Hanukkah: The history of the menorah and hanukkiah seen in ancient manuscripts
The tradition of building up to lighting eight oil lamps (plus one shamash, or servitor) over the Hanukkah period began in the 2nd century CE.
‘MISHNEH TORAH’ from 1470 contains a copy of a drawing by the Rambam of a menorah with straight branches. (photo credit: International Collection of Digitized Hebrew Manuscripts/National Library of Israel)ByDAVID GEFFEN
