We will attempt to investigate the root of the Jewish Star, but first we want to say that today the Star of David is a symbol that stirs the emotions of many people. There are some who feel hatred, there are some who feel pride because the Jewish Star is their national symbol, and there are some people who want to keep it for themselves because they believe that the Magen David is a source of power and protection.
Star of David Wall Décor
The Star of David is a symbol, and there are different kinds of symbols:
1. “Object symbols,” for example the heart, a symbol of love;
2. “Action symbols,” such as raising a glass of wine and saying “cheers”;
3. “Verbal symbols,” like the word “witch” to describe a certain type of woman;
4. “Graphic symbols,” for instance a painting of a house or a flower; and
5. “Religious symbols,” like the Christian cross and the Star of David.
The Jewish Star is also known as the Star of David, David Star, Magen David, David Shield or the SoD (the acronyms of the Star of David).
The Jewish Star symbol first appeared on a Jewish seal dating from 700 B.C. found in the ancient city of Sidon (a port city in Lebanon), but the phrase “Magen David” was first mentioned in the Babylonian Talmud. The great Rabbi Bar-Shila said: The tefillah (prayer) grows a horn of salvation, the Haftarah – Magen David.
In the Babylonian Talmud the Star of David is used as a nickname of God: “Bless you (Baruch Ata) the Star of David.”
Let’s talk about the Star of David as a graphic symbol.
The name David, in its Hebrew spelling, contains only three characters, “Dalet” “Vav” and “Dalet.” This is because in the Hebrew language vowels are not considered as letters, but more as pronunciation marks. So, the “a” and “i” are not counted. Therefore, the name “David,” is “D” “V” and “D.”
In the Paleo-Hebrew Alphabet, the “D” was written like the Greek letter of Delta, which is ∆. So, now we have the “∆” for Delta and the “V” for the letter “Vav” (∆ & V). It would be great for our story to tie these two symbols together in some way, but the “V” letter is a new sign and has no connection to the David Star shape. The Star of David symbol, then, is created out of two triangles (two Delta signs “∆”) on top of each other, pointing in opposite directions.
The Hebrew name for the Star of David is Magen David. Magen David means – the Shield of David. For those interested in numerology, the “Magen David” carries many strong powers. The word “Magen” (Hebrew for “shield”) has the number 93 (“Mem” = 40, “Gimel” = 3 and “Nun” = 50). If you take the number 93 and view it as 9 plus 3, it equals 12, like the Twelve Tribes of Israel.
The word “David” has the number 14 (“Dalet” = 4, “Vav” = 6 and “Dalet” = 4). If you take the number 14 and view it as 1 plus 4, it equals 5 (like the Hamsa). The five is the number for the fifth letter in Hebrew, which is “Hey,” the letter for Adonai (God).
Considered through numerology, we can understand why the Jewish Star (the David Star) became the most important symbol for the Jewish people. As they are born from the Twelve Tribes and belong to God, the “Magen David” is their most important symbol of protection.
Although the Star of David is the symbol of the Jewish nation and the Jewish faith, seen on the Israeli flag and in every synagogue, many other people in the world admire this jewish Star; perhaps in connection with their belief in Kabbalah, or simply because they like its individual shape. Millions of people around the world have worn the Jewish Star as a pendant, but, as well as being worn as jewelry, the Star of David can also be used as wall decor in any home or office to bring good fortune.
Now, what is the secret?
The acronym of the Star of David is “SoD,” and the word “sod” in Hebrew means “secret”. So you can use the Star of David as your secret. We don’t know the secret and no one else will, but you can feel it when you have it.
Yaron Gordon, the author of this article, is a well known, knowledgeable and respected owner of a boutique specializing in Jewish gifts. His gallery includes many beautiful Star of David items ranging from Star of David pendant to the Star of David for wall décor.
