The Phoenician Menorah of Ireland

The Phoenician Hebrew Menorah (7 branch candlestick) can be found in Ireland on what is known as a pillow stone in Cloontuskert, county Roscommon.

This was the same location that was the seat of Kings of Connacht and then to the High Kings of Ireland. This was also the location of the Táin Bó Cúailnge, or Cattle Raid of Cooley, an epic tale in Irish mythology. It was also home to many of the first early Christian monasteries, abbeys, and priories.(1)

“Etched on a stone from a monastery from the Middle Ages at a small village in County Roscommon in Ireland, is a combination of Jewish and Christian symbols. The Menorah sits atop a cross. At the base of the cross and at both ends of the crossbar are three small extensions. The image is one of religious integration.

Augustine, whose argument for the Trinity and respect for Judaism, comes across on the inscribed stone. His influence on Irish Christianity is evident. The article argues not for the Christian take-over of Jewish symbols to the exclusion of Judaism, but for the recognition of Judaism as the bearer of religious meaning that enriches Christian faith. Here is an object lesson for wholesome relations between Jewish and Christian worshippers.(1)”

SOURCES:

1. Wikipedia
2. Journal of Beliefs & Values: Studies in Religion & Education – Articles: ‘What do these stones mean?’ Inscriptions on stone from an ancient monastery in Ireland that address Jewish–Christian relations