In Judaism, the menorah— a lampstand or candelabrum— has either seven or nine branches. The former is a traditional symbol of Judaism, while the latter is used during Hannukah, the Jewish Festival of Lights.

Lasting eight days in December, Hannukah celebrates the recapture— in the second century BCE— of the Temple in Jerusalem. According to a Talmudic legend, when the Eternal Light was relit, a single day's oil "miraculously" lasted for eight days.