Abstract
The main theme is the function, symbolism, shape, ornaments and proportions of the Menorah. Its oldest descriptions are found in Tanach and Talmud, later in the rabbinical tradition and in the medieval rabbinical literature.
The form and ornaments are described in the Book of Exodus and in the Talmudic tractate Menachot, including the details of ornaments which often show considerable differences. The same applies to the medieval rabbinical literature, mainly as far as the form and the ornaments of the Menorah are concerned.
The most variability in the opinions of the rabbinical (and later) scholars is shown in describing the ornaments, their kind, number and measurments. The differences in description, symbolism, shape and ornaments occuring in Tanach, Talmud, and the comments of the sages, led to the multitude of explanations and interpretations throughout the centuries up to today.