Menorah, from 'Liber Chronicarum' by Hartmann Schedel, published in Nuremberg, 1493 (woodcut)

The design of the Menorah is described in the Torah as revealed by God to Moses. It was a seven-lamp (six branches) lampstand made of gold and used in the portable sanctuary set up by Moses in the wilderness during the Exodus and later in the Temple in Jerusalem. Olive oil was burned daily to light its lamps. The Menorah has been a very important symbol of Judaism since ancient times and is the emblem on the coat of arms of the modern state of Israel. 'Liber Chronicarum' (Book of Chronicles) also known as the 'Nuremberg Chronicle' or 'Schedelsche Weltchronik' is a account of world history by Hartmann Schedel (1440-1514); workshop of Michael Wolgemut (1434 – 1519) provided the illustrations;