The menorah, a large seven-branched candelabrum made of solid gold, stood in the Jewish Holy Temples. This is the story of how it came to represent the modern State of Israel.
It became the foremost symbol of Jewish freedom and self-determination after the Maccabees defeated the Assyrian Greeks, liberating Jerusalem.
Thus the Hanukkah miracle is closely associated with the menorah.
The menorah was a dominant fixture in both the first and second Temples and was considered to have significant importance as part of the daily service.
Check out this powerful video on the meaning of the menorah!