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are rendered in non-identical symmetry. Portrayals
of pairs of menoroth flanking the ark occur
most frequently on synagogue mosaic pavements
at Beth-"Alpha, Beth She"an A, Hammath-Tiberias,
Na#aran, Sepphoris, and Susiya (pls. II.1,
2a,b) (Hachlili 2001: IS3.1–4, 6-7).
The menorah, the seven-armed candelabrum,
flanking the Torah shrine or the ark, has a general
elementary shape consisting of a vertical central
shaft with a base in various forms. This supports
six arms, three of which are attached to each side
of the shaft. On top of these arms light fittings
are portrayed (Hachlili 2001: 61,121, figs. III,
2-3). The majority of menoroth portrayed on
the mosaic panels have a tripod base entailing
three more or less similar straight or rounded
legs connected by a horizontal bar. Many of the
menoroth appearing on mosaic pavements, such
as the ones from Beth She"an A, Beth She"an B,
Hammath Tiberias B, Huldah, Huseifa, Ma#on
(Nirim), Sepphoris, and Susiya, depict beautiful
glass containers with flames emanating from the
crossbar (pls. II.1, 2, XI.1; figs. II-10-11).
Although many menoroth are depicted on
mosaic pavements, sometimes with similar
designs, each is rendered in a wholly different
fashion. The model for all of them was just the
elementary form of seven arms and tripod base,
and artists were free to elaborate on this shape.
Sometimes the two menoroth in the pair differ
in their bases, arms, and light fittings.
The form of the menoroth on the mosaic
pavement panels (Hachlili 2001: 121, 133, 139,
148,149) is seven round and decorated arms with
an alternating design of capital-and-flower, which
usually is also the ornamentation of the central
stem. An elaborate kind of the capital-and-flower
design is depicted on the arms of the pair of the
flanking menoroth on the Sepphoris synagogue
mosaic (pl. II.1b). The menoroth shown flanking
the ark on the Beth "Alpha synagogue mosaic
(pl. II.2a) are equipped with round arms in variation
of this kind of stylized form of capital-andflower.
A particularly ornate menorah is found on
the Hammath-Tiberias synagogue mosaic floor:
each of its arms and the stem are composed of a
sequence of alternating pomegranates and cups.
The menorah arms portrayed at the Hammath-
Tiberias stone (Hachlili 2001: pl. II-3) are strikingly
similar. The menorah depicted on the
Samaritan synagogue mosaic floor at el-Hirbeh
has similar arms (pl. II.3a; fig. II-17).
the jewish symbols panel 29
The most common form of stylized menorah
base consists of a simple tripod. Many variations
on this form are observed, among them some
terminating in animal legs and a concave plate.
The most elaborate tripod bases are shown on
synagogue mosaic pavements (Hachlili 2001:
Fig. III-2,3), where some terminate in animal legs
or paws. A stylized portrayal of animal feet is
seen on the Beth She"an A, Sepphoris, and Susiya
synagogue mosaic pavements. The menorah on
the Hammath Tiberias mosaic has a base consisting
of a concave plate borne by three animal legs
(pl. II-1a) (similar to the ivory plaque from Beth
She"an: Hachlili 2001: pl. II-78). The menoroth
of the Beth "Alpha mosaic (pl. II-2a) are particularly
interesting because of the unusual way the
artist chose to portray the tripod bases. Notable
are the unusual stepped bases of the menoroth
from Na#aran (fig. II-11b).
The Four Ritual Utensils
A group of cult utensils is frequently represented
with the menorah on the Torah shrine mosaic
panel, among them the four ritual utensils: shofar,
lulav, ethrog, and incense shovel, separately or together.
The first three of these are associated with
the Feast of Tabernacles (Succoth) (Hachlili 2001:
211-228). In some instances another object, the
hanging lamp, is shown adjacent to the menorah.
Animals such as lions and birds are at times integrated
into the scene around the menorah also
(Hachlili 1988: 267-268; 1998: 347-355; 2001:
211-227).
The shofar is portrayed in the form of a ram’s
horn, open and wide at one end, narrowing and
with a knob-like protuberance at the other end.
The shofar form as a rule is realistically rendered,
although occasionally it is shown stylized, and is
commonly shown paired on synagogue mosaic
pavements: for instance, with the incense shovel
at Hammath Tiberias, Beth "Alpha, and Beth
She"an A; with the lulav at Susiya; with tongs
at Sepphoris (pls. II-1, 2a-b). The shofar played
a ceremonial and ritual function in the Temple,
together with a pair of trumpets, and was especially
associated with the New Year (Rosh HaShanah)
and Yom Kippur.
The lulav (palm branch) is one of four ritual
plants associated with Tabernacles. The others
are the ethrog, the myrtle (hadas), and the willow
(arava). The lulav is presented in various forms;
realistically it features mostly on mosaic pavements.
At times it appears on mosaics as a stylized