Editing Eternal flame (section)

==Religious and cultural significance==
[[File:St. Matthews Chancel.jpg|thumb|A chancel lamp hangs above the [[altar]] of [[St. Matthew's German Evangelical Lutheran Church]]]]
The eternal fire is a long-standing tradition in many cultures and religions. In [[History of Iran|ancient Iran]] the ''[[atar]]'' was tended by a dedicated priest and represented the concept of "divine sparks" or ''[[Amesha Spenta]],'' as understood in [[Zoroastrianism]]. Period sources indicate that three "great fires" existed in the [[Achaemenid]] era of Persian history, which are collectively considered the earliest reference to the practice of creating ever-burning community fires.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://whc.unesco.org/fr/list/1077/|title=Takht-e Sulaiman|first=UNESCO Centre du patrimoine|last=mondial|website=UNESCO Centre du patrimoine mondial}}</ref>

The eternal flame was a component of the Jewish religious rituals performed in the [[Tabernacle]] and later in the [[Temple in Jerusalem]], where a commandment required a fire to burn continuously upon the Outer [[Altar (Bible)|Altar]].<ref>[[Book of Leviticus|Leviticus]] 6:12: "And the fire upon the altar shall be burning in it; it shall not be put out: and the priest shall burn wood on it every morning, and lay the burnt offering in order upon it; and he shall burn thereon the fat of the peace offerings" [http://bible.cc/leviticus/6-12.htm Biblos Cross-referenced Holy Bible (King James version)]</ref> Modern Judaism continues a similar tradition by having a [[sanctuary lamp]], the ''ner tamid'', always lit above [[ark (synagogue)|the ark]] in the synagogue. After [[World War II]], such flames gained further meaning, as a reminder of the six million Jews killed in [[the Holocaust]].  Judaism has a concept of a נר תמיד or everlasting flame. This is commonly found hanging in front of the Aron Kodesh (holy ark) in orthodox Synagogues. It is meant as a remembrance of the Temple. Occasionally this flame is a fire which is kept lit 24/7. Other times it is merely electric and stays on all the time.{{Citation needed|date=July 2024}}

In traditional Christian denominations, such as [[Catholic Church|Catholicism]] and [[Lutheranism]], a [[altar lamp|chancel lamp]] continuously burns as an indication of the [[real presence of Christ in the Eucharist]].<ref>{{cite web |last1=Hall |first1=Ashley |title=Sanctuary lamp |url=https://www.kmlchurch.org/worship-corner/sanctuary-lamp/ |publisher=Kountze Memorial Lutheran Church |access-date=20 May 2023 |language=English |date=2012}}</ref>

The [[Cherokee Nation (19th century)|Cherokee Nation]] maintained a fire at the seat of government until ousted by the [[Indian Removal Act]] in 1830. At that time, embers from the last great council fire were carried west to the nation's new home in the [[Oklahoma Territory]]. The flame, maintained in Oklahoma, was carried back to the last seat of the Cherokee government at [[Red Clay State Park]] in south-eastern [[Tennessee]], to the [[Museum of the Cherokee Indian]] in [[Cherokee, North Carolina]], and to the Cherokee Nation Tribal Complex in [[Tahlequah, Oklahoma]].<ref name="cherokee">''From the First Rising Sun: The Real Prehistory of the Cherokee People and Nation According to Oral Traditions, Legends, and Myths''. Charla Jean Morris. Author House, Bloomington, IN: 2011. Page xvii.</ref>

In China, it has at times been common to establish an eternally lit lamp as a visible aspect of [[ancestor veneration]]; it is set in front of a [[spirit tablet]] on the family's ancestral altar.<ref name="columbia-as">{{cite web|url=http://afe.easia.columbia.edu/cosmos/prb/journey.htm|title=Settling the Dead: Funerals, Memorials, and Beliefs Concerning the Afterlife|publisher=Asia for Educators, [[Columbia University]]|access-date=2010-05-04}}</ref>