The Great Menorah near the Knesset in Jerusalem

Near the Israeli parliament - the Knesset, on a hill overlooking the entrance to the building, stands a huge Menorah - a seven branched candelabrum similar of shape like the one that once stood in the Temple on Mount Moriah.

When the Romans destroyed the Temple in the year 70, three years before the end of the Great Revolt in the year 73, they looted all the treasures from the Temple and brought them to Rome. A picture of the "victory march" can still been seen at the Titus Arch in Rome.

But also in ruins of synagogues of about the same age found on the Golan Heights we can see how the Menorah looked like.

Now, about 2000 years later, near the symbol of our independence, our parliament, the Great Menorah symbolises the history of the Jewish people.

When we look at the Menorah from a distance we see the great picture, but when we get closer we can see some of the most important scenes of what happened during more than 3000 years of history of our people.

The album: The Great Menorah near the Knesset in Jerusalem gives you a closer look at the work of the sculptor Benno Elkan, who was born in Germany, was forced to leave the country by the Nazis and who became a British citizen. The Great Menorah is a gift to the people of Israel donated by the British parliament.