The Star of David or Shield of David (Magen David in Hebrew, מָגֵן דָּוִד with nikkud or מגן דוד without, academically transcribed Māḡēn Dāwīḏ by Biblical Hebrew linguists, pronounced [maˈɡen daˈvid] in Modern Hebrew and Mogein Dovid [ˈmɔɡeɪn ˈdɔvid] or Mogen Dovid [ˈmɔɡen ˈdɔvid] in Ashkenazi Hebrew and Yiddish) is a generally recognized symbol of Jewish identity and Judaism. In Hebrew Orthography, niqqud or nikkud ( is the system of Diacritical signs used to represent vowels or distinguish between alternative pronunciations Biblical Hebrew, also called Classical Hebrew, is an archaic form of the Hebrew language in which the Hebrew Bible and various Israelite inscriptions Ashkenazi Hebrew is the pronunciation system for Biblical and Mishnaic Hebrew favored for liturgical use by Ashkenazi Jewish practice Yiddish (yi [[wiktייִדיש ייִדיש]] yidish or yi [[wiktאידיש אידיש]] idish, literally "Jewish" is a nonterritorial High Jewish identity is the subjective state of perceiving oneself as a Jew and as relating to being Jewish Judaism (from the Greek Ioudaïsmos, derived from the Hebrew יהודה Yehudah, " Judah " in Hebrew יַהֲדוּת Yahedut It is named after King David of ancient Israel; and its earliest known communal usage began in the Middle Ages, alongside the more ancient symbol of the menorah. David, Arabic: داوود or داود dawud, "beloved" was the second king of the united Kingdom of Israel according to the Hebrew Bible The history of Ancient Israel and Judah is known to us from classical sources including Judaism 's Tanakh or Hebrew Bible (known Pekiin tabletjpg|thumb|right|151px| Second Temple period stone tablet from a Synagogue in Peki'in, Israel. Geometrically it is the hexagram. In Mathematics, a geometric progression, also known as a geometric sequence, is a Sequence of Numbers where each term after the first is found For symbols used in the I Ching, see Hexagram (I Ching For a Jewish symbol see Star of David.
With the establishment of the state of Israel in 1948 the Star of David on the Flag of Israel has also become a symbol of Israel. Year 1948 ( MCMXLVIII) was a Leap year starting on Thursday (link will display the 1948 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. List of flags of Israel The flag of Israel was adopted on October 28, 1948, five months after the country's establishment The symbol is also associated with the Zionism movement. History of Zionism|Timeline of Zionism|World Zionist Organization|Zionist political violence Zionism is an international political movement that originally supported the
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In the Jewish prayerbook, the term "Shield of David" appears at the end of the "Samkhaynu/Gladden us" blessing, which is recited after the reading of the Haftara portion on Saturday and holidays. The term refers directly to God, who shielded the Biblical David in battle and during his flight from Saul. The term may be loosely based on Psalm 18, which is attributed to David, and in which God is compared to a shield (v. 31 and v. 36).
A similar term, "Shield of Abraham" appears in the first blessing of the "Amidah" prayer, which was written in early Rabbinic times (around year 0, a millennium before the first documentation of the term in reference to a six-point star). The Amidah (Hebrew תפילת העמידה, Tefilat HaAmidah "The Standing Prayer " also called the Shmona Esre ( שמנה עשרה That term is probably based on Genesis 15:1, where God promises to shield Abraham.
Without knowing when the Haftara blessings originated, it is difficult to know whether the term "Shield of David" pre-dated the symbol. If so, the term "Shield of David" originally referred to God, and somehow became attributed to a six-point star.
The earliest archaeological evidence for the Jewish use of the symbol comes from an inscription attributed to Yehoshua ben Asayahu in the late 7th century BCE, in Sidon, in what is now Lebanon. The 7th century BC started the first day of 700 BC and ended the last day of 601 BC. Sidon,or Saïda, ( Arabic ar صيدا; Phoenician phoenician yodh Lebanon (ˈlɛbənɒn Arabic: ar لبنان Lubnān) officially the Republic of Lebanon or Lebanese Republic (ar الجمهورية اللبنانية [1]
The exact origins of the symbol's relation to Jewish identity are unknown. Jewish identity is the subjective state of perceiving oneself as a Jew and as relating to being Jewish Several theories were put forward. According to one hypothesis, the Star of David comprises two of the three letters in the name David. In its Hebrew spelling (דוד), it contains only three characters, two of which are "D" (or "Dalet", in Hebrew). Dalet ( also spelled Daleth or Daled) is the fourth letter of many Semitic alphabets including Phoenician, Aramaic In the Paleo-Hebrew alphabet, the standard alphabet for writing Hebrew before the Babylonian captivity, this letter was written in a form much like a triangle, similar to the Greek letter Delta (Δ), with which it shares a sound and the same (4th) position in their respective alphabets, as it does with Latin. The Paleo-Hebrew alphabet, also know as Ktav Ivri, is an offshoot of the ancient Semitic alphabet (see the akin Phoenician alphabet) The Babylonian captivity, Babylonian exile, is the name typically given to the deportation and exile of the Jews of the ancient Kingdom of Judah to Delta (uppercase Δ, lowercase δ; Δέλτα Thelta is the fourth letter of the Greek alphabet. The symbol may have been a simple family crest formed by flipping and juxtaposing the two most prominent letters in the name.
A popular folk etymology has it that the Star of David is literally modeled after the shield of the young Israelite warrior David, who would later become King David. Etymology is the study of the History of Words &mdash when they entered a language from what source and how their form and meaning have changed over time See also History of ancient Israel and Judah According to the Bible, the Israelites were the dominant group living in the Land of Israel. David, Arabic: داوود or داود dawud, "beloved" was the second king of the united Kingdom of Israel according to the Hebrew Bible In order to save metal, the shield was not made of metal but of leather spanned across the simplest metal frame that would hold the round shield: two interlocking triangles. No reliable historical evidence for this etymology exists.
According to Judaic sources, the Star or Shield of David signifies the number seven: that is, the six points plus the center. The earliest known Jewish text to mention the symbol is Eshkol Ha-Kofer by the Karaite Judah Hadassi, in the mid-12th century CE:
"Seven names of angels precede the mezuzah: Michael, Gabriel, etc. Judah ben Elijah Hadassi (in Hebrew, Yehuda ben Eliyahu) was a Karaite Jewish scholar controversialist and liturgist Karaite Judaism or Karaism (ˈkærəˌaɪt ˈkærəˌɪzəm) is a Jewish movement NOTE The word sect should not be used without defining it first and Judah ben Elijah Hadassi (in Hebrew, Yehuda ben Eliyahu) was a Karaite Jewish scholar controversialist and liturgist A mezuzah (מזוזה "doorpost" (plural mezuzot (מזוזות is a piece of Parchment (usually contained in a decorative case . . . Tetragrammaton protect you! And likewise the sign, called the 'Shield of David', is placed beside the name of each angel. See also Yahweh Tetragrammaton (from the Greek, meaning ' of four letters' (tetra "four" + gramma (gen "[2]
The number seven has religious significance in Judaism, e. The Arch of Titus is a Pentelic marble Triumphal arch with a single arched opening located on the Via Sacra just to the south-east of the Forum g. , the six days of Creation plus the seventh day of rest, the six working days in the week plus Shabbat, the Seven Spirits of God, as well as the Menorah in the ancient Temple, whose seven oil lamps rest on three stems branching from each side of a central pole. Creation according to Genesis refers to the Hebrew narrative of the creation of the heavens and the earth as told in chapters 1 and 2 of Genesis Shabbat or Shabbos ( Hebrew: שַׁבָּת, shabbāt, shabbes, "rest/inactivity" is the Weekly Sabbath God is the principal or sole Deity in Religions and other belief systems that worship one deity. Pekiin tabletjpg|thumb|right|151px| Second Temple period stone tablet from a Synagogue in Peki'in, Israel. Perhaps, the Star of David came to be used as a standard symbol in synagogues because its organization into 3+3+1 corresponds to the Temple's Menorah, which was the more traditional symbol for Judaism in ancient times. There are also six words in the Shema, the most important prayer in Judaism, and it is not uncommon to find the Shema written around a Star of David. Shema Yisrael (or Sh'ma Yisroel or just Shema) ( Hebrew: שמע ישראל "Hear Israel" are the first two words of a section of
In Kabbalah, the Star of David symbolizes the six directions of space plus the center, under the influence of the description of space found in the Sefer Yetsira: Up, Down, East, West, South, North, and Center. Kabbalah (קַבָּלָה lit "receiving" is a discipline and school of thought discussing the mystical aspect of Judaism. Sefer Yetzirah ( Hebrew, "Book of Creation" ספר יצירה is the title of the earliest extant book on Jewish Esotericism. Congruently, under the influence of the Zohar, it represents the Six Sefirot of the Male (Zeir Anpin) united with the Seventh Sefirot of the Female (Nekuva). For the village in southern Israel see Tzohar The Zohar (זהר lit Splendor or Radiance) is widely considered the most important Ze'ir Anpin (זֵיר אנפִן meaning "small countenance" is an important term in Kabbalah.
Some Kabbalistic amulets use the symbol to arrange the Ten Sefirot. Sephirot "enumerations" '''Sephiroth''' '''Sefiroth''' (סְפִירוֹת singular Sephirah also Sefirah (סְפִירָה "enumeration" in [[Hebrew language|Hebrew]] However, reference to the symbol is nowhere in the [kabbalistic texts] themselves, such as the Zohar and the like. For the village in southern Israel see Tzohar The Zohar (זהר lit Splendor or Radiance) is widely considered the most important Therefore, its use as a sefirotic diagram in amulets is more likely a reinterpretation of a preexisting symbol.
According to G. S. Oegema -
"Isaac Luria provided the Shield of David with a further mystical meaning. Rabbi Isaac Luria (1534 – July 25 1572) was a Jewish mystic in Safed. In his book Etz Chayim he teaches that the elements of the plate for the Seder evening have to be placed in the order of the hexagram: above the three sefirot "Crown", "Wisdom", and "Insight", below the other seven". See also Sephirot (Kabbalah See also Tree of life (disambiguation for other meanings of the term [3]
Similarly, M. Costa wrote that M. Gudemann and other researchers in the 1920s claimed that Isaac Luria was influential in turning the Star of David into a national Jewish emblem by teaching that the elements of the plate for the Seder evening have to be placed in the order of the hexagram, but Gershom Scholem proved that Isaac Luria talked about parallel triangles one beneath the other and not about the hexagram. Rabbi Isaac Luria (1534 – July 25 1572) was a Jewish mystic in Safed. Seder (plural sedarim) is a Hebrew word meaning "order" and can have any of the following meanings For Jewish holidays Gerschom Scholem ( December 5, 1897 &ndash February 21, 1982) also known as Gerhard Scholem, was a Jewish philosopher and [4]
The Shield of David is not mentioned in ancient rabbinic literature. Rabbinic literature, in its broadest sense can mean the entire spectrum of Rabbinic writings throughout Jewish history A supposed Shield of David however has recently been noted on a Jewish tombstone at Taranto, in Southern Italy, which may date as early as the third century CE. A headstone, tombstone or gravestone is a marker normally carved from stone, placed over or next to the site of a Burial Not to be confused with Toronto. Taranto ( Ancient Greek: Tarās; Modern Greek: Tarantas) is a coastal city in Italy (Italia officially the Italian Republic, (Repubblica Italiana is located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe, and on the two largest The 3rd century is the period from 201 to 300 in accordance with the Julian calendar in the Christian / Common Era. Likewise, a stone bearing the Shield from the arch of a 3-4th century synagogue in the Galilee was found. [5]
The earliest Jewish literary source which mentions the "Shield of David" is the Eshkol Ha-Kofer by Judah Hadassi from the middle of the 12th century CE, where seven Shields are used in an amulet for a mezuzah. Judah ben Elijah Hadassi (in Hebrew, Yehuda ben Eliyahu) was a Karaite Jewish scholar controversialist and liturgist A mezuzah (מזוזה "doorpost" (plural mezuzot (מזוזות is a piece of Parchment (usually contained in a decorative case It appears to have been in use as part of amulets before it was in use in formal Jewish contexts. A manuscript Tanakh dated 1307 and belonging to Rabbi Yosef bar Yehuda ben Marvas from Toledo, Spain, was decorated with a Shield of David. A manuscript is any Document that is Written by hand as opposed to being printed or reproduced in some other way See also Old testament, Septuagint, Targum, Peshitta The Tanakh (תַּנַ"ךְ (taˈnax or; also Tenakh or Tenak is Toledo Spain locationpng|thumb|right|200px|Location of Toledo in Spain Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. In the synagogues, perhaps, it was associated with the mezuzah. Originally, the hexagram may have been employed as an architectural ornament on synagogues, as it is, for example, on the cathedrals of Brandenburg and Stendal, and on the Marktkirche at Hanover. This article is about the history and organisation of the cathedral Brandenburg ( Lower Sorbian: Bramborska; Upper Sorbian: Braniborska) is one of the sixteen states of Germany. Stendal (ˈʃtɛndaːl is a Town in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. It is the capital of Stendal District and unofficial capital of the Altmark The Marktkirche ("The Church on the Marketplace" St Georg and St Hanover (i ( haˈnoːfɐ on the river Leine, is the capital of the federal state of Lower Saxony ( Niedersachsen A pentagram in this form is found on the ancient synagogue at Tell Hum.
In 1354, King of Bohemia Charles IV prescribed for the Jews of Prague a red flag with both David's shield and Solomon's seal, while the red flag with which the Jews met King Matthias of Hungary in the 15th century showed two pentagrams with two golden stars. Aristotle (Greek Aristotélēs) (384 BC – 322 BC was a Greek philosopher a student of Plato and teacher of Alexander the Great. This is a list of rulers of Bohemia. Bohemia, Moravia, Silesia, and Lusatia are territories which are or have Charles IV ( Czech: Karel IV, German: Karl IV, Hungarian: IV Károly; 14 May 1316 &ndash Prague (ˈprɑːg Praha (ˈpraɦa see also other names) is the Capital and Largest city of the Czech Republic. Sigillum Solomonis is also a name of the Polygonatum genus In Medieval Jewish, Christian and Islamic legends the Seal Matthias Corvinus ( Matthias the Just; February 23 1443 &ndash April 6 1490) was King of Hungary and Hungary (Magyarország 'mɔɟɔrorsaːg) officially in English the Republic of Hungary ( Magyar Köztársaság, literally Magyar (Hungarian Republic [6] The pentagram, therefore, may also have been used among the Jews as early as the year 1073. [7]
In 1460, the Jews of Ofen (Budapest, Hungary) received King Mathios Kuruvenus with a red flag on which were two Shields of David and two stars. Buda ( German: Ofen, Croatian: Budim, Slovak / Czech: Budín, Serbian: Будим or Budapest ( also /ˈbʊ-/) is the capital city of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary it serves as the country's principal Political, Hungary (Magyarország 'mɔɟɔrorsaːg) officially in English the Republic of Hungary ( Magyar Köztársaság, literally Magyar (Hungarian Republic Matthias Corvinus ( Matthias the Just; February 23 1443 &ndash April 6 1490) was King of Hungary and In the first Hebrew prayer book, printed in Prague in 1512, a large Shield of David appears on the cover. Prayer is the act of attempting to communicate with a Deity or spirit Prague (ˈprɑːg Praha (ˈpraɦa see also other names) is the Capital and Largest city of the Czech Republic. In the colophon is written: "Each man beneath his flag according to the house of their fathers. A colophon in publishing can refer to A brief description usually located at the end of a book describing production notes relevant to the edition A printer's . . and he will merit to bestow a bountiful gift on anyone who grasps the Shield of David. " In 1592, Mordechai Maizel was allowed to affix "a flag of King David, similar to that located on the Main Synagogue" on his synagogue in Prague. . In 1648, the Jews of Prague were again allowed a flag, in acknowledgment of their part in defending the city against the Swedes. "Sverige" redirects here For other uses see Sweden (disambiguation and Sverige (disambiguation. On a red background was a yellow Shield of David, in the center of which was a Swedish star. [8]
The Star of David can be found on the tombstones of religious Jews going back hundreds of years in Europe, as it became accepted as the universal symbol of the Jewish people. Following Jewish emancipation after the French revolution, Jewish communities chose the Star of David to represent themselves, comparable to the cross used by most Christians. Jewish question Jewish emancipation was the abolition of discriminatory laws as applied especially to Jews in Europe in the nineteenth century the recognition of Jews The French Revolution (1789–1799 was a period of political and social upheaval in the History of France, during which the French governmental structure previously an A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, a monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth
Some Orthodox Jewish groups reject the use of the Jewish Star of David because of its association with magic. Orthodox Judaism is the formulation of Judaism that adheres to a relatively strict interpretation and application of the laws and ethics first canonized Magic, sometimes known as sorcery, is a Conceptual system that asserts human ability to control the natural world (including events objects people and Neturei Karta and Satmar reject it because they associate it with Zionism. Neturei Karta ( Aramaic Satmar (or Satmar Hasidism or Satmarer Hasidism) (חסידות סאטמאר is a Hasidic movement of mostly Hungarian Grand Rebbe Yoel Teitelbaum History of Zionism|Timeline of Zionism|World Zionist Organization|Zionist political violence Zionism is an international political movement that originally supported the
The vast majority of Spanish and Portuguese Jews do not use the star either. Spanish and Portuguese Jews are a distinctive sub-group of Sephardim who have their main ethnic origins within the crypto-Jewish communities of the Iberian This probably reflects the trends before the forced conversion in Portugal and also its use is Spain. Their symbols are connected with the survival from the Inquisition, like the bird Phoenix.
Many Modern Orthodox synagogues, and many synagogues of other Jewish movements, however, have the Israeli flag with the Star of David prominently displayed at the front of the synagogues near the Ark containing the Torah scrolls. Modern Orthodox Judaism (or Modern Orthodox or Modern Orthodoxy) is a movement within Orthodox Judaism that attempts to synthesize traditional observance
The star is usually in blue, as on the flag of Israel.
A Star of David, often yellow-colored, was used by the Nazis during the Holocaust as a method of identifying Jewish People. The yellow badge (or yellow patch) also referred to as a Jewish badge, was a cloth patch that Jews were ordered to sew on their outer garments in order The yellow badge (or yellow patch) also referred to as a Jewish badge, was a cloth patch that Jews were ordered to sew on their outer garments in order Yellow is the Color evoked by light that stimulates both the L and M (long and medium wavelength Cone cells of the Retina about equally Nazism, which was a short name for National Socialism (Nationalsozialismus refers primarily to the Ideology and practices of the National Socialist German The Holocaust (from the Greek el ''ὁλόκαυστον'' (el-Latn holókauston holos, "completely" and kaustos, "burnt" also known as PLEASE TAKE NOTE************ After the German invasion of Poland in 1939 there were initially different local decrees forcing Jews to wear a distinct sign – in the General Government e. The Invasion of Poland (1939 precipitated World War II. It was carried out by Nazi Germany, the Soviet Union, and a small German-allied The General Government (Generalgouvernement refers to a part of the territories of Poland (and Ostrava Czechoslovakia under German Military occupation g. a white armband with a blue Star of David on it, in the Warthegau a yellow badge in the form of a Star of David on the left side of the breast and on the back. Reichsgau Wartheland (initially Reichsgau Posen, sometimes briefly called Warthegau) was the name given by Nazi German government to the largest subdivision [9] The requirement to wear the Star of David with the word Jude (German for Jew) inscribed was then extended to all Jews over the age of 6 in the Reich and the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia (by a decree issued on September 1, 1941 signed by Reinhard Heydrich [10]) and was gradually introduced in other German-occupied areas, where local words were used (e. The German language (de ''Deutsch'') is a West Germanic language and one of the world's major languages. Nazi Germany and the Third Reich are the common English names for Germany under the regime of Adolf Hitler and the National Socialist German Workers The Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia (Reichsprotektorat Böhmen und Mähren Protektorát Čechy a Morava was the majority ethnic-Czech Protectorate which Events 462 - Possible start of first Byzantine indiction cycle. Year 1941 ( MCMXLI) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (the link will display 1941 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Reinhard Tristan Eugen Heydrich ( 7 March 1904 &ndash 4 June 1942) was an SS - Obergruppenführer, chief g. Juif in French, Jood in Dutch). French ( français,) is a Romance language spoken around the world by 118 million people as a native language and by about 180 to 260 million people Dutch ( is a West Germanic language spoken by around 24 million people 22 million of which are from the Netherlands, Belgium and Suriname
Jewish inmates in concentration camps were later forced to wear similar Nazi concentration camp badges. Internment is the imprisonment or confinement of people commonly in large groups without trial Nazi concentration camp badges, primarily Triangles, were part of the system of Identification in Nazi camps.
Claims have been made that Hitler chose the star because of his occultist beliefs. Hi and welcome to Wikipedia! Please understand that this article is frequently vandalized and vandalism is reverted immediately The word occult comes from the Latin word occultus (clandestine hidden secret referring to "knowledge of the hidden" See the work by O. J. Graham.
Magen David Adom (MDA) (Red Star of David or, translated literally, Red Shield of David) is Israel's only official emergency medical, disaster, ambulance service. The Magen David Adom (מגן דוד אדום abbr MDA or Mada) is Israel 's national emergency medical, disaster, Ambulance The Magen David Adom (מגן דוד אדום abbr MDA or Mada) is Israel 's national emergency medical, disaster, Ambulance The Magen David Adom (מגן דוד אדום abbr MDA or Mada) is Israel 's national emergency medical, disaster, Ambulance It is an official member of the International Committee of the Red Cross. "ICRC" redirects here For other uses see ICRC (disambiguation.
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