Design of the 7 branch candlestick

The traditional Menorah candlestick design is given by God to Moses for the Temple in the Wilderness.

The Menorah is part of the design of the temple. There are many interpretations of how the design specifications were actually realized, including the Menorah.

Exodus 25:8

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KJV: And let them make me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them.

Hebrew: ועשו לי מקדש ושכנתי בתוכם׃

Greek: και ποιησεις μοι αγιασμα και οφθησομαι εν υμιν

Latin: facientque mihi sanctuarium et habitabo in medio eorum

Wycliffe: And thei schulen make a seyntuarie to me, and Y schal dwelle in the myddis of hem, bi al the licnesse of the tabernacle,

Exodus 25:9

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KJV: According to all that I shew thee, after the pattern of the tabernacle, and the pattern of all the instruments thereof, even so shall ye make it.

Hebrew: ככל אשר אני מראה אותך את תבנית המשכן ואת תבנית כל כליו וכן תעשו׃

Greek: και ποιησεις μοι κατα παντα οσα εγω σοι δεικνυω εν τω ορει το παραδειγμα της σκηνης και το παραδειγμα παντων των σκευων αυτης ουτω ποιησεις

Latin: iuxta omnem similitudinem tabernaculi quod ostendam tibi et omnium vasorum in cultum eius sicque facietis illud

Wycliffe: which Y schal schewe to thee, and of alle the vessels of ournyng therof.

Luther: Wie ich dir ein Vorbild der Wohnung und alles seines Geräts zeigen werde, so sollt ihr's machen.

A pattern is a general concept abstracted from many samples. The modern Greek word "δείγμα" (THEE-gma) ≈ "sample".

Jude 1:7

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KJV: Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.

Greek: ως σοδομα και γομορρα και αι περι αυτας πολεις τον ομοιον τουτοις τροπον τουτοις εκπορνευσασαι και απελθουσαι οπισω σαρκος ετερας προκεινται δειγμα πυρος αιωνιου δικην υπεχουσαι

A pattern goes "beyond" one sample or example.

The modern Greek word "παράδειγμα" (pa-RA-thee-gma) ≈ "pattern, paradigm" means going beyond the sample as in making a pattern, in modern Greek too. This word is the source of the English word "paradigm".

The Greek prefix «πάρα» is usually better translated (from ancient texts) and interpreted as (in modern Greek words) as "beyond" or "in addition to" and not with just the restricted meaning of "beside", as in parallel line. A parallel line is a line (in a plane), not that line, that is "beyond" or "in addition to" that line and which does not touch that line.

By New Testament times, the definition of a pattern had narrowed to a negative connotation.

Matthew 1:19

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KJV: Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a publick example, was minded to put her away privily.

Greek: ιωσηφ δε ο ανηρ αυτης δικαιος ων και μη θελων αυτην παραδειγματισαι δειγματισαι εβουληθη λαθρα απολυσαι αυτην

Latin: Ioseph autem vir eius cum esset iustus et nollet eam traducere voluit occulte dimittere eam

Wessex: Soðlice Ioseph hire wer. þa he waes rihtwis. & nolde hyo maersian. he wolde hye dygeliche forlaeten.

Wycliffe: And Joseph, hir hosebonde, for he was riytful, and wolde not puplische hir, he wolde priueli haue left hir.

Tyndale: The Ioseph her husbande beinge a perfect ma and loth to make an ensample of hir was mynded to put her awaye secretely.

Joseph did not want to make an example of Mary.

The word is used once more in the GNT (Greek New Testament).

Hebrews 6:6

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KJV: If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame.

Greek: και παραπεσοντας παλιν ανακαινιζειν εις μετανοιαν ανασταυρουντας εαυτοις τον υιον του θεου και παραδειγματιζοντας

Latin: et prolapsi sunt renovari rursus ad paenitentiam rursum crucifigentes sibimet ipsis Filium Dei et ostentui habentes

Wycliffe: that thei be renewid eftsoone to penaunce. Whiche eftsones crucifien to hem silf the sone of God, and han to scorn.

Tyndale: yf they faule shuld be renued agayne vnto repentaunce: for as moche as they have (as concerninge them selves) crucified the sonne of God a fresshe makynge a mocke of him.

Luther: wo sie abfallen und wiederum sich selbst den Sohn Gottes kreuzigen und für Spott halten, daß sie sollten wiederum erneuert werden zur Buße.

Spanish: y recayeron, sean otra vez renovados para arrepentimiento, crucificando de nuevo para sí mismos al Hijo de Dios y exponiéndole a vituperio.

Back to the design of the temple in the wilderness. We are here interested in the pattern design of the "instrument" of the Menorah.

The Hebrew word "מנורה" (me-nor-a) ≈ "Menorah". מנורה - Menorah

The Hebrew word "מנרת" (men-nor-et) ≈ "lamp".
The Hebrew word "מנרה" (me-nor-a) ≈ "menorah".

Note that the Hebrew word as originally used was generic and became specialized to include this precisely specified "instrument" of the temple.

How might the pattern been realized from the following specification of the design?

Exodus 25:31

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KJV: And thou shalt make a candlestick of pure gold: of beaten work shall the candlestick be made: his shaft, and his branches, his bowls, his knops, and his flowers, shall be of the same.

Hebrew: ועשית מנרת זהב טהור מקשה תעשה המנורה ירכה וקנה גביעיה כפתריה ופרחיה ממנה יהיו׃

Greek: και ποιησεις λυχνιαν εκ χρυσιου καθαρου τορευτην ποιησεις την λυχνιαν ο καυλος αυτης και οι καλαμισκοι και οι κρατηρες και οι σφαιρωτηρες και τα κρινα εξ αυτης εσται

Latin: facies et candelabrum ductile de auro mundissimo hastile eius et calamos scyphos et spherulas ac lilia ex ipso procedentia

Wycliffe: And thou schalt make a candilstike`betun forth with hamer, of clenneste gold, and thou schalt make the schaft therof, and yerdis, cuppis, and litle rundelis, and lilies comynge forth therof.

Luther: Du sollst auch einen Leuchter von feinem dichten Golde machen; daran soll der Schaft mit Röhren, Schalen, Knäufen und Blumen sein.

Note how the KJV (King James Version) uses the word "candlestick" twice, but the word appears only once in many other versions.

Exodus 25:32

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KJV: And six branches shall come out of the sides of it; three branches of the candlestick out of the one side, and three branches of the candlestick out of the other side:

Hebrew: וששה קנים יצאים מצדיה שלשה קני מנרה מצדה האחד ושלשה קני מנרה מצדה השני׃

Greek: εξ δε καλαμισκοι εκπορευομενοι εκ πλαγιων τρεις καλαμισκοι της λυχνιας εκ του κλιτους αυτης του ενος και τρεις καλαμισκοι της λυχνιας εκ του κλιτους του δευτερου

Latin: sex calami egredientur de lateribus tres ex uno latere et tres ex altero

Spanish: Y saldrán seis brazos de sus lados: tres brazos del candelero a un lado, y tres brazos del candelero al otro lado:

Exodus 25:33

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KJV: Three bowls made like unto almonds, with a knop and a flower in one branch; and three bowls made like almonds in the other branch, with a knop and a flower: so in the six branches that come out of the candlestick.

Hebrew: שלשה גבעים משקדים בקנה האחד כפתר ופרח ושלשה גבעים משקדים בקנה האחד כפתר ופרח כן לששת הקנים היצאים מן המנרה׃

Greek: και τρεις κρατηρες εκτετυπωμενοι καρυισκους εν τω ενι καλαμισκω σφαιρωτηρ και κρινον ουτως τοις εξ καλαμισκοις τοις εκπορευομενοις εκ της λυχνιας

Exodus 25:34

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KJV: And in the candlestick shall be four bowls made like unto almonds, with their knops and their flowers.

Hebrew: ובמנרה ארבעה גבעים משקדים כפתריה ופרחיה׃

Greek: και εν τη λυχνια τεσσαρες κρατηρες εκτετυπωμενοι καρυισκους εν τω ενι καλαμισκω οι σφαιρωτηρες και τα κρινα αυτης

Exodus 25:35

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KJV: And there shall be a knop under two branches of the same, and a knop under two branches of the same, and a knop under two branches of the same, according to the six branches that proceed out of the candlestick.

Hebrew: וכפתר תחת שני הקנים ממנה וכפתר תחת שני הקנים ממנה וכפתר תחת שני הקנים ממנה לששת הקנים היצאים מן המנרה׃

Greek: ο σφαιρωτηρ υπο τους δυο καλαμισκους εξ αυτης και σφαιρωτηρ υπο τους τεσσαρας καλαμισκους εξ αυτης ουτως τοις εξ καλαμισκοις τοις εκπορευομενοις εκ της λυχνιας

Exodus 25:36

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KJV: Their knops and their branches shall be of the same: all it shall be one beaten work of pure gold.

Hebrew: כפתריהם וקנתם ממנה יהיו כלה מקשה אחת זהב טהור׃

Greek: οι σφαιρωτηρες και οι καλαμισκοι εξ αυτης εστωσαν ολη τορευτη εξ ενος χρυσιου καθαρου

Exodus 25:37

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KJV: And thou shalt make the seven lamps thereof: and they shall light the lamps thereof, that they may give light over against it.

Hebrew: ועשית את נרתיה שבעה והעלה את נרתיה והאיר על עבר פניה׃

Greek: και ποιησεις τους λυχνους αυτης επτα και επιθησεις τους λυχνους και φανουσιν εκ του ενος προσωπου

Latin: facies et lucernas septem et pones eas super candelabrum ut luceant ex adverso

Wycliffe: And thou schalt make seuene lanternes, and thou schalt sette tho on the candilstike, that tho schyne euene ayens.

Luther: Und sollst sieben Lampen machen obenauf, daß sie gegeneinander leuchten,

Exodus 25:38

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KJV: And the tongs thereof, and the snuffdishes thereof, shall be of pure gold.

Hebrew: ומלקחיה ומחתתיה זהב טהור׃

Greek: και τον επαρυστηρα αυτης και τα υποθεματα αυτης εκ χρυσιου καθαρου ποιησεις

Exodus 25:39

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KJV: Of a talent of pure gold shall he make it, with all these vessels.

Hebrew: ככר זהב טהור יעשה אתה את כל הכלים האלה׃

Greek: παντα τα σκευη ταυτα ταλαντον χρυσιου καθαρου

Exodus 25:40

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KJV: And look that thou make them after their pattern, which was shewed thee in the mount.

Hebrew: וראה ועשה בתבניתם אשר אתה מראה בהר׃

Greek: ορα ποιησεις κατα τον τυπον τον δεδειγμενον σοι εν τω ορει

Latin: inspice et fac secundum exemplar quod tibi in monte monstratum est

Wycliffe: Biholde thou, and make bi the saumpler, which ys schewide to thee in the hil.

Luther: Und siehe zu, daß du es machest nach ihrem Bilde, das du auf dem Berge gesehen hast.

Spanish: Y mira, y hazlos conforme a su modelo, que te ha sido mostrado en el monte.

The Latin word "exemplar" ≈ "model, pattern, example" from which we get the English word "example".

There are many possible ways that the actual Menorah might have been realized as a physical entity. The above is the specification from the Bible.

On 70 A.D. Titus conquered Jerusalem and the Temple was destroyed, etc. In the ensuing victory celebration, or "triumph", in Rome, the Arch of Titus was constructed. There remains a visible depiction of the 7 branch candlestick called the Menorah.

There have been some archaeological finds that depict a Menorah.

There are some other references to the Menorah in the Bible.

1 Kings 7:49 (David, Solomon)
1 Chronicles 28:15 (David, Solomon)
2 Chronicles 4:7 (David, Solomon)
Jeremiah 52:19 (taken to Babylon)
Ezra 1:9 (vessels only)
1 Maccabees 1:21, 4:49 (Antiochus Epiphanes)

There are various records and legends about the fate of the Menorah, much left to speculation.

The Menorah appears on the emblem of the State of Israel.

Exodus 25:9 According to all that I shew thee, after the pattern of the tabernacle, and the pattern of all the instruments thereof, even so shall ye make it. [kjv]

The English word "paradigm" comes from the ancient Greek word "παράδειγμα" ≈ "pattern, example". In modern Greek, "paradigm" and "pattern" are this same word.

The word "paradigm" became popular in the 1960's due to the book by Thomas Kuhn who defined a paradigm shift as a radical change in the way one thinks about and solves a problem.

Paradigm shifts involve new concepts and often require one to think outside the box. One saying about change in relation it paradigms is that "shift happens".

More: Paradigm shifts

The modern Greek word "παράδειγμα" (pa-RA-thee-gma) ≈ "pattern, paradigm".

Exodus 25:9 According to all that I shew thee, after the pattern of the tabernacle, and the pattern of all the instruments thereof, even so shall ye make it. [kjv]

… δεικνυω … παραδειγμα … σκηνης … παραδειγμα … σκευων … [lxx]

When Moses come down from Mount Sinai, he had (at least) two things.

tablets with the Ten Commandments
engineering blueprints for the tabernacle

The ancient Greek word "παράδειγμα" ≈ "pattern, example" and comes from the ancient Greek word "παραδείκνυμι" ≈ "show, compare". The ancient Greek word "σκηνή" ≈ "tent, theater stage" and is the source of the English word "scene".

More: Paradigm shifts

Exodus 25:9

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KJV: According to all that I shew thee, after the pattern of the tabernacle, and the pattern of all the instruments thereof, even so shall ye make it.

Hebrew: ככל אשר אני מראה אותך את תבנית המשכן ואת תבנית כל כליו וכן תעשו׃

The definition of an error and a desired change is very similar.
Both an error and a change are a difference between the observed behavior and the expected or desired behavior.

To identify an error requires a specification and one should not use the operational code (in programming, or reality in general) as a specification.

More: Errors and changes

There are examples of paradigm shifts in sports. That is, a radical (from the root) change in how things are done.

the high jump in track (Fosbury flop, 1968 Olympics)
kicking in American football (straight-on to soccer style)

A difficult type of change in organizations involves people. In general, it can take many lifetimes for ideas to change, since people tend to retain ideas far past the time when those ideas have been replaced by newer ideas. This is a central idea in Kuhn's book "The Structure of Scientific Revolutions".
It is well documented and established (e.g. Kuhn's book "The Structure of Scientific Revolutions") that new ideas take a long while to be adopted, for everyone but even more so for scientists, when one has held a previous idea.

More: Paradigm shifts

everything as usual
model drift
model crisis
model revolution
paradigm change (perhaps over generations)
back to everything as usual

The ancient Greek word "τύπος" ≈ "impression, mark" is often translated as (passive) "example" rather than (active) "impression".

Philippians 3:17 Brethren, be followers together of me, and mark them which walk so as ye have us for an ensample. [kjv]

συμμιμηται … σκοπειτε … περιπατουντας … τυπον … [gnt]

Benjamin Franklin printer statue at Masonic Homes

More: Type theory in the Bible and elsewhere