By Yaron Gordon
Could there be a connection between the Jewish Star and the pomegranate?
We have previously discussed the secret encrypted in the Star of David, the geometric form, almost mystical, which connects the ancient times of Israel’s famous kings with the modern era. Now it is time to ponder whether the pomegranate, which is created by nature, could have been a source of inspiration for the creation of the well-known symbol – the Jewish Star.
According to ancient Jewish tradition, the pomegranate has 613 seeds. We know there are 613 commandments in the Pentateuch (“TarYag Mitzvot”). In numerology the words “TarYag” equal 613 (Taf = 400, Reish = 200, Yod = 10, Gimel = 3). Continuing this reasoning, the number 613 broken down is 6+1+3, which equals 10. That brings us to the conclusion 1+0 equals 1. In monotheistic religions such as Judaism, Christianity and Islam, the number 1 expresses God – “The One.” One could question whether there are really 613 seeds in each pomegranate (and whoever wants to, can start counting) – but by looking at the pomegranate from the perspective of Jewish tradition, we find that the pomegranate can be found to relate to The One who, as King, is “1″, and fulfills the “Taryag Mitzvot.”
In many sources, we can find that the pomegranate’s color (red) is related to the kingship – and using the numerology of the Hebrew language, another comparison can be found between the words “pomegranate” and “king.” The numerology of the Hebrew word “Rimon” (pomegranate) is 200+10+40+6+50, and the numerology of “Melech” (king) is 40+30+20, which in either case has the same numerology result (9).
Setting aside the numerology debate, one cannot deny that the pomegranate usually has a 6-pointed crown. To expand on this analogy, the RED (kingship) pomegranate (king) usually has a 6-pointed crown and the Star of David (The King) has 6 points. One can’t help being impressed by the possible influence the pomegranate may have had on the design of the Jewish Star of David. Something to ponder…
The digits “1″ and “6″ can also be found in the Golden Ration, the geometric construction of Phi (Fibonacci Series), which is 1.6 (1.618 0339 887…). Those who have a developed sense of imagination might say that the number 18 expresses the word “chai” in Hebrew, and therefore the King (1) who has the crown (6) is alive (18).
If one considers the inter-connection between the pomegranate and its crown (created by nature) on the one hand, and the Jewish Star with its six points (created by man) on the other hand, and that both lead to the expression of Phi (1 and 6) which speaks of nature and its many life forms, then one could regard this to be a very curious coincidence indeed.
Israeli jewelers have commented that the process of creating a Star of David pendant moves them – not simply because it is the symbol of the Jewish nation, but because it is an ancient symbol to which even people from other religions connect. Without necessarily knowing all the secret teachings and mystery of numerology, Israeli jewelers create handmade Star of David pendants that combine quality, shape and color, suggestive of the interdependence of man and the cosmos.
