Candlestick of Gold with seven Branches

CANDLESTICK of Gold with seven Branches: This was made by Moses to be put into the Tabernacle: It was of hammered Exod. xxv. 31, 32.Gold, a Talent in Weight. It had one Foot of the same Metal, and a Stock with seven Branches, adorned at equal distances with six Flowers, like Lilies, with as many Bowls and Knops placed alternately. Upon the Stock and six Branches of the Candlestick were the golden Lamps which were immoveable, wherein there was put Oil and Cotton. These seven Lamps were lighted every Evening, and extinguished every Morning. The Holy, wherein the Candlestick was placed, was as it were the Antichamber to the Sanctuary, and received no light from any other place, but from the Candlestick. It was placed on the South side in the Holy, and served to illuminate the Altar of Perfume, and the Table of Shew-bread, which were in the same place.

When Solomon had built the Temple of the Lord, he was not satisfied with placing one golden Candlestick there, but had ten put up of the same form and Metal with that described by Moses; five on the North, and five on the South side of the 1 Kings vii. 49.Holy. The Tongs and Snuffers belonging to the golden Candlesticks, as well to that of Moses as to those of Solomon, were of very pure Gold. David seems to have designed Silver for making Silver Candlesticks, as well as Gold for others of this Metal. But we do not find that his Intentions 1 Chr. xxviii. 13.as to this particular were executed; unless Solomon made some of Silver for the use of the Temple, different from the golden ones which were placed in the Holy.

After the Jews returned from their Captivity, the golden Candlestick was again placed in the Temple, as it had been before in the Tabernacle by Moses; and in Zech. iv. 2. 11. 1 Macc. iv. 49, 50.Zechariah there is express mention of it, as well as in the Books of the Maccabees. Josephus says, that after the Romans had destroyed the Temple, the several things which were found within it, were carried in triumph to Rome, viz. the golden Table, and the golden Candlestick with seven Branches. But then he adds, that the Candlestick was fashioned in a different form from that which was used in his Nation; for it was made in the shape of a Pillar, raised upon a Basis, from the shaft of which Pillar there came out as it were six sorts of Sticks, or very slender Branches, which ended in a triangle, and bore each a Lamp. The Table and Candlestick were lodged in the Temple built by Vespasian, and consecrated to Peace; and at the foot of Mount Palatine there is a triumphal Arch still visible, upon which Vespasian’s Triumph is represented, and the several Monuments, which were carried publickly in the Procession, are engraved, among the rest the Candlestick with seven Branches is to be observed on it¹.

The golden Candlestick with seven Branches seen in a Vision by the Prophet Zech. iv. 2, 3. Exod. xxv. 31. xxxvii. 17, 18. 1 Kings vii. 4.Zechary, was like that of Moses, and those provided by Solomon: All the difference was this only, that in the others the Priests poured the Oil separately into each crystal Glass; in this the Oil was communicated equally to the seven crystal Glasses through seven Pipes, which received it from one common Bottle placed at the head or upper part of the Candlestick; and this Bottle was filled with Oil which dropped down within, through two kinds of Tunnels, which received it from two Olive Trees placed on the two sides of the Candlestick. We do not believe that this Lamp ever was in being: But there is no difficulty in the Composition of it. In our Comment on the Prophet Zechary, we have explained the riddle concealed under the vision of this Candlestick.

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