When a revolt broke out in Judaea in 66 CE, initial Roman efforts to suppress it met with failure, and Rome only began to make progress once the emperor Nero sent Vespasian and three legions to restore order. The war dragged on for four years, until the fall of Jerusalem in 70 CE (although some sporadic resistance continued for several more years), by which time Vespasian had been proclaimed emperor and his son, Titus, had assumed command of the operation. Father and son held a joint triumph in Rome in 71, famously depicted on the Arch of Titus in the Roman Forum, and it is this event that is depicted in the series of figures of which this is a part.

This set depicts the most eye-catching part of the carved scenes on the Arch – the parading of the spoils of war. In this case the sculptor gave pride of place to the menorah taken from the Temple in Jerusalem. Here it is modelled exactly as depicted on the arch, carried on a litter so everyone could see it. The four bearers wear ordinary Roman tunics and have laurel crowns on their heads, and the poles of the litter are two pieces of wire. These poles fit the hands of the bearers quite easily, and the resulting group is very pleasing on the eye. The figures are well sculpted, and make a very fine centre-piece for the triumph.