What does the Star of David represent and what is its symbolism?
The Star (Shield) of David, also called Magen David, is a relatively new Jewish symbol. Supposedly, it represents the shape of King David’s shield (but there is no rabbinic support for that claim).
Is there any theological significance to the symbol? Some claim that the top triangle strives upward, toward God, while the lower triangle strives downward, toward the real world. Others note that the intertwining represents the inseparable nature of the Jewish people. Still others claim the three sides stand for the three types of Jews: Kohanim, Levites and Israel. A similar claim could be made for the three major movements. However, these theories have little basis in historical fact.
What is the history?
Intertwined equilateral triangles is a common symbol in the Middle East and North Africa, where it supposedly brings good luck. Originally, it was primarily associated with magic or family/community insignia. Its geometric symmetry made the symbol popular in many cultures. A common claim is that the upward triangle represents female sexuality, and the downward triangle represents male sexuality; combined, they symbolize unity and harmony. In alchemy, the two triangles symbolize “fire” and “water”; together, they represent the reconciliation of opposites.
The menorah served as the primary Jewish symbol, not the star.
Some historians have attempted to trace the star back to King David; others trace it to Rabbi Akiva and the Bar Kokhba (“son of the star”) rebellion (135 CE); still others trace it to the kabbalists, especially Rabbi Isaac Luria (16th century). However, there is no documented evidence of these claim. Instead, evidence suggests that the early use of the star was limited to “practical Kabbalah”, probably dating back to the 6th century. It is connected in legend with the “Seal of Solomon,” which was a signet ring used by Solomon to supposedly control demons and spirits.The original ring was inscribed with the Tetragrammaton; but medieval amulets imitating the ring substituted the six-pointed star or five-pointed star, often accompanied by rampant lions. Hence, the star was called the “Seal of Solomon.”
In any case, over time, the star replaced this menorah, while the five-pointed pentagram became identified with the Seal of Solomon. The star 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 star has achieved its status as the most common and universally recognized sign of Judaism and Jewish identity only since 1800. In the 17th century, it became a popular practice to put Magen Davids on the outside of synagogues, to identify them as Jewish houses of worship in much the same way that a cross identified a Christian house of worship. In 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.
The star gained additional popularity as a symbol of Judaism when it was adopted as the emblem of the Zionist movement in 1897. Theodor Herzl 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. The symbol continued to be controversial for many years afterward. When the modern state of Israel was founded, there was much debate over whether this symbol should be used on the flag.
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 honour.
Nowadays, the Star of David is the most universally recognized symbol of the Jewish people, even though it has no religious content or scriptural basis.
The Star of David
Opposition to the hexagram star symbol necessitated significant revisionist propaganda in order to transform it into an acceptable Jewish symbol. The saying: “If you repeat a lie often enough, people will believe it” is attributed to Joseph Goebbels. The often repeated revised explanation for the hexagram star is as follows:
“The two blue stripes represent a tallit or prayer shawl, and both sides of the split Red Sea that the Hebrews walked through as written in the Book of Exodus.”
“The Star of David also represents the Jewish identity of Israel, as well as the culture and history of the Israeli people.”
In reality; what was the star of Remphan, an Egyptian deity, morphed into the occult Seal of Solomon and the Rothschild Hexagram via the Illuminati Hexagram. I view Magen David as a satanic facade in order to obscure the true demonic history of the Star of Remphan. Even its designation as the shield of David is a misnomer. With no scriptural basis and all the evidence of evil and death attending this symbol prior to the 19th century, the hexagram is surely not God’s choice for the symbol of Israel. This symbol does remind me of the propensity for the ancient Israelites to worship the true God and other gods concurrently.
We therefore have the usurper, the so called star or shield of David, competing with the menorah, the original Jewish symbol for precedence.