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THE STAR OF DAVID
The evolution of the
six-pointed Jewish star,
the Magen David," literally the "Shield of David,
also known as the hexagram, or more rarely, *Solomon's Seal, is long and
complex. Although it is now the most common and universally recognized sign
of Judaism and Jewish identity, both within and outside of the Jewish
community, it has only achieved this status in the last two hundred years.
Before that it was chiefly associated with magic or with the insignia of
individual families or communities. Yet despite its equivocal history, Jews
have long been attracted to this design and have sought to ascribe to it
venerable origins. In our own
day, its universal Jewish popularity, especially as the symbol of the State
of Israel, has made the question of its origins moot. Because of its geometric symmetry, the
hexagram has been a popular symbol in many cultures from earliest times.
Anthropologists claim that the triangle pointing downward represents female
sexuality, and the triangle pointing upward, male sexuality; thus, their
combination symbolizes unity and harmony. In alchemy, the two triangles
symbolize *"fire" and *"water"; together, they represent
the reconciliation of opposites. Some medieval alchemists even borrowed the talmudic punish mayim,
fiery water, and shamayim , heaven - to demonstrate the interpenetration of the two
realms. 1 Because if this symbolism, the hexagram was even used occasionally
as the emblem displayed above a brandy shop. The earliest known Jewish use of the
hexagram was as a seal in ancient Israel (6th century B.C.E.) and then eight
centuries later in a *synagogue frieze in Capernaum. But these early
hexagrams may have been only ornamental designs; ironically, a swastika,
another popular ancient motif, appears alongside the hexagram on the
Capernaum synagogue wall. In the Middle Ages, hexagrams appear frequently on
churches, but rarely in synagogues or on Jewish ritual objects. It was the
*menorah that served as the primary Jewish symbol from antiquity until the
post-Renaissance period, not the " Jewish
star." Although scholars have attempted to
trace the Star of David back to King David himself; to Rabbi Akiva and the
Bar Kokhba ("son of the star") rebellion (135 C.E.); or to *kabbalists, especially Rabbi Isaac Luria (16th century),
no Jewish literature or artifacts document this claim. Rather, all evidence
suggests that the early use of the hexagram was limited to "practical Kabbalah," that is, Jewish magic, probably dating
back to the 6th century C.E. Legends connect this symbol with the "Seal
of Solomon," the magical signet signet *ring used by King Solomon to
control demons and spirits. 2 Although the original ring was inscribed with
the Tetragrammaton, the sacred Four-Letter *Name of
God, medieval *amulets imitating this ring substituted the hexagram or
pentagram (five-pointed star), often accompanied by rampant *lions, for the
sacred Name. The star inscribed on these rings was usually called the
"Seal of Solomon." In addition to such legends about
Solomon's ring, medieval Jewish magical texts spoke of a magic shield
possessed by King David which protected him from his enemies. According to
these texts, the shield was inscribed with the seventy-two letter name of
God, or with Shaddai (Almighty) or *angelic names,
and was eventually passed down to *Judah Maccabee. The 15th-century kabbalist, Isaac Arama, claimed
that Psalm 67, later known as the "Menorah Psalm" because of its
*seven verses (plus an introductory verse), was engraved on David's shield in
the form of a menorah. Another tradition suggests that Isaiah 11:2,
enumerating the six aspects of the divine spirit, was inscribed on the shield
in the outer six triangles of the hexagram. 3 In time, the hexagram replaced
this menorah in popular legends about David's shield, while the five-pointed
pentagram became identified with the Seal of Solomon. The hexagram was also widely regarded as
a messianic symbol, because of its legendary connection with David, ancestor
of the *Messiah. On Sabbath eve, German Jews would light a star-shaped brass
*oil *lamp called a Judenstern (Jewish star), emblematic of the idea that Shabbat was a foretaste of
the Messianic Age. The hexagram was also popular among the followers of Shabbatai Tzevi, the false
messiah of the 17th century, because of its messianic associations. Among
Jewish mystics and wonderworkers, the hexagram was most commonly used
as a magical protection against demons, often inscribed on the outside of *mezuzot and on amulets. Another use of the hexagram in medieval
times was as a Jewish printer's mark or heraldic emblem, especially in Prague
and among members of the Jewish Foa family, who
lived in Italy and Holland. In 1354, Emperor Charles IV of Prague granted the
Jews of his city the privilege of displaying their own *flag on state
occasions. Their flag displayed a large six-pointed star in its center. A
similar flag remains to this day in the Altneuschul,
the oldest synagogue in Prague. From Prague, the "Magen
David" spread to the Jewish communities of Moravia and Bohemia, and
then eventually to Eastern Europe. In 17th-century Vienna, the Jewish quarter
was separated from the Christian quarter by a boundary stone inscribed with a
hexagram on one side and a cross on the other, the first instance of the
six-pointed star being used to represent Judaism as a whole, rather than an
individual community. With Jewish emancipation following the
French Revolution, Jews began to look for a symbol to represent themselves comparable to the cross used by their Christian
neighbors. They settled upon the six-pointed star, principally because of its
heraldic associations. Its geometric design and architectural features
greatly appealed to synagogue architects, most of whom were non-Jews.
Ironically, the religious Jews of Europe and the Orient, already accustomed
to seeing hexagrams on kabbalistic amulets,
accepted this secularized emblem of the enlightened Jews as a legitimate
Jewish symbol, even though it had no religious content or scriptural basis. When Theodor Herzl looked for a symbol
for the new Zionist movement, he chose the Star of David because it was so
well known and also because it had no religious associations. In time, it
appeared in the center of the flag of the new Jewish state of Israel and has
become associated with national redemption. During the Holocaust, the Nazis chose
the *yellow star as an identifying badge required on the garments of all
Jews. After the war, Jews turned this symbol of humiliation and death into a
badge of honor. Today, the Star of David is the most
popular and universally recognized symbol of the Jewish People. In his
seminal work entitled the Star of Redemption (1912), Franz Rosenzweig framed his philosophy of Judaism around the
image of the Jewish star, composed of two conceptual "triads,"
which together form the basis of Jewish belief: Creation, Revelation, and
Redemption; God, Israel, and World. On the popular level, Jews continue to
use the Jewish star as it was used for centuries: as a magical amulet of good
luck and as a secularized symbol of Jewish identity.
References: 1 Scholem, "The Star of David; History of a
Symbol," in The Messianic Idea in Judaism, 271; 2 Gittin
68a; 3 Eder, the Star of David, 73 Signifies: CONTINUITY, GOOD LUCK, HONOR, JEWISH
IDENTITY, JEWISH PEOPLE, JUDAISM, REDEMPTION, SURVIVAL, ZIONISM.
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