During this year’s Hanukkah celebration, King of Saints Tabernacle in Cleveland, Texas, will unveil a groundbreaking creation: a full-size, biblically and archaeologically accurate model of the Menorah described in Exodus 25:31-37.
Known as the Phillip Anthony Missick Memorial Menorah, this seven-branched lampstand is a detailed recreation based on biblical text and the depiction of the Temple Menorah on the Arch of Titus in Rome.
“This model is faithful to the description of the Menorah found in Exodus 25:31-37 and to how it is depicted in the best archaeological evidence,” said Dr. Stephen A. Missick.
The Menorah, a symbol of divine light and presence, originally illuminated the Tabernacle and later the Temples in Jerusalem. Unlike his previous speculative recreation of the Ark of the Covenant, Missick explained that the Menorah’s design is firmly grounded in historical evidence.
“With the Menorah, it is different. We have a depiction of the Golden Temple Menorah in bas-relief on the Arch of Titus in Rome,” he said.
The Arch depicts Roman soldiers carrying the Menorah through the streets of Rome after the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple in 70 A.D.
While other organizations, including the Temple Institute in Jerusalem, have created Menorah replicas, Missick pointed out that their models often disregard biblical and archaeological accuracy. He also noted that a replica gifted to Israel in 2019 by 11 German Christians omitted key details and included two broken branches.
The Phillip Anthony Missick Menorah was originally crafted by Dr. Missick’s late father, Phillip Anthony Missick, who passed away from COVID-19 in 2021 before completing the assembly.
“After my father died, I decided that I needed to complete this project for him,” Missick shared.
The original components, made from plaster and clay, were fragile, prompting Missick to modernize the design using 3D printing. He collaborated with “iSolids” 3D printing in Spring, Texas, and received support from Christian Seiss, Jeanne Bennett, Victor Patterson, and members of the congregation.
“It has been a difficult project to complete, but through persistence, me being doggedly relentless, and with the help of the aforementioned friends and members of our congregation, we have finally completed it,” Missick said.
The Menorah will be unveiled during a special service at the Tabernacle’s Hanukkah celebration:
- Dec. 21, 11:00 AM: “Introducing the Hanukkah Story” by Associate Pastor Joseph Logue
- Dec. 28, 11:00 AM: Hanukkah Celebration and the unveiling of the Phillip Anthony Missick Memorial Menorah with Dr. Stephen A. Missick
The event will be held at King of Saints Tabernacle, 2228 FM 1725, Cleveland, Texas, 77328.