A 2,000-year-old stone block unearthed by archaeologists from an Israeli synagogue in the town of Magdala will be featured in the first-ever joint art exhibit mounted by the Vatican Museums and Rome's Jewish community.
The block, featuring a relief of a menorah beside two jugs, will be part of an exhibit titled “Menorah: Worship, History and Myth,” tracing the history of the seven-branched symbol of Jewish faith (not to be confused with the nine-branched candleholder used during the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah) and its influence on Christian art and artifacts.
The exhibit was announced Monday (Feb. 20) by Cardinal Kurt Koch, head of the Vatican body responsible for promoting Christian unity; Rome's chief rabbi, Riccardo Di Segni; and officials from the Vatican Museums and the Jewish Museum of Rome.
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