in the Temple in Jerusalem. However, there is a little problem with this depiction of the Menorah.

The Menorah which was lit by the High Priest every day in the Temple had straight branches, not rounded ones as this picture shows. The confusion began after the death of Titus Flavius Vespasianus, Roman Emperor 79-81. The Arch of Titus was built in his honor and portrayed many of his accomplishments. One of his great military successes was when he put down the Jewish rebellion (where were the Palestinians?) in the Holy Land and brought many of the utensils of the Temple back to Rome. Among those was the Menorah. However, the Menorah on the Arch of Titus has round branches, unlike the actual Menorah.

The Menorah in Temple, as explained by Rashi and Maimonides, had straight branches. Their version of the Menorah is based on biblical text. However, many people have chosen instead to rely on the Arch of Titus. Of the many inscriptions on the Arch there is one which reads, "Judea is captured." This was inscribed with the intent to humiliate Jews; many times Jews were brought to the Arch for the sole purpose of being shown that they are captives of the Roman Empire. It is therefore quite shameful that we base our depictions of the Temple's Menorah on the Arch which humiliates Jews, and not on the text of Rashi and Maimonides.