7. The menorah from the Second Temple was taken by the Romans from Jerusalem before being lost after the Sack of Rome
Described in design and construction in Exodus, following Moses’ conversations with God, the menorah – an ancient Hebrew candelabra consisting of seven lamps held across six branches – stood, according to the Jewish oral tradition, at over five feet tall and was placed in an antechamber of the Temple sanctuary. Using fresh olive oil, the relic was burned from evening until morning daily and remains to this day one of the foremost symbols of Judaism. Although unclear in its history, with it unknown whether the menorah was captured and recovered during the Babylonian invasion, it is believed that as of 70 CE such a holy lamp was located at the Second Temple in Jerusalem.
Seized during the conquest of Jerusalem in the course of the First Jewish-Roman War of the same year, according to Josephus the menorah was carried to Rome as part of the triumph of Vespasian and Titus. A bas relief on the Arch of Titus similarly supports this interpretation, with Roman soldiers clearly carrying away a menorah as part of the spoils of war. Displayed as a war trophy at the Temple of Peace, the fate of the menorah following the Sack of Rome in 455 is unclear. Although some claim it was saved in secret and housed today in the Vatican, it is far more likely the relic was melted down for its valuable gold composition and dispersed beyond recovery.