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3 days ago · Star of David, Jewish symbol composed of two overlaid equilateral triangles that form a six-pointed star. It appears on synagogues, Jewish tombstones, and the flag of the State of Israel.
- Kabbala
A major text of early Kabbala was the 12th-century Sefer...
- Cross
There are four basic types of iconographic representations...
- Religious Symbolism and Iconography
The concept of the religious symbol also embraces an...
- Kabbala
The Hebrew word for 'symbol' is ot, which, in early Judaism, denoted not only a sign, but also a visible religious token of the relation between God and human. Common iconography. Shabbat, the day of rest, is described in the Tanakh as God's sign ("ot") between Him and the Jewish people. [4] The priests.
- Luchot: The Two Tablets. Detail from an early printing of Shnei Luchot Habrit (Amsterdam, 1698). (Photo: Library of Agudas Chassidei Chabad—Ohel Yosef Yitzchak Lubavitch)
- Menorah: The Temple Candelabra. This sign bears an image that resembles the Temple menorah. (Photo: Chaya Mishulovin, Lubavitch Chabad of Skokie) The seven-branched golden menorah (candelabra) featured prominently in the Tabernacle Moses built in the desert, as well as the Holy Temples later built in Jerusalem.
- Torah Scroll. The logo used by hundreds of Gan Israel camps bears an open Torah scroll. An open Torah scroll is often used as the central part of a logo of a yeshivah or other institution of Torah study.
- On Gravestones: Open Hands and the Pitcher. The hands on this gravestone indicate that it marks the resting place of a member of the priestly clan. In addition to Stars of David (see below), scrolls, and tablets, Jewish gravestones often feature several unique symbols.
- Star of David. The Star of David, the Magen David, is one of the most recognizable Jewish symbols. It appears on many Jewish tombstones and is the central symbol on the Israeli flag.
- Menorah. The official emblem of the State of Israel, the Menorah is a key Jewish emblem. The Torah relates how God Himself gave Moses instructions for building this holy seven-branched candelabra on Mount Sinai: “You shall make a menorah of pure gold…” (Exodus 25: 31-40)
- Priestly Blessing Hands. This distinctive two handed symbol is sometimes found on tombstones of Jews who were members of the Cohen priestly clan, descendants of the Cohanim who were descended from Moses’ brother Aaron, and who served in the ancient Temple in Jerusalem.
- Hamsa. This depiction of a single hand has many names: Hamsa (from the Arabic word for “five”); Yad (the Hebrew word for hand); Hand of Miriam; and Hand of Fatima.
- Menorah. One of the most familiar symbols of Judaism, the menorah is a seven-armed candelabra that represents the state of Israel as a “light upon nations.”
- Dreidel. We spin the dreidel – a 4-sided spinning top – during the festival of Hanukkah. Each side of the dreidel has a Hebrew letter written which represents the first letters of a Hebrew phrase, Nes Gadol Haya Sham (Poh) or “A Great Miracle Happened There (Here).”
- Torah. Judaism is based on the Hebrew bible called the Torah, or the five books of Moses which are Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy. The word “Torah” means instruction or law and rabbinic teachings say that the Torah was given to Moses at Mount Sinai to share with the Jewish people.
- Tallit. This four-cornered prayer shawl is worn around one’s shoulders while reciting prayers. The Torah commands Jews to fulfill a mitzvah by wearing tzitzit, which are the knotted fringes on the corners of the tallit.
Its association as a distinctive symbol for the Jewish people and their religion dates to 17th-century Prague. In the 19th century, the symbol began to be widely used by the Jewish communities of Eastern Europe, ultimately coming to represent Jewish identity or religious beliefs.
The six-pointed Star of David is a common symbol for both Judaism and Israel. Known in Hebrew as a Magen David (shield of David), geometrically it is two triangles superimposed on each other, forming the shape of a hexagram.
