Star of David?

Question

What is the star of David (I know what the symbol looks like) but where did it come from and why is it so significant?

Answer 1

Star of David
It is named after King David of ancient Israel; sometimes it is called the Seal of Solomon after his son, King Solomon. It is a generally recognized symbol of Judaism and Jewish identity and is also known colloquially as the Jewish Star. Its usage as a symbol of Judaism and Jewish identity began in the Middle Ages, alongside the more ancient symbol of the menorah.

In Medieval Jewish, Islamic and Christian legends, the Seal of Solomon was a magical signet ring said to have been possessed by King Solomon (or Sulayman in the Islamic version), which variously gave him the power to command demons (or jinni), or to speak with animals. In one of the Arabian Nights' Entertainments, an evil djinn is described as being imprisoned in a copper bottle for 1,800 years by a lead seal stamped by the ring. Other, later books (Pseudomonarchia Daemonum) manage to fit far more demons in the bottle.


One simple form of the SealIn some versions of the story, the ring was made of brass and iron, carved with the Name of God, and set with four jewels. In later versions the ring simply bore the symbol now called the Star of David (hexagram), often within a circle, usually with the two triangles interlaced (hence chiral) rather than intersecting. Often the gaps are filled with dots or other symbols. Other versions have it as a pentagram or other more complicated figures. Works on demonology typically depict the pattern of the seal as being two concentric circles, with a number of mystical sigils between the inner and outer circles, and various more-or-less complex geometric shapes within the inner circle.

In one Arabic story it is claimed that the demon Sakhr deceived one of Solomon's wives into giving him the ring. Sakhr then ruled in his stead for forty days (or years, in some versions) while Solomon wandered the country in poverty. However eventually Sakhr threw the ring into the sea, where it was swallowed by a fish, caught by a fisherman, and served to Solomon. In punishment Sakhr was made to build a great mosque for Solomon.

However the earliest of such stories is dated to more than a thousand years after the time of Solomon, and the story of the fish, in particular, bears a strong resemblance to Herodotus' tale of Polycrates.

A new theory about what was actually the Seal of Solomon is to be found in a book "Le Sceau de Salomon, secret perdu de la Bible" (The Seal of Solomon, lost key of the Holy Bible, French language) by Janik Pilet. According to him, it was a source for holy inspiration used by several authors of the Old and New Testaments, and its drawing is described in the first text in the Holy Bible i.e. the creation in six days.

Jewish identity is complex. For some Jewish people Jewish identity involves primarily liking for Jewish cultural items like, Yiddish phrases, Challah, gefilte fish and Matzah balls. It can involve ties to the Jewish community and donations to Jewish Charities. For others it involves primarily observance of the Laws of Judaism known as Halakha. For yet others it involves both. Atheists from a Jewish background may still have some Jewish identity as may people born from a mixed Jewish and non-Jewish background.

Answer 2

The symbol is called the Star of David because King David ordered his soldiers to put the design on their shields. King David ruled the area thast is now Israel before the Romans took over. The symbol currently represents Judaism like the cross represents Christianity. However, the shape itself, a hexagram, does not seem to be relevant to its significance as far as I know. (I could be wrong.)

Answer 3

The Magen David (shield of David, or as it is more commonly known, the Star of David) is the symbol most commonly associated with Judaism today, but it is actually a relatively new Jewish symbol. It is supposed to represent the shape of King David's shield (or perhaps the emblem on it), but there is really no support for that claim in any early rabbinic literature. In fact, the symbol is so rare in early Jewish literature and artwork that art dealers suspect forgery if they find the symbol in early works.

Answer 4

The Magen David, that is the Shield of King David is supposed to have been in the shield of soldiers of King David's army, or that the shields themselves were in the shape of the star. It was definitely not his seal or shield. This was in fact the staff and bag of a shepherd. King Solomon (King David's son) used a star for a seal but it was a five pointed star. In a text it first appear in the 12th century (of our era), although there is a tombstone from the fourth century from South Italy with the Magen David.
You will find more (and somewhat different) information here
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Star_of_David

Answer 5

Star of David?

Started by Abraham as a unification symbol for
his two sons Ishmael and Issac.

The up pointing triangle representing the eldest
son Ishmael ( by Haajar the daughter of Imhotep) and the down pointing triangle
representing Issac (his son by his half sister
Sarah.)

Answer 6

The Start of David is named after King David of ancient Israel; sometimes it is called the Seal of Solomon after his son, King Solomon. It is a generally recognized symbol of Judaism and Jewish identity and is also known colloquially as the Jewish Star. Its usage as a symbol of Judaism and Jewish identity began in the Middle Ages, alongside the more ancient symbol of the menorah.

Answer 7

The star of david actually goes back further to the great High Priest Melchizedek. It's orginal name is the Seal of Melchizedek. David later took it to him and used it and has become a symbol of all Israel.

Answer 8

it was the sign on the shields on the tribe of yehudah which was the tribe which king david came from. Be the time the desruction of the 1st temple the tribe of yehudah was by far the largest one left and so became the symbol of the whole people

Answer 9

It's two triangles superimposed. It's actually an occult symbol introduced into Judaism by followers of Kabala.

Answer 10

Its the Jewish simple. During the Nazi area Hitler made all Jews wear that symbole so he could or his people could easly identify them.