6 final star meaning. The meaning of the six-pointed star of David in religion and magic
Star of David and its meaning
History of the symbol - Hexagram in ancient times— Six-pointed star as a magical symbol — Six-pointed star in Christianity — Six-pointed star in Islam — Kabbalah and the Star of David — Six-pointed star in Freemasonry — “Star of David” as a symbol of the Jews — Legends of the origin of the Star of David as a Jewish symbol — Symbolic meaning of the Star of David — Christian interpretation Stars of David
Probably one of the most mysterious symbols, shrouded in many incredible legends, is the hexagram, the six-pointed “Star of David” - a symbol of the Jewish people, Jewish Kabbalah, Freemasons, occultists and magicians. The origin of the Star of David is unknown. Over the millennia of existence of this graphic symbol, it has received a wide variety of interpretations. However, any rational explanations are lost behind a pile of myths. Where did the “Star of David” come from, what kind of symbol is it, why is it now identified with the Jewish people.
History of the symbol
Six-pointed star (hexagram)- one of the oldest and most significant symbols of humanity. It is formed by superimposing two equilateral triangles on top of each other, one of which has a normal position, and the other is overturned. Often (usually) depicted as an interweaving of end-to-end triangles.
Most often, the hexagram is associated with Judaism under the name “Star of David”. However, initially it was not a specifically Jewish symboland up to the 18th century. had nothing to do with the Jewish religion.The hexagram appeared long before the appearance of both the Masons and the Talmud. It is found many centuries BC in India, Mesopotamia, Britain and other countries.
Hexagonal star wide used as an element of ornament because, for reasons of a purely mathematical nature, it is possible to cover a plane with identical polygons only if they have three, four or six sides (that is, triangles, squares and hexagons). Any conceivable ornament can only be a variation and complication of these initial forms. The first and natural complication of the hexagon is the six-pointed star, which is why it has been found in decorative art since ancient times. It was already found in rock paintings of the Alpine region. Among the ancient Jews, this emblem also did not carry much meaning at first, although it was found on various items of their utensils, seals and lamps. Its image can be found both in old Muslim cemeteries and as a temple ornament in Christianity. At the beginning of the 14th century. it was minted on coins and seals of the Golden Horde. The hexagram is found in archaeological sites in Scandinavia and Eastern Europe. Among the ancient Slavs, a hexagram with an image of an animal inside was a symbol of a successful hunt. But still, the main region of distribution of the hexagram is India, as well as ancient Egypt and Greece.
The meaning of the symbol in different cultures
Nowadays, many associate the hexagram with Judaism under the name “Star of David”. However, it is used in many other teachings and religions - for example, in Islam, Christianity, Eastern religions, occultism and Freemasons. In addition, hexagrams are found in modern New Age culture.
At different times, in different teachings, religions and secret societies, the hexagram was given completely different interpretations.
In the 4th millennium BC. This was symbol of the Sumerian goddess of love and power Ishtar (Astarte), and even earlier this symbol was used in India, where the hexagram was revered as symbol of connection between Kali(triangle pointing down) and Shiva(triangle with its apex up), creating and destroying the world.
In tantric teachings the hexagram was known as Anahata or Anahata chakra and meant harmony of two worlds: matter(triangle with point pointing upward) and spirit(a triangle whose tip points down).
Anahata chakra
It is also believed that the hexagram means unity of masculine and feminine principles(two triangles superimposed on each other) - a triangle with a downward angle symbolizes the feminine, a triangle with an upward angle symbolizes the masculine.
Medieval European alchemists interpreted the hexagram as symbol of all possible combinations of two elements (Earth, Fire, Water, Air), of which there are six. The upper end denoted the combination of Fire and Air, then clockwise went: Fire and Water, Water and Air, Earth and Water, Earth and Air, Earth and Fire. Perhaps one of the very first planetary images of the hexagram is found on the title page of the book of the alchemist Johann Daniel Milius “Opus Medico-Chymicum”, published in 1618 in Frankfurt. Around the hexagram there are two Latin phrases: “The secret will become clear and vice versa” and “Water and Fire will redeem everything.”
In the 18th century, the planetary hexagram was already a generally accepted esoteric symbol. For example, her images are found in the famous treatise “Secret Figures of the Rosicrucians.”
There are also, occult-theosophical interpretation, according to which the hexagram symbolizes the perfection of the universe, since it is the product of the feminine number 2 (two triangles) and the masculine number 3 (three angles for each figure). So the hexagram is located in the center emblems of the Theosophical Society, which included Helena Blavatsky, author of The Secret Doctrine.
This emblem also includes several of the most ancient symbols of humanity and the motto “There is no religion higher than truth.”
Exists "eschatological" interpretation: the hexagram was associated with the number of the beast 666 and the Antichrist- 6 corners - 6 small triangles in a circle, 6 sides of the inner hexagon.
In the 18th century, the hexagram began to be actively used in Freemasonry. For example, it is depicted as the crossing of “two Great Lights” - a compass and a square, which thus form a “flaming star”. (The pentagram was also used as a “flaming star” in Freemasonry).
In Christianity the hexagram is associated with 6 days of the creation of the world, as well as with the Star of Bethlehem, which, according to the Bible, was shaped like a six-pointed star.
According to other legends, the hexagram was engraved on the magic signet ring of King Solomon, who, thanks to her, commanded the spirits. Hence its other name - Solomon's seal.
Hexagram in various teachings and religions
Let us consider the use of the hexagram in various teachings and religions in more detail.
Magic symbol
Starting from the Bronze Age (late 4th - early 1st millennium BC), the hexagram, like the pentagram, was quite widely used as magic symbol among many peoples, from the Semites of Mesopotamia to the Celts of Britain.
The six-pointed star is often found as a "powerful" magical symbol in witchcraft (and medieval heretical) books dedicated to alchemy.
It is used in all types of occultism because it contains the satanic number '666' (6 ends, 6 small triangles inside and 6 sides of an inner hexagon). This is the most powerful symbol of Satan.
"Star of David"- an ancient symbol, an emblem in the shape of a six-pointed star (hexagram), in which two equilateral triangles are superimposed on each other: the upper one with the apex up, the lower one with the apex down, forming a structure of six equilateral triangles attached to the sides of the hexagon.
In Hebrew the "Star of David" is called "Magen David", which literally translates to “shield of David.” However, the Bible does not mention this term. According to legend, this symbol was depicted on the shields of King David’s soldiers. Another version of it, a five-pointed star, a pentagram, is known as the “Solomon Seal”. However, the connection of this symbol with the name of King David, as well as the five-pointed star with the name of King Solomon, is in all likelihood an invention of the late Middle Ages. The names “shield of David” (Magen David) or “seal of Solomon” (sigillum Solomonis) are arbitrary. The connection of the hexagram with these two great kings of biblical history cannot be traced in any way. In the Talmudic literature, the “shield of David” was also never mentioned.
"Star of David" as a symbol of the Jews
Israel flag
Nowadays, the six-pointed “Star of David” is a generally recognized symbol of the Jews. The number 6 - (Hebrew שש) symbolizes the Jewish people.
The Star of David is depicted on the flag of the State of Israel and is one of its main symbols. However, Gershom Scholem, an expert in Jewish mysticism and one of the founders of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, published an article shortly after the decision was made to include a six-pointed star on the national flag of Israel in which he wrote: “The hexagram is not a Jewish symbol, and certainly not a symbol of Judaism.”
Up to the 18th century. The hexagram was not a special symbol among the Jews and was in no way associated with the Jewish religion. The Star of David became a Jewish national sign only in the 19th century, and quite by accident. She was a symbol of the Prague Jewish community. It was in Prague that it arose at the beginning of the 19th century. Zionist movement whose goal was to resettle Jews in Palestine. The Zionists simply chose the symbol of the Prague Jews as the emblem of their movement. Since then, the hexagram has become associated with the Jewish people. This meaning was finally fixed by the image of the hexagram on the flag of Israel during the proclamation of this state. And if Zionism had arisen not in Prague, but in another city, the sign on the Israeli flag could have been completely different...
It was in the 19th century. the six-pointed star was adopted by almost all communities of the Jewish world. It became a common symbol on the buildings of synagogues and Jewish institutions, on monuments and tombstones, on seals and document forms, on household and religious objects, including on the curtains covering the cabinets in which Torah scrolls are kept in synagogues.
The six-pointed star was used in Judea during Roman rule; it was found in the decorations of synagogues, but only as an ornament.During the era of the Second Temple of Jerusalem, the hexagram, along with the pentagram, was widespread not only among Jews, but also among other peoples. However, even then it most likely still had only a decorative character: among the ancient Jews this emblem also did not at first carry much meaning, although it was found on various items of their utensils, seals and lamps.
Menorah
menorah- a temple lamp (seven-branched candlestick), which, according to the Bible, was in the Tabernacle of Meeting during the wanderings of the Jews in the desert, and then in the Jerusalem Temple, until the destruction of the Second Temple.
Menorah
Six-pointed star in Christianity
The hexagram is also present on early Christian amulets. In the Middle Ages, it was found even more often in Christian churches than in synagogues. Moreover, Christianity incorporated its own Idea into this symbol, which is in no way connected with the previous ones. In general, a star in Christian symbolism most often means God, sometimes the Church. The six-rayed star in Christianity on one side symbolizes the 6 days of creation (in the picture a reference to God the Father - note that the lower ray is hidden, referring us to the 5-rayed star of God the Son), and on the other hand it is the Star of Bethlehem, symbolizing birth Christ (messiah).
For reference: seven rays symbolize the seven gifts of the holy spirit (most often seven-rayed stars symbolize the church/angels), eight rays - the star of the Virgin Mary is a combination of the cross and the first letter of the name of Christ, this is a sign of the triumph of Christianity, a twelve-pointed star is the twelve apostles, if the star has 10 rays then these are 10 apostles who did not renounce God. The four-pointed star is a combination of a cross and a star.
Six-pointed star in Islam
The hexagonal star was also used in Muslim mosques. Particularly in Egypt, Morocco and Lebanon, it can be found woven into verses from the Holy Qur'an. Four-pointed, six-pointed and eight-pointed stars appeared in Egypt during the reign of the Mamluks. They were used in architecture, ornament, etc. And in Mecca, the main Muslim shrine - the black stone of the Kaaba - from century to century is traditionally covered with a silk blanket on which hexagonal stars are depicted.
Despite the fact that Christians and Muslims began to abandon the six-pointed star at the beginning of the 20th century, its place in the history and culture of these peoples remains the same.
Most often, this symbol contains the idea of interaction (interpenetration) of two principles, each of which symbolizes one of the two triangles that make up the star. It can be heavenly and earthly, male and female, physical or spiritual. Those. the hexagram reflects the principle of balance of the Universe. The upper and lower, masculine and feminine balance each other, which is schematically reflected by the six-pointed star.
But there are other interpretations.
Kabbalah and the Star of David
Since the end of the 17th century, the hexagram has been used by Kabbalists.
According to the Jewish Kabala, each symbol has 77 MEANINGS, of which 76 are FALSE and only ONE is TRUE. True, these false meanings, to one degree or another, work for international Zion (V. Emelyanov, “Desionization,” p. 43). The final and only true meaning of the Star of David is revealed in the interpretation of the Talmud, closed to the goyim. The Judean star is built from two triangles, one of which is located with its apex up, and the other with its apex down. THE FIRST OF THE TRIANGLES SYMBOLIZES THE JEWS, AND THE SECOND IS THE GENTY. This star contains the idea of world domination of the Jews over all the goyim of the world.
THE SYMBOLISM CONCLUDED IN THE MAGENDOVID IS BOTTOM DOWN TO THE FOLLOWING: there are few Jews on Earth, but their intelligence is high, and their matter and energy are small in quantity. Judaism raises the spirit (will) of the Jew to a height and forms in Jews all the fighting qualities necessary for survival. There are many more Aryans than Jews. The Aryans have a very large mass of matter and energy. But a person without a developed spirit (will) is a pseudo-man. This means it is NECESSARY TO TURN THE GOYI TRIANGLE UP WITH THE POINT DOWN IN ORDER TO TAKE FROM THEM THEIR WILL, THE SPIRIT, TO MAKE THEM PRIMITIVE HUMAN-LIKE CREATURES, TO TAKE FROM THEM THE ARYAN PAGAN RELIGIONS THAT EDUCATE THEIR SPIRIT.
THE PENTAGONAL STAR OF THE MASONS IS JUST A VARIANT OF THE MAGENDOVID WITH THE CUT OFF MIND OF THE GOYS. Goyim-Masons voluntarily cut off their spirit, going to grovel for their kosher masters. This symbol is called the star of Solomon or magenshlomo. Freemasons and cabalists also call it a pentagram.
At the end of the 17th century. Jewish cabalists interpreted the hexagram as the “shield of the son of David,” that is, the Moshiach.
In cabalistic circles, the “shield of David” was interpreted as “the shield of the son of David,” that is, the Messiah. Thus, the followers of the false messiah Shabtai Zevi (late 17th century) saw in him a symbol of imminent deliverance.
In Kabbalah, two triangles symbolize the inherent duality of man: good versus evil, spiritual versus physical, and so on. The upward-pointing triangle symbolizes our good deeds, which rise to heaven and cause a stream of grace to descend back to this world (which is what the downward-pointing triangle symbolizes). Sometimes the Star of David is called the Star of the Creator and each of its six ends is associated with one of the days of the week, and the center with Saturday.
Hebrew word "mashiach" translated into Russian as “anointed”. Translated into Greek - “Christ”. During the inauguration process, the ancient Jews anointed the king and the high priest with myrrh, and they were called mashiach (once even the Persian king Cyrus, who released the Jews from Babylonian captivity, was so named). In the TaNakh (Old Testament), the Moshiach is mentioned 38 times.
The Romans took away the sovereignty of the Jews, and with it the Mashiach kings back in the 1st century AD. Since then, Jews have been waiting for the King, Moshiach, with whose arrival they associate the onset of the Golden Age. Mashiach is the Messiah.
Mashiach is the one whose appearance was promised by the Creator, and his appearance signifies the advent of a new era. Rambam (Rabbi Moshe ben Maimon, also known as Maimonides, a Jewish philosopher and scientist who lived from 1135 to 1204) believes that the Messiah will restore the power of the House of David, build the Temple of Jerusalem and gather the Jews scattered throughout the earth. He will also restore observance of the commandments of the Torah. Rambam wrote a whole treatise on how to recognize the true Mashiach - “The Laws Concerning the King Mashiach” (Hebrew: Hilchos Melech Ha-Mashiach). He argued that one who did not succeed or was killed cannot be Moshiach. Based on this, most Jews do not consider Jesus Christ to be the Mashiach (he did not succeed in restoring the kingdom) or Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, the seventh and last Lubavitcher rebbe (for the same reason).
There is an opinion that the coming of the Messiah from the line of David (Mashiach ben David) will be preceded by the appearance of the forerunner from the line of Joseph (Mashiach ben Yosef). The basis for this opinion is the prophecy of Yehezkel: “I take the staff of Joseph, which is in the hand of Ephraim and the tribes of Israel united with him; And I will put it to the staff of Judah, and I will make them one staff, and they will become one in my hand.” The Talmud says that Mashiach ben Yosef will be killed, and Rashi (Rabbeinu Shlomo Yitzchaki, lived in 1040 - 1105) specifies that this will happen during the war of Gog and Magog (two mythical peoples personifying evil).
Followers of Judaism believe that the exact time of the coming of the Messiah was determined by the Creator at the beginning of creation and is not known to man. The Creator can bring the coming of Moshiach closer if the Jews deserve it.
In Kabbalah, for example, the hexagram displays the seven lower sephiroth - six rays and a central hexagon.
Six-pointed star in Freemasonry
In the 18th century, the hexagram was actively used in Freemasonry. For example, it is depicted as the crossing of “two Great Lights” - a compass and a square, which thus form a “flaming star”. (The pentagram was also used as a “flaming star” in Freemasonry).
In no political or religious system do symbols play such a colossal and decisive role as in Freemasonry.Freemasonry, as a political corporation, has long striven not to use written documents and orders to its members, but tries, without leaving written and clear traces of its activities, to resort to symbolic signs and hints, understandable only to initiates. Hence the large number of various objects to which Freemasons attach symbolic meaning and which receive their own Masonic, symbolic interpretation. That is why Masonic symbolism exists as an independent system, although much of it is logically and historically connected with pan-European classical symbolism. Masonic symbolism is also closely related to the church symbolism of Christianity, but at the same time deviated from it in the interpretation of a number of symbols.
As an occult secret society, Freemasonry widely uses the language of symbols of the secret Jewish black magic science of Kabbalah, introduced into Judaism through the Babylonian magicians-astrologers (Chaldeans-Sabeans) during the conquest of the Jewish people by King Nebuchadnezzar. The religious rites of all the Illuminati, as well as the secret symbols of all other Masonic societies, are borrowed from the Jewish Kabbalah.
One of the main Masonic symbols is a six-pointed star (hexagram), which is enclosed in a closed circle of the Gnostic snake Ouroboros, biting its own tail.
Ouroboros(ancient Greek “devouring [its] tail”) - a coiled snake biting its own tail. It is one of the oldest symbols known to mankind, the exact origin of which is impossible to establish. Although the symbol has many different meanings, the most common interpretation describes it as a representation of eternity and infinity, in particular the cyclical nature of life: alternation of creation and destruction, life and death, constant rebirth and dying. The Ouroboros symbol has a rich history of use in religion, magic, alchemy, mythology and psychology.
Depiction of the ouroboros in an alchemical treatise of 1478.
The Masons and their branches of all kinds: theosophists, spiritualists, occultists and many others. etc., this symbol is most often called "seal of Solomon". (Please note the DIFFERENCE (!): the “seal of Solomon” is a six-pointed star (hexagram), while the “star of Solomon” is a five-pointed star (pentagram, pentacle).)
The upper triangle symbolizes God (the Holy Trinity), the lower triangle symbolizes the devil opposing Him. With such symbolism, the devil blasphemously likens himself to God (creature to Creator). The circle around the star means the eternity of this confrontation (sometimes it is not drawn). The six ends of the star symbolize the initial creation during the fall of Lucifer from God (before the creation of man), created in 6 days (now the Seventh day of creation lasts, after the Last Judgment the 8th day will come, Eternal Life). Since the angles in an equilateral triangle are equal to 60 degrees, then each triangle contains the “number of the beast” or the Antichrist - 666 (with these numbers at the ends of the star the great state seal of world Freemasonry is depicted). There are 6 letters in the name of the devil - repeated three times, they replace the Holy Trinity (the Antichrist will replace Christ for the people). In general, the hexagram symbolizes Satan (there is an assumption that the seal of the Antichrist will have exactly this form). The two triangles forming the hexagram have another secret meaning: the dominance of intelligent Jews (symbolized by the upper triangle) over the unreasonable "goyim" (lower triangle).
The six-pointed star is also a sign of the Antichrist. It encrypts the “number of the beast” - 666: 6 sides, 6 corners, 6 vertices. In the numerological projection of history, the number 7 means the present century, 8 means the kingdom of the Holy Spirit, and 6 means the Old Testament, pre-Christian time. Therefore, 6 expresses the supposed triumph of Judaism, built on the denial of the historical mission of Christ.
Menorah
It should be noted that the truly Jewish symbol at all times was the Menorah - the temple lamp. Long before the hexagram acquired the status of a Jewish symbol, this role was played by menorah- a temple lamp (seven-branched candlestick), which, according to the Bible, was in the Tabernacle of Meeting during the wanderings of the Jews in the desert, and then in the Jerusalem Temple, until the destruction of the Second Temple.
Menorah
From the 2nd century AD e. The menorah became an attribute of the design of synagogues. At the same time, there are modern theories that link the six-pointed star as a symbol specifically with the shape of the menorah candlesticks.
Legends of the origin of the Star of David as a Jewish symbol
Star of David and lily
The origins of the Star of David as a Jewish symbol are not known for certain. Nevertheless, the researcher of Jewish and Judaic symbols Uri Ophir put forward a version that the origin of the Star of David is connected with the temple menorah. Under each of its seven lamps there was a flower: “And you shall make a lampstand of pure gold; a beaten lamp shall be made; its thigh and its stem, its cups, its ovaries and its flowers shall be of it.”(Ex.25:31). Uri Ophir believes that it was a white lily flower, which is shaped like the Magen David. In support of this theory, he cites the ancient Aramaic translation of the Bible of Onkelos, where the word פרח (flower) is translated as "lily". The petals of the white lily, as Ophir shows, are symmetrically arranged and when opened form a regular six-pointed star, currently known as the Star of David.
The lamp was located in the center of the flower, in such a way that the priest lit a fire as if in the center of a six-pointed star.Thus, according to Ophir, the Star of David should be considered along with the menorah as one of the oldest and most important Jewish symbols.
Shield of the Great King David
In addition to this version, there is another version that connects the modern name of the symbol directly with King David. According to this version, David used a six-pointed star as his personal symbol, since in ancient Hebrew the name David consisted of three letters: Dalet, Vav, Dalet. Those. in his name there were two letters “Dalet” (the letter Dalet was depicted as a triangle). The middle letter Vav means six - a six-pointed star. Thus, two superimposed triangles forming a six-pointed star could serve as a kind of monogram for him. At the same time, according to some sources, David’s personal seal contained an image not of a star, but of a shepherd’s crook and scrip.
According to legend, Magen David was depicted on the shields of King David's soldiers as a sign of God.
Symbolic meaning of the Star of David
Over the millennia of existence of this graphic symbol, it has received a wide variety of interpretations.There are numerous interpretations of the symbolic meaning of the Star of David:
- The hexagram is interpreted as a connection and combination of two principles: male (a triangle with “broad shoulders”, pointing downward) and female (triangle, pointing upward).
- In ancient times, Magen David was believed to represent all four fundamental principles: the upward-facing triangle symbolizes fire and air, while the other downward-facing triangle symbolizes water and earth. According to another version, the upper corner of the triangle facing upward symbolizes fire, the other two (left and right) symbolize water and air. The corners of another triangle, facing one of the corners downwards, respectively: mercy, peace (rest) and grace.
- According to another interpretation, the six-pointed Star of David symbolizes the Divine control of the entire world: earth, sky and the four cardinal directions - north, south, east and west.
- Magen David is also interpreted as a combination of the heavenly principle (macrocosm), which tends to the earth, and the earthly principle (microcosm), which tends to heaven.
- According to Kabbalah, Magen David reflects the seven lower Sephiroth. Each of the six triangles and the six-pointed center symbolize one of the Sephiroth: the triangles, starting from the top, clockwise, symbolize the Sephiroth Tifferet, Chesed, Netzach, Malkuth, Hod and Gevurah, and the center is Yesod.
- According to the interpretation of Rabbi Eliyahu Essas, this sign symbolizes the 6 days of creation and reflects the model of the universe. Two triangles - two directions. A triangle pointing upward: the top point indicates the Almighty and that He is one. Further, the divergence of this point to the left and to the right indicates the opposites that appeared in the process of creation - Good and Evil. The point of the second triangle of the Star of David is directed downwards. From two vertices that are distant from each other, the lines converge to one - the bottom, the third. Essas views the second triangle as a symbol of the purpose of human existence in uniting the ideas of the “right” and “left” sides of the created world.
- There is a tradition of decorating the Magen David sukkah - a special hut in which Jews live during the holiday of Sukkot. The six points of the star hanging in the sukkah correspond to the six “distinguished guests” (ushpizin) who visit the Jewish sukkah during the first six days of Sukkot: Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, Aaron and Joseph. What unites them all is the seventh “guest” - King David himself.
- Magen David has 12 ribs, corresponding to the 12 tribes of Israel. According to legend, during the years of wandering in the desert, the tents of the tribes of Israel were broken in such a way that, joining three at a time, they formed a six-pointed star around the Tabernacle - the spiritual center. Thus, the Star of David is seen as a symbol of the unity of the Jewish people.
- The German-Jewish philosopher Franz Rosenzweig, in his main philosophical work “The Star of Salvation” in 1921, proposed an interpretation of Magen David as a symbolic expression of the relationship between God, man and the universe. The triangle at the base, in his opinion, personifies the three main subjects considered by philosophy: God, Man and the Universe. The second triangle, pointing downwards, represents the connections between these elements - Creation, Revelation and Salvation. The overlapping of these triangles on top of each other forms the “Star of Salvation.”
It is interesting to remember that the Rothschild family, having received the title of nobility, included Magen David in their family coat of arms in 1822.
State symbols of the United States, for example, the Great Seal of the United States (in its first version), contain a six-pointed star in various modifications.
The hexagram is also used in Islam, Eastern religions and occultism.
Similar hexagrams are found in modern New Age culture, and under other names: Star of David, Star of Goliath, Seal of Solomon.
In Tantrism, the hexagram means the harmony of two worlds: matter (a triangle with the tip pointing upward) and spirit (a triangle with the tip pointing down).
Six-pointed star (hexagram) in Christianity
The hexagram also has an ancient relationship with Christianity... If this symbol had not had a relationship with Christianity, it would not have been used on crosses and in churches....
Hexagram- (shield or star of David) a six-pointed star composed of two equilateral triangles having a common center. It is found as a temple ornament.
Not mentioned in the Bible. The name “Shield of David” is conditional. The connection of the hexagram with these kings is not recorded in biblical history.
There is an explanation of the hexagram as a symbol of the union of the divine and human nature in Christ, a graphic representation of the words of St. Irenaeus of Lyon: “God became man (triangle pointing down), so that man could become god” (triangle pointing up).
The use of one or another ornament in occult teachings does not prevent it from being used in Orthodoxy with its own meaning, just as, for example, the same letters can be used in words that carry diametrically opposite meanings.
A thousand years ago, the hexagonal star was an international sign. It was found on early Christian amulets and in Muslim ornaments called the “seal of Solomon.” In Christian churches the hexagram is found even more often than in synagogues. In addition, the hexagram is found on the flags of the Muslim states of Karaman and Kandara.
Until a certain time, this symbol had only a decorative meaning. The earliest mention of the name "Magen David" probably dates back to the era of the Babylonian Geons (early Middle Ages). It is mentioned as the legendary "shield of King David" in a text interpreting the magical "alphabet of the angel Metatron." However, the earliest reliable source of this name is the book “Eshkol Ha-Kofer” by the Karaite sage Yehuda ben Eliyahu Hadasi (12th century). In it, he criticizes those who turned this symbol into a cult object. From this we can conclude that at that time the Star of David began to be used as a mystical sign on amulets.
The false messiah David Alroy, who attempted a military campaign against Jerusalem in order to recapture the city from the crusaders who ruled there at that time, was considered a sorcerer and probably came from areas that were still under the rule of the Khazars in the 12th century. There is a version according to which he was the one who turned the magical symbol of the Seal of Solomon into the symbol of Magen David (named so, perhaps, in honor of himself), making it a family symbol of his family.
In the 13th-14th centuries, the Star of David began to decorate amulets and mezuzahs, and in the late Middle Ages, Jewish texts on Kabbalah. The grandson of Ramban (14th century) wrote about the hexagonal “shield of David” in his work on Kabbalah. It was alleged that warriors of the victorious army of King David used a shield of a similar shape.
The six-pointed star (hexagram, Star of David, Seal of Solomon) is a very ancient symbol, the emblem of Egyptian occultism. This is the shape, according to interpretations of the Bible, of the Star of Bethlehem, which shone over the house in which Jesus was born.
In Christianity, the six-pointed star symbolizes the six days of creation. Also interpreted as a symbol of the struggle between God and the devil (God is the upper triangle, the devil is the lower).
The occult-theosophical interpretation of this image says that the hexagram expresses the perfection of the universe, since it is the product of the feminine number 2 (two triangles) and the masculine number 3 (three corners of each figure). There is also an “eschatological” interpretation: since the hexagram is the product of 6, 6, 6, 6 angles, 6 small triangles, 6 sides of the inner hexagon), it was associated with the number of the beast and the Antichrist.
Researchers discovered this sign in India, where it appears to have been in use long before it appeared in the Middle East and Europe. Initially, the hexagram was not a specifically Jewish symbol and had nothing to do with Judaism. In the Middle and Near East, she was a symbol of the cult of the goddess Astarte. Starting from the Bronze Age (late fourth - early first millennium BC), the hexagram, like the pentagram, was quite widely used for decorative and magical purposes among many peoples so distant from each other geographically, such as, for example, the Semites of Mesopotamia and Celts of Britain. It is worth noting that the pentagram was used as a magical symbol much more often than the hexagram. However, both geometric figures can be found among illustrations on the pages of many medieval books on alchemy, magic and witchcraft.
In connection with Jewry, the image of a six-pointed star was first discovered on a Jewish seal of the 7th century BC. BC, which belonged to a certain Yehoshua ben Yeshayahu and was found in Sidon. Many ancient synagogues were also decorated with similar stars, starting from the Second Temple period. As an example, we can note the synagogue in Kfar Nachum (Capernaum) (II-III century AD), the ornament of which alternates five- and six-pointed stars, as well as figures resembling a swastika. Thus, the six-pointed star was not yet given a certain meaning during this period. In addition, it is known that during the Hellenistic period this symbol was not associated with Jews.
It should be noted that the truly Jewish symbol at all times was the Menorah - the temple lamp. For this reason, it is also a kind of identification mark. If an image of a Menorah is found on an ancient burial site, this clearly indicates that the burial is Jewish.
Why are there six-pointed stars on the crosses of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior (12 on each cross)? After all, they can be mistaken for the stars of David, i.e. symbol of the Jews?
Hexagram (Greek hex - six; gramma - line, line) is a six-pointed star made up of two equilateral triangles with a common center. It is not a special symbol of Judaism. The hexagram is found many centuries before Christ in India, Mesopotamia, Britain and other countries. It was widely used as a decorative element in the Middle Ages in Arab countries. Her image can be found in old Muslim cemeteries. Until the end of the 18th century, representatives of Judaism only occasionally addressed the hexagram. Only from the beginning of the 19th century did Jews begin to accept it as a national emblem. In the last two centuries, she is often depicted on synagogues, in Jewish publications, and on grave monuments. With the formation of Jewish statehood, the six-pointed star is depicted on the Israeli flag. The choice of this sign has no basis in the religious or historical tradition of Judaism. The names “shield of David” (magen David) and “seal of Solomon” (sigillum Solomonis) are arbitrary. The connection of the hexagram with these two great kings of biblical history cannot be traced in any way. The ancient Hebrew warriors had two types of shields: a large oblong one to protect the entire body (Hebrew cinna) and a small round one (Hebrew magen). There is no evidence that David had a six-pronged shield rather than a round one. It is unlikely that King Solomon could have had the outline of a hexagram. Sinai law prohibited making images of “what is in heaven above, and what is in the earth below, and what is in the water under the earth” (Ex. 29:4). The Jews understood this injunction very broadly. The six-pointed star could be perceived as an image of “what is in the sky above.”
Sometimes they refer to the fact that since the end of the 17th century the hexagram has been used by Kabbalists. To this we must decisively say that there is not a single geometric figure that, over the long history of mankind, has not been the subject of philosophical, cosmological and occult-mystical speculation. If we, rejecting various false teachings, do not perceive their symbolic interpretations, for us they will be only geometric forms taken from nature created by God. We should not absolutize signs in order to prevent elements of magic from entering our consciousness.
In the Cathedral of Christ the Savior, the hexagram is present for decorative and aesthetic purposes.
Christian interpretation of the Star of David
Christianity has its own interpretation of the Star of David. Thus, the six rays of the star symbolize the days of creation, and the two triangles forming a hexagram - as an indication of the confrontation between God and the devil. Russian neo-pagans call the symbol we are considering the “star of Veles.”
There is an explanation of the hexagram as a symbol of the union of the divine and human nature in Christ, a graphic representation of the words of St. Irenaeus of Lyons: “God became man (triangle pointing down), so that man could become god” (triangle pointing up).
The use of one or another ornament in occult teachings does not prevent it from being used in Orthodoxy with its own meaning, just as, for example, the same letters can be used in words that carry diametrically opposite meanings.
There is another version of the meaning of the six-pointed star. Some Christians adhere to this version. Here is what priest Oleg Molenko says about this: “With the Star of David, as with many other religious things, a substitution occurred. For the holy king himself, it meant and symbolized the six basic aspirations or feelings of man. The main one was man's desire for his God and Creator. This desire was expressed by the upper end of the star. When this desire is absent, the upper end disappears and what remains is a five-pointed star, called a pentagram when depicted by intersecting lines, or a pentacle when depicted only along the contour. This star symbolizes that man has completely strived for the earthly and this world and belongs to the prince of this world - Satan. In demonic religion, the location of this star matters. When it is positioned with two ends up, it means Satan, and when with one end it means the Antichrist of the beast. It is interesting to note here that when a gang of Bolsheviks seized power in Russia, their servants initially wore a star on their headdresses, symbolizing Satan, whom they strenuously called out with their anthem: “Arise, branded with a curse.” After consolidating their power, the Satanists began building the kingdom of the Antichrist-beast (communism) in a single country, although they did not stop making attempts to incite a worldwide satanic revolution. By order of the leaders, the star on headdresses was universally and quickly turned into the meaning of the Antichrist-beast, i.e. one end up, which can be observed to this day on the towers of the Moscow Kremlin.
But it is not enough for the prince of this world that people belong to him only through their attachment to earthly things. He desires their conscious and voluntary submission to himself. For this purpose, he has been preparing a substitution for millennia: instead of God - himself, instead of Christ - the Antichrist, instead of the cross of Christ - the mark of the beast.
The concept “seal of the Antichrist” is in circulation. But Scripture does not tell us about the seal, but about the mark of the beast:
Rev.13:
“16 And he will cause everyone, small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hand or on their foreheads,
17 And that no one may buy or sell except he who has the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.”
Rev. 14:9...11: "And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice: Whoever worships the beast and his image and receives a mark on his forehead or on his hand... and the smoke of their torment will rise up in forever and ever, and they who worship the beast and his image and who receive the mark of his name will have no rest day or night.”
Rev. 15:2: “And I saw as it were a sea of glass mixed with fire; and those who had overcome the beast, and his image, and the mark of his name, and the number of his name, stood on the sea of glass, holding the harps of God.”
Rev. 16:2: “The first angel went and poured out his cup on the ground: and there were cruel and disgusting festering wounds on the people who had the mark of the beast and worshiped his image.”
Rev. 19:20: “And the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet, who performed miracles before him, with which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image: both were thrown alive into the lake of fire, burning with brimstone.”
Rev. 20:4: “And I saw thrones and them sitting on them, to whom it was given to judge, and the souls of them that were beheaded for the testimony of Jesus and for the word of God, who had not worshiped the beast nor his image, neither had received the mark on their foreheads or on your hand."
The word "print" refers to a method of applying an image to a surface by means of an imprint. This word is used in the book of Revelation in a positive sense:
Rev.5:
“1 And I saw in the right hand of him who sat on the throne, a book written within and without, sealed with seven seals.
2 And I saw a mighty angel proclaiming with a loud voice: Who is worthy to open this book and to open its seals?
...
5 And one of the elders said to me: Do not weep; Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has overcome, and is able to open the book and open the seven seals thereof.”
Rev.7:
“2And I saw another angel rising from the east of the sun, having the seal of the living God.
3 Do not harm the earth, nor the sea, nor the trees, until we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads.
4 And I heard the number of those who were sealed: those who were sealed were one hundred and forty-four thousand from all the tribes of the children of Israel."
Rev.9:4: “And she was told not to harm the grass of the earth, or any green plant, or any tree, but only to people who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads.”
We see that we can talk about a kind of opposition between the seal of God and the mark of the beast. The word "inscription" comes from the root "detail" ("to draw") and indicates a method of applying an image to a surface by drawing a pattern consisting of lines. Understanding this allows us to assert that the mark of the beast will be based on the image of a star drawn with lines. It would seem that the basis for the mark of the beast should be a pentagram depicted with one end up. But that's not true. The design will be based on a six-pointed star, consisting of two intertwined equilateral triangles.
In this case, is it possible to say that the seal of David in the form of a hexagon will be taken as a basis? Yes, it’s printing, not writing! No you can not. This is where the time has come to reveal the secret of replacing the Star of David with a very similar hexagram. And this secret is that Satan, who wanted to reign over the human race, inspired his tools to quietly replace the hated six-pointed seal-star of David with a six-pointed star, symbolizing his struggle with God and supposedly victory in this struggle. This hexagram became, along with the pentogram, the beloved star of Satan and his servants. In it, the sixth end up symbolizes the reign of Satan in this world and over humanity instead of God.
Since this accession will take place through the Antichrist-beast, then the hexagram symbolizing the power of Satan will be the basis for its outline.
Thus, in Judaism, through substitution, the Star of David was replaced by the mark of Satan, and faith in one God was replaced by faith in Satan. To deceive, the image of the Star of David and conversations about God the Creator are allowed. Many ordinary Jews, due to their spiritual blindness, do not see the difference between the hexagram and the Star of David, which was depicted only along the outline and was the basis of his royal seal. It was in imitation of this seal that some Russian princes and tsars took the Star of David as the basis for their seals.
It remains to note that the mark of the coming beast will include the name of the beast, written in letters at the ends of the hexagram and in its middle, as well as the number of the name of the beast. This is why it is rightly called both the mark of the beast and the mark of the name of the beast. And the name of the beast will consist of seven letters.
Today it is better not to wear the Star of David, as it has become inextricably associated with Talmudic Judaism. Moreover, you cannot wear a hexagram that directly indicates Satanism.”
So, according to this version, the Star of David is a six-pointed star, which was depicted in its entirety, without intersections or lines (i.e., not like on the flag of the modern state of Israel). Its meaning was that it reflected the five basic feelings of a person (symbolized by the five ends, except for the upper one), which were all supposed to submit to the sixth most important feeling - aspiration and obedience to the Living God. Such an image, which is sometimes found even on ancient icons, is quite tolerable.
Since the time the Jews fell away from God and the true faith (after the sin of Deicide), a change has occurred in their symbolism. The six-pointed Star of David was retained (as an indication of Jewish origin), but at the same time modified by depicting it as two equilateral triangles. In the interpretation of Freemasons and God-fighters, such an image - a hexagram - marks the struggle of two principles: God and Satan, depicted in the form of triangles (sometimes in the form of black and white triangular old men who fight among themselves). Moreover, Satan, according to their symbolism, supposedly prevails over God.
In fact, all ancient symbols are perceived by modern people incorrectly and often vice versa, inside out, like, say, the same swastika, privatized by the Nazis. There are many examples of this. There is not a single geometric figure that, over the long history of mankind, has not been the subject of philosophical, cosmological and occult-mystical speculation. We should not absolutize signs in order to prevent elements of magic from entering our consciousness. For many, the Star of David is associated only with Masons and Jews. But the Star of David appeared long before the appearance of both the Masons and the Talmud. So, if you suddenly see the Star of David on utensils, icons, or the walls of a temple, you don’t need to look for the “Masonic trace.” It is not there (or almost not, because the Freemasons also widely use the cross).
Magen David on the oldest, fully surviving copy of the Massoretic text of the Torah, Leningrad Codex, 1008.
Middle Ages
A thousand years ago, the hexagonal star was an international sign. It was found on early Christian amulets and in Muslim ornaments called the “seal of Solomon.” In Christian churches the hexagram is found even more often than in synagogues.
The earliest mention of the name "Magen David" probably dates back to the era of the Babylonian Geons (early Middle Ages). It is mentioned as the legendary "shield of King David" in a text interpreting the magical "alphabet of the angel Metatron." However, the earliest reliable source of this name is the book “Eshkol Ha-Kofer” by the Karaite sage Yehuda ben Eliyahu Hadasi (12th century). In it, he criticizes those who turned this symbol into a cult object. From this we can conclude that at that time the Star of David was used as a mystical sign on amulets. However, it should be noted that in medieval Arabic books on magic the hexagram is found much more often than in Jewish mystical works. In addition, the hexagram is found on the flags of the Muslim states of Karaman and Kandara.
The false messiah David Alroy, who attempted a military campaign against Jerusalem in order to recapture the city from the crusaders who ruled there at that time, was considered a sorcerer and probably came from areas that were still under the rule of the Khazars in the 12th century. There is a version according to which he was the one who turned the magical symbol of the Seal of Solomon into the symbol of Magen David (named so, perhaps, in honor of himself), making it a family symbol of his family.
In the 13th-14th centuries, the Star of David appears on the pediments of German synagogues and on Jewish manuscripts. In the same era, they began to decorate amulets and mezuzahs, and in the late Middle Ages, Jewish texts on Kabbalah. However, apparently, this symbol had only a decorative meaning.
The grandson of Ramban (14th century) wrote about the hexagonal “shield of David” in his work on Kabbalah. It was alleged that warriors of the victorious army of King David used a shield of a similar shape.
The first evidence that the hexagram was used as a specifically Jewish symbol dates back to 1354, when Emperor Charles IV (Holy Roman Emperor) granted the Jews of Prague the privilege of having their own flag. This flag - a red cloth with the image of a six-pointed star - was called the “flag of David”. Magen David also decorated the official seal of the community.
New time
Subsequently, the hexagram was used as a Jewish typographical sign and an integral part of family coats of arms. In the Czech Republic of that period, one could find a six-pointed star as a decorative element in synagogues, books, on official seals, on religious and household utensils. Later (XVII-XVIII centuries) the hexagram came into use among the Jews of Moravia and Austria, and then in Italy and the Netherlands. Somewhat later it spread among the communities of Eastern Europe.
In cabalistic circles, the “shield of David” was interpreted as “the shield of the son of David,” that is, the Messiah. Thus, the followers of the false messiah Shabtai Zevi (late 17th century) saw in him a symbol of imminent deliverance.
Only at the end of the 18th century. Magen David began to be depicted on Jewish tombstones.
Already since 1799, the Magen David appears as a specifically Jewish symbol in anti-Semitic caricatures.
In the 19th century, emancipated Jews chose the Star of David as a national symbol in contrast to the Christian cross. It was during this period that the six-pointed star was adopted by almost all communities of the Jewish world. It became a common symbol on the buildings of synagogues and Jewish institutions, on monuments and tombstones, on seals and document forms, on household and religious objects, including on the curtains covering the cabinets in which Torah scrolls are kept in synagogues.
Versions about the origin of Magen David. It should be noted that the exact origin of the symbol is unknown. According to commentators, the white lily, which consists of six petals blooming in the form of Magen David, is the lily symbolizing the Jewish people, which the Song of Songs speaks of: I am Sharon's daffodil, lily of the valleys! As the lily is among the thorns, so is my friend among the maidens. (Song.2:1-2) * Israeli researcher Uri Ophir believes that the origin of the Star of David is connected with the temple Menorah. Under each of her seven lamps there was a flower. Uri Ophir believes that it was a white lily flower (Lilium candidum), which is shaped like Magen David. The lamp was located in the center of the flower, in such a way that the priest lit a fire, as if in the center of Magen David. The Menorah was in the Tabernacle during the Jews' wanderings in the desert, and then in the Jerusalem Temple, until the destruction of the Second Temple. This, in his opinion, explains the antiquity and significance of Magen David. * According to legend, Magen David was depicted on the shields of King David’s soldiers. * According to another version, the shields were made of leather and reinforced with strips of metal in the shape of intersecting triangles. * According to the third version, the shields themselves were hexagonal. * It is quite possible that Magen David was, in essence, the signature of King David, since the letter “Dalet” in ancient Hebrew writing had the shape of a triangle, and the name??? in Hebrew consists of two "dalet". At the same time, according to some sources, his personal seal contained an image not of a star, but of a shepherd’s crook and scrip. * There is a version according to which the false messiah David Alroy (Al-Roi) was the one who in the 12th century turned the magical symbol of the Solomon Seal into the symbol of Magen David (named so, perhaps, in honor of himself), making it a family symbol kind. * Followers of the false Messiah Shabtai Zevi (late 17th century) interpreted the “shield of David” as the “shield of the son of David,” that is, the Messiah, and saw in it a symbol of imminent deliverance. |
Opinions on the meaning of Magen David
- The most common explanation of the hexagram is that it represents the connection and combination of the masculine (upward triangle) and feminine (downward triangle) principles.
- In ancient times, Magen David was believed to represent all four elements: the upward-facing triangle symbolizes fire and air, while the downward-facing triangle symbolizes water and earth.
- According to another version, the upper corner of the triangle facing upward symbolizes fire, the other two (left and right) symbolize water and air. The corners of another triangle, facing one of the corners downwards, respectively: mercy, peace (rest) and grace.
- Also, Magen David is a combination of the heavenly principle, which tends to the earth (triangle directed downward) and the earthly principle, tending to heaven (triangle directed upward).
- According to one explanation, the six-pointed Star of David symbolizes the Divine control of the entire world: earth, sky and the four cardinal directions - north, south, east and west. (An interesting detail: in Hebrew, the words “Magen David” also consist of six letters.)
- According to Kabbalah, Magen David reflects the seven lower Sephiroth: each of the six triangles points to one of the Sephiroth, and the hexagonal center points to the Sephira "Malkhut".
- According to R. E. Essas, this sign symbolizes the 6 days of creation and reflects the model of the universe. Two triangles - two directions. A triangle pointing upward: the top point indicates the Almighty and that He is one. Further, the divergence of this point to the left and to the right indicates the opposites that appeared in the process of creation - Good and Evil. The point of the second triangle of the Star of David is directed downwards. From two vertices that are distant from each other, the lines converge to one - the bottom, the third. This is the idea of the purpose of human existence, whose task is to harmoniously combine within oneself (lower peak) the concepts generated by the idea of the existence of the “right” and “left” sides of the created world.
- There is a tradition of decorating the Magen David sukkah - a special hut in which Jews live during the holiday of Sukkot. The six points of the star hanging in the sukkah correspond to the six “distinguished guests” (ushpizin) who visit the Jewish sukkah during the first six days of Sukkot: Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, Aaron and Joseph. What unites them all is the seventh “guest” - King David himself.
"Star of Salvation" by Rosenzweig
- Magen David has 12 ribs, which corresponds to the 12 tribes of Israel over which David reigned and which will be restored with the coming of the Messiah, the direct heir of King David.
- The outstanding German-Jewish philosopher Franz Rosenzweig, in his main philosophical work “The Star of Salvation” (1921), proposed his own interpretation of the Magen David. He views the Magen David as a symbolic expression of the relationship between God, man and the universe. The triangle at the base, in his opinion, personifies the three main subjects considered by philosophy: God, Man and the Universe. The other reflects the position of Judaism in relation to these elements and their relationship with each other - Creation (between God and the Universe), Revelation (between God and Man) and Deliverance (between Man and the Universe). The overlapping of these triangles on top of each other forms the “Star of Salvation.”
Use of the hexagram as a Jewish symbol.
The Rothschild family, having received the title of nobility in 1817, included the Magen David in their family coat of arms.
Since 1840, the German poet of Jewish origin Heinrich Heine put a hexagram instead of a signature under his articles in the German newspaper Augsburger Allgemeine Zeitung.
Much of the “merit” for forever associating the six-pointed star with the Jews belongs to the Nazis. In many cities and countries of Europe, the Nazi authorities chose the yellow Magen David as a distinctive sign of a Jew. This emblem separated the Jews from the local population and served as a humiliating mark in their eyes. In addition, the Star of David was used as an identification mark of certain categories of prisoners of Nazi concentration camps, and often (but not always) one of the two triangles forming it was made of a different color depending on the category of the prisoner, for example, for political prisoners - red, for emigrants - blue , for homosexuals - pink, for persons deprived of the right to a profession - green, for the so-called “asocial elements” - black, etc.
At the same time, in the USA and Great Britain they saw in the Magen David a Jewish symbol, similar to the Christian cross, and for this reason they depicted the Magen David on the graves of Jewish soldiers who died in the ranks of the Allied armies, just as the graves of Christians are marked with a cross.
The yellow Star of David on a background of two blue stripes, with a white stripe in the middle, served as the emblem of the Jewish Brigade, which was part of the British army during World War II. Perhaps the authors of this symbol thereby wanted to turn the yellow Nazi star into a source of pride.
After the creation of the State of Israel, it was decided to take the flag of the Zionist movement, in the center of which the blue Magen David is depicted, as the state flag.
The Israeli Provisional Government accepted the decision of the Coat of Arms and Flag Commission and approved it on October 28, 1948. So the blue Star of David became the symbol of the State of Israel. At the same time, a more authentic and ancient Jewish emblem was chosen as the coat of arms - the Menorah, an image of a temple lamp.
In 1930, a Jewish emergency medical service organization was created in Tel Aviv, an analogue of the Red Cross in Christian countries and the Red Crescent in Muslim countries. For this reason, the red Magen David was chosen as the emblem and name of this organization ("Magen David Adom").
The IDF emblem is also based on the Star of David.
Other countries .
- State symbols of the United States contain the Six-Pointed Star in various modifications, for example the Great Seal of the United States.
- The Star of David is depicted on the coats of arms of the German cities of Cher and Gerbstedt, as well as the Ukrainian Ternopil and Konotop.
- Three six-pointed stars appear on the flag of Burundi. They personify the national motto: “Unity. Job. Progress.".
Holy Trinity Cathedral of the MP of St. Petersburg |
There is another version of the meaning of the six-pointed star. Some Christians adhere to this version. Here is what priest Oleg Molenko says about this:
“With the Star of David, as with many other cult things, a substitution occurred. It was replaced with a Satanist symbol. That is, what is now called the Star of David is actually a Satanic symbol. In this case, is it possible to say that the seal of David in the form of a hexagon will be taken as the basis for the sign of the Antichrist or the beast? It is a seal, not an outline. No you can not. This is where the time has come to reveal the secret of replacing the Star of David with a very similar hexagram. And this secret is that Satan, who wanted to reign over the human race, inspired his tools to quietly replace the hated six-pointed seal-star of David with a six-pointed star, symbolizing his struggle with God and supposedly victory in this struggle. This hexagram became, along with the pentogram, the beloved star of Satan and his servants. In it, the sixth end up symbolizes the reign of Satan in this world and over humanity instead of God.
Since this accession will take place through the Antichrist-beast, then the hexagram symbolizing the power of Satan will be the basis for its outline.
Thus, in Judaism, through substitution, the Star of David was replaced by the mark of Satan, and faith in one God was replaced by faith in Satan. To deceive, the image of the Star of David and conversations about God the Creator are allowed. Many ordinary Jews, due to their spiritual blindness, do not see the difference between the hexagram and the Star of David, which was depicted only along the outline and was the basis of his royal seal. It was in imitation of this seal that some Russian princes and tsars took the Star of David as the basis for their seals.
It remains to note that the mark of the coming beast will include the name of the beast, written in letters at the ends of the hexagram and in its middle, as well as the number of the name of the beast. This is why it is rightly called both the mark of the beast and the mark of the name of the beast. And the name of the beast will consist of seven letters.”
So, according to this version, the Star of David is a six-pointed star, which was depicted in its entirety, without intersections or lines (i.e., not like on the flag of the modern state of Israel). Its meaning was that it reflected the five basic feelings of a person (symbolized by the five ends, except for the upper one), which were all supposed to submit to the sixth most important feeling - aspiration and obedience to the Living God. Such an image, which is sometimes found even on ancient icons, is quite tolerable.
Cathedral of Christ the Savior in Moscow - the main temple of the MP |
Since the time the Jews fell away from God and the true faith (after the sin of Deicide), a change has occurred in their symbolism. The six-pointed Star of David was retained (as an indication of Jewish origin), but at the same time modified by depicting it as two equilateral triangles. In the interpretation of Freemasons and God-fighters, such an image - a hexagram - marks the struggle of two principles: God and Satan, depicted in the form of triangles (sometimes in the form of black and white triangular old men who fight among themselves). Moreover, Satan, according to their symbolism, supposedly prevails over God.
One of the rabbis spoke in response to the following questions:
“Does Magen David or the hexagram have anything to do with King David? What is the secret meaning of this sign? When did it become a specifically Jewish symbol? Is it a cabalistic sign?”, explains:
“The hexagram is an international symbol of very ancient origin. It was used in India long before it appeared in the East and Europe. Initially, the hexagram was not a specifically Jewish symbol. In the Middle and Near East, she was a symbol of the cult of the goddess Astarte. And in Mecca, the main Muslim shrine - the black stone of the Kaaba - from century to century is traditionally covered with a silk blanket on which hexagonal stars are depicted... The reason for this is a topic for a special study. However, it has been repeatedly noted that not only in Russia, but also in many other countries, people who are considered non-Jews turn out to be, to one degree or another, involved in the people of Israel. For example, on the grave of the mother of the first-rate rock star Elvis Presley, Magen David is depicted.
The truly Jewish symbol in all centuries was the magen-David - the temple lamp; in addition, it is also a kind of identification mark. If an image of a Menorah is found at an ancient burial site, this clearly indicates that the burial is Jewish.
The hexagram, unlike the Menorah, became a Jewish symbol relatively recently, and its widespread use is explained by the desire of Jews to find a simple symbol for Judaism, similar to those adopted by other religions. When it became a specific Jewish attribute in the mass consciousness, there were many who wanted to religiously and mystically comprehend its use.
At the end of the 17th century. Jewish cabalists interpreted the hexagram as the “shield of the son of David,” that is, the Moshiach. However, in medieval Arabic books on magic, the hexagram appears much more often than in Jewish mystical works.
It is interesting that as an amulet or part of an ornament, the hexagram appears not only in Muslim cemeteries, it can also be found on the graves of Russian nobles of the 19th century.
In the Middle Ages, the hexagram was more often found in Christian churches than in synagogues. Moreover, almost all documents say that the use of the hexagram in the early period was limited to “practical Kabbalah,” i.e. Jewish magic, apparently dating back to the 6th century AD. In some legends, the six-pointed star is associated with the “seal of Solomon” - a magical signet ring, thanks to which King Solomon could control demons and spirits. It is believed that the four-letter Name of the Almighty, the Tetragrammaton, was carved on Solomon’s ring, but medieval amulets imitating the seal of Solomon usually depicted a six- or five-pointed star surrounded by roaring lions, which symbolized the Name of God.
The star on these amulets was usually called the "seal of Solomon." In addition to the ring of King Solomon, there are also medieval Jewish Kabbalistic texts that mention the magical shield of King David, which protected him from his enemies. These texts say that on David's shield were inscribed 72 letters that made up the Name of the Most High, or the name Shaddai, or the names of the angels. According to legend, this shield later ended up in the possession of Judas Maccabee.
Some scholars have attempted to trace the Star of David back to the days of King David, the Bar Kokhba (Son of the Star) rebellion, and the Kabbalists, especially Isaac Lurie, who lived in the 16th century, but there is no evidence to suggest the symbol's origins are as early as specifically the Jewish one was not found. Moreover, almost all documents say that the use of the hexagram in the early period was limited to “practical Kabbalah,” i.e. Jewish magic, apparently dating back to the 6th century AD.
Kabbalist Isaac Arama, who lived in the 15th century, claimed that on David's shield was inscribed in the shape of a menorah the 67th Psalm, known as the "Psalm of the Menorah" because it consists of seven lines, not counting the opening line. Another legend says that a six-pointed star was carved on the shield, at the tops of which were inscribed the six properties of the Most High, mentioned by the prophet Isaiah: “And the Spirit of the Lord will descend upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and strength, the spirit of knowledge and fear of the Lord.” Over time, the symbol of the menorah on David's shield was replaced in folk legends by a six-pointed star, and the seal of Solomon became associated with a five-pointed star. The hexagram was also perceived as a messianic symbol, as it was believed to be associated with King David, the ancestor of the Messiah.
On the eve of the Sabbath, German Jews often lit a brass lamp in the shape of a star, which they called Judenstern - the Jewish star. Here there is a certain connection between the six-pointed star and the messianic era, the herald of which is the Sabbath. For the same reason, the six-pointed star was very popular among the followers of Shabtai Zvi, who pretended to be the Messiah (17th century). Jewish mystics and miracle workers most often chose the six-pointed star as a sign of protection from evil forces, placing it on mezuzahs and amulets.
In a book by the Jewish philosopher, historian of religion and mysticism Gershom Scholem, published 27 years after his death, a researcher of Jewish mysticism suggested that the Star of David, which, as is known, is considered to be the oldest Jewish symbol, is in fact a magical emblem that became revered by Jews only in the 19th century.
It became a universal Jewish symbol only in 1354, when the Czech king Charles IV granted the Jewish community of Prague the privilege of having its own flag: the flag was red, and the “shield of David” was depicted on it. The Jews of Prague saw this sign as a symbol of ancient greatness, when King David allegedly wore a hexagram on his shield. This emblem was widely depicted on Prague synagogues, books, religious and household utensils.
As a decorative element, the “shield of David” was widespread in the Middle Ages in Muslim and Christian countries. The magical power of the “shield of David” was initially not associated with the hexagram. It is difficult to even say whether it originated in Islam, where David was credited with the invention of defensive weapons, or in Jewish mysticism.
The Arabs used the hexagram as an ornamental element, as well as in magic, and among them it was known as the “seal of Solomon” - a king whose name is associated with a large number of myths and legends. His greatness and wisdom were revered not only in Palestine, but also in Europe, Abyssinia, Persia, Afghanistan and Arabia. According to tradition, after completing his earthly life, King Solomon was ascended into the sun, where he ruled over a vast kingdom of elves, fairies, genies and warriors, shining with a dazzling light. They were all obedient to Solomon and obeyed him unconditionally because he had power over them through his seal. It is reliably known that already in the 6th century, Byzantine amulets with the “seal of Solomon” were known in Christian circles.
One of the greatest laws of existence is the repetition of the past in the present and future. Thousands of scientific and artistic works have been devoted to this, but graphically this law has found its expression, and apparently not by chance, precisely in the Star of David. And upon more careful study of all the phenomena of this star, it turned out that it is, and even more universal, a clock than the current 12-hour clock. It turned out that the model, which seemingly symbolizes only the interpenetration of two geometric figures, also contains a code through which all hereditary characteristics of a person are transmitted.
The Jews received the most mysterious symbol - a six-pointed star, or rather two interpenetrating regular triangles, known as the Star of David.
An amazing figure is a triangle, because it is a unique building block of the universe. It seems to be imperceptibly present in all other figures: square, rectangle, trapezoid, rhombus and even in a circle. After all, a circle is just some infinity of triangles that have one common vertex.
Well, now let’s try to carefully understand the secret meaning of two interpenetrating triangles. To say that these are simply two mutually balanced principles - male and female - would mean saying almost nothing. Although this moment quite logically coincides with the rather humorous image on the doors of a famous latrine. Moreover, the triangle depicting a woman is located above the “male” triangle. It is not without interest, by the way, that according to Jewish custom, nationality is determined by the mother, and not by the father.
And, first of all, since the star in question bears the name of David, then I tried to find its answer in him. And only then did he come to the conclusion that the information contained in it was incommensurably more than what was presented earlier.
The Israeli king David was one of those chosen natures who inevitably attract the sympathy of everyone with whom they come into contact, and whose charm nothing can resist. At the age of 25, he was invited as a musician, a masterful lyre player, to serve the Israeli king Saul. Before entering the service, David was a shepherd for his father. Saul's servants found him and brought him to the king. Soon after his appearance at court, David charms one after another, first the king, and then the courtiers, and the son and daughter of Saul. This was too much for the suspicious Saul. He begins to fear for his throne and in a short time turns into his worst enemy. Having learned about his daughter's love for David, he tries to turn her into a weapon to destroy David.
For this purpose, he promises David his daughter, but only on a condition that David, in Saul’s opinion, cannot fulfill. He demands that David, as a wedding ransom for Michal, bring circumcision to 100 Philistines he killed, who inhabited the territory of Israel even before the arrival of the Jews. Contrary to expectations, David emerges from this test unscathed. Saul keeps his word and marries his daughter Michal to David, who has already become famous in the battles with the Philistines. However, suspicious and sick Saul decides to get rid of his successful son-in-law and begins to pursue him.
David manages to escape from Saul's army with a detachment of 600 people. With these 600 adherents, using his unique diplomatic gift, he enters into an alliance, and one that would seem completely unheard of... with the Philistines. Yes, Vid played a very dangerous game, finding himself as if between two fires. At this time, the king of the Philistines, Achim, begins a campaign against Israel. However, David manages not to participate in the war against his people. The Philistines win the battle against Saul, his army is defeated and takes flight. In this battle, three of Saul's sons die, and he himself throws himself on his own sword. The Philistines continued to consider David their vassal, but they overlooked the extraordinary political wisdom of David, who at that moment managed to lead Israel, relying on his detachment of 600! warriors By the way, David's military tactics were based on a principle that had passed thousands of years of testing. The first detachment of 400 people carried out offensive operations (it is interesting that the modern strike detachment - a battalion, consists of exactly 400 people), and David introduced the second detachment of 200 people at the most difficult moment of the battle. It was this tactic that led him to numerous victories.
It is likely that when creating the coat of arms of his state: a hexagonal star, he proceeded from the saving number for him - 6.
The figure on the left shows a diagram depicting, using two triangles, the law of repetition of historical development (phylogeny) in individual development (ontogenesis), known in world biological science as Severtsev’s law.
Up. A model of the gradual repetition of the characteristics of the ancestors in the process of individual development, starting from the moment of formation of the zygote - a fertilized egg. It is clearly visible that at the third stage of the “egg of life” the “Star of David” is schematically visible.
At the bottom. Model of gradual accumulation of genetic traits from previous generations (phylogeny).
The upper triangle reflects the historical and biological past of every person on Earth. In other words, this is the history of its phylogenesis, that is, its historical development. At the top of this conditional triangle there can be any specific person who in the past had two - father and mother, four - grandparents, eight - great-grandparents, 16 - great-great-grandparents, and so on. In just three hundred years, and this, you see, is even less than a visible particle of the iceberg in his biological development, we can count approximately four thousand direct relatives, among whom there may be a hundred or two different nationalities.
The lower triangle schematically reflects the process opposite to phylogenesis, namely ontogeny, starting from the moment of the birth of a new life. It is known that this moment is the fertilization of an egg by a sperm, which involves 23 male and 23 female chromosomes, plus 2 lining the membrane of an already fertilized egg.
The image on the right shows the 24 inner corners of the Star of David. Clocks calculated from it provide more accurate information than those currently accepted! The number of internal angles in the Star of David is 24, in the two merged stars there are 48-2 (in the shell).
Thus, we can state a fantastic coincidence with the absolute biological code of all humanity and each person individually. And as the song says, indeed: “Everything will happen all over again.” In the first phase of egg division, we see two poles - father and mother, then four - grandparents, then eight poles - great-grandfathers and great-grandmothers, and so on, until the moment of complete transmission of all the information accumulated by all previous generations.
A — the first stage of fertilization of the egg at the moment of formation of a zygote with 46+(2) chromosomes;
B - second stage;IN - the third stage - the “living egg”, in which the structured energy is schematically distinguished by analogy with the “Star of David”.
It is no secret to anyone that the Jews left Egypt. However, evidence of the Egyptian origin of the Jews is already available in the Star of David itself. After all, precisely in Egypt, the triangle was considered the pinnacle of wisdom, its unique symbol. And there was nothing accidental about this. Wisdom was passed on from generation to generation with the help of papyri made from plants of the same name, and the plant - papyrus in its diameter is, precisely, a triangle. A triangle with one apex facing downwards is a kind of memory of the past, and with one apex facing upwards, it is a symbol of future experience or wisdom directed towards the future.
It is interesting that parapsychologists know special tests - tasks in which it is asked to depict something, for example, a man using three figures - a triangle, a quadrangle and a circle. It is believed that if the subject uses only a triangle for this purpose, then he has 100% intelligence, if only a circle, then he is stupid, and if only a rectangle, then he is stubborn. Well, if in various combinations, then according to percentage.
The Egg of Life is a two-dimensional image of a three-dimensional figure. It already represents eight cells. This is already the central formula underlying all biological forms of life. It is at this level of cell division that the outlines of the Star of David appear.
The moment of the “appearance” of the Star of David on the third round of life, that is, cell division, representing the so-called “egg of life”.
And if you unfold all six rings (in a round version of the Star of David) and schematically represent them in the form of a chain, you will truly get the most amazing creation of living nature: a model of a DNA strand, that is, deoxyribonucleic acid - the main carrier of the human genetic code.
Surprisingly, there are indisputable scientific facts that even the long-awaited rain, before pouring onto the earth’s surface from the heavenly clouds, must first go through a cycle of structural transformations, among which there is a phase, again, similar to the Star of David. In 1946, two American scientists Scherer and Langmuir investigated the mechanism of artificial rain formation. It is known that clouds consist of supercooled water droplets. In order for them to rain, so-called compensation nuclei are needed, which can be introduced into the cloud artificially. In the course of long-term experiments, Shereer and Langmuir found that the most powerful rain effect occurs when the compensation cores have a hexagonal shape, similar to the contours of the Star of David.
We have looked at the biochemical analogues of the Star of David at the molecular level of DNA structure, now let’s move on to simpler options - chemical models, but also at the molecular level.
It turned out that this option is extremely interesting and truly comprehensive. The Star of David can be safely installed at all gas stations in the world, since the molecule of the main energy carrier of oil: gasoline - benzene, is a complete analogue, again, of this star of the first magnitude, as the ancient Greeks said.
A slightly different point of view on the figure of two triangles has historically developed in the East, primarily in China (Israel is, after all, the Middle East). The triangles are exactly the same, but the interpretations seem to be different on the outside, but essentially the same. Indeed, “When two people do the same thing, they still get different things.”
According to the Chinese meridional theory, a triangle facing upward represents the YANG energy, that is, male, positive energy, and a triangle facing downwards represents YIN energy, that is, feminine energy, more grounded, as if stopping the soaring in the clouds is the energy of a man, which has a pacifying and grounding effect. These two triangles, when rotated, form a rounded shape, known as the YIN-YANG symbol, meaning the balance of two life principles, male and female, as a harmonious unity of life (Fig. 71).
It is noteworthy that the optimal vision of the YIN-YANG sign appears when rotating precisely at a frequency of 24 revolutions per second.
In this transformation of two symbols, one can quite visually imagine that the Chinese symbolism of harmony in nature is a kind of Star of David, in other words, a Star of David in the Chinese way. However, like the Star of David itself, it is quite fair to interpret it as an Israeli version of the Chinese YIN-YANG symbolism. Indeed, by rearranging the terms, the sum does not change, and moreover, in this transformation the law of conservation of energy is miraculously manifested. One of its types, for example, Chinese, is transformed without loss into Israeli and other types that depict the law of harmony in nature. And, undoubtedly, this law can be called the law of preserving harmony.
The third millennium has begun - the era of universal globalization, in other words, the time has come to collect rather than scatter stones. One of the signs of our time was the emergence of a single monetary unit in Europe - the euro, while maintaining state ownership (on the back of each coin there is a corresponding symbol). Countries and peoples of continents are beginning to unite. The same process is outlined in the area of beliefs. And I see and hear how a new guide, meeting his visitors in some cathedral, addresses them with the words: “Look carefully at what floor you are walking on - it is lined with symbols, which are based on the code of the universe.”
It should be noted that according to some versions, the Star of David was modified by Satan into a Satanic symbol. Initially, the star was depicted as a whole, and later as two overlapping triangles.
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As soon as they do not call the symbol in the shape of a star with six rays. They say that this is a sign of sorcerers, Jews. But how much of this is true? What is the significance of the Star of David in Christianity? There are a lot of questions. Let's try to find answers to them.
Origins of the symbol
Researchers have found that the star appeared in India earlier than in Europe and the Middle East. Even from this fact it is already clear that the Star of David was not originally a symbol of Judaism and Jews, which it is now considered to be.
But the use of the sign by these people since ancient times is evidenced by the fact that a hexagram was discovered on a Jewish seal dating back to the seventh century BC in Sidon. And the name “Star of David” comes from the story of a shield that was made in the form of this symbol and protected the famous king and his entire army.
In 1354, Jews from Prague were given the opportunity to have their own flag, which was a six-pointed star on a red cloth, as well as a seal with the same sign. Only then did the hexagram begin to be considered a national symbol.
Initially, the Star of David was depicted as one piece; the division into two triangles superimposed on each other occurred later.
Russian roots
The meaning of the Star of David symbol can be better understood if you understand where and when people first began to use it.
In scientific circles, various facts about the use of the sign with six rays are known. For example, the researcher of the Russian North Vyacheslav Meshcheryakov wrote in his publication about a discovery in those places where, in addition to other interesting things, they found a six-pointed silver star on a stone stand. The scientist is confident that in times before the ice age in northern Russia the climate was warmer. And the territory was inhabited by the ancient Aryans - a highly developed civilization.
It is too early to draw a conclusion about where, from India or from the territory of Russian lands, the Star of David came into the culture of other countries. After all, the point has not yet been made on this issue.
Star of David: symbolism, meaning
This topic is also controversial. The symbol itself consists of two triangles combined with each other. So, most likely, one of them means heaven, the second - Earth, or God and man, or man and woman, and perhaps also the four elements (fire, water, earth, air) - in different cultures to your own. But the meaning in any case is the connection of the principles that make up the Universe.
In India, this symbol means human essence, the eternal struggle of the spiritual and carnal principles. The six-pointed star is still used in yoga today as a yantra - a sign of the chakra responsible for the heart center.
The Star of David symbol, the meaning of which is not so easy to understand, is used more often in Christianity than in Judaism. It can be found in Freemasonry, magic, alchemy, in the practice of sorcerers, etc.
Star of David: meaning in Christianity
Each direction of human activity interprets the meaning of a star in its own way. There is even an opinion that the hexagram means the number of the beast - 666.
During early Christianity, a sign with six rays meant the Star of Bethlehem, and was also a symbol of the six days of creation.
There is a reason why this symbol is inscribed in the cross of the Orthodox faith. It is believed that the Star of David has a very important meaning - the union of the Divine nature with the human in Christ. This is a symbol of Jesus.
It should be noted that in Christianity the Star of David began to be used much earlier than in Judaism. Therefore, it would be wrong to assert that Orthodox believers do not have the right to use it in decorating churches, in icon painting and on crosses crowning domes. Although this is a controversial question, and only the Lord knows the correct answer. The main thing is how you feel about this symbol yourself, and not what others say about it.
Why is the Star of David primarily associated with Judaism and Jews?
This was influenced by the period of Nazi rule. In order to distinguish Jews from local residents, the fascists used the yellow Star of David in European cities. A photo revealing the meaning of the symbol can be seen in this article.
Such a mark, but with triangles of different colors, was sometimes used by the Nazis in concentration camps as a distinctive sign of certain categories of prisoners. Political - red triangle, emigrants - blue, people of non-traditional orientation - pink, deprived of the right to a profession - green, antisocial elements - black.
During the same period, residents of Great Britain and the United States depicted the Star of David on the graves of Jewish soldiers from the armies of allied countries, considering it a symbol of Judaism. This was done in the same way that Christians mark the tombstones of the dead with a cross.
The Star of David is of great importance in Israel. It is used on the state flag, on the emblems of organizations (for example, Emergency Medical Services) and the army. But still it cannot be argued that this is entirely a symbol of Judaism and Jews.
Another version
Another version of the symbol was mentioned above. It was solid without division into triangles. There is an opinion that the replacement of the original star with the one that is used everywhere today occurred at the suggestion of Satan and signifies his imaginary victory over God. Priest Oleg Molenko also shares this opinion. He also writes that the coming of the Antichrist will be accompanied by a seal in the form of this symbol.
The true Star of David had the following meaning: five rays - the five feelings of a person, and the sixth ray, directed upward, symbolized the desire for the Heavenly Father, to whom everything should obey. It is this kind of solid image that is found on ancient icons. This star is truly Christian.
Star of David in the occult
It is no secret that the symbol, used even in Christianity, is used by magicians and sorcerers. The Star of David has a different meaning in magic: the combination of triangles turned in different directions is understood as the interaction of two opposites. It is necessary for the continuation of life.
For Jews, the Star of David had a meaning far from magical. The influence of Kabbalah led to the imparting of occult properties to the symbol. The hexagram is used for fortune telling in Tarot cards, as well as in various magical objects. In addition, the Star of David is widely used by adherents of the occult in rituals to summon demons.
In connection with all of the above, Father Oleg Molenko strongly recommends not wearing this symbol in any form.
Of course, the understanding of the signs of Christianity is always changed, especially by opponents of the faith. And today, the symbol of the Star of David, the significance of which in Christianity is great (after all, it is the identity of Jesus), seems to be not the one that was originally used by believers. But still there is no need to condemn the church for using the hexagram. The main thing to remember is that everything is God’s will. You should use things with the image of a star carefully, but not going to a temple where this symbol is present can hardly be called a reasonable decision. God bless you!
Is the Star of David a model of the universe or the number of the beast?
In Indian culture, in particular in tantra and yoga, the six-pointed star was and remains a yantra - a graphic symbol of one of the seven human chakras, namely Anahata, the heart center. This chakra is located in the spine at the level of the heart and is responsible for devotion, love, compassion and joy. In yantra, a downward-pointing triangle symbolizes the sky, and an upward-pointing triangle symbolizes the earthly beginning. Therefore, the six-pointed star expresses the human essence, which is in eternal union and struggle between the spiritual and carnal components.
Other ancient sources associated the hexagram with the four elements, the four cardinal directions, the harmonious union of man and woman, and even Angel and Demon. Kabbalists believed that the magendovid reflected the seven lower Sephiroth - the emanations of God. And according to the eschatological interpretation, the hexagram symbolizes the number of the Beast - 666, since it has six angles, six small triangles and six sides of the inner hexagon.
Representatives of each religious or esoteric movement saw something different in the six-pointed star. For example, in early Christianity the hexagram was associated with the Star of Bethlehem or the six days of creation. With the advent of alchemy, the symbol became a graphic representation of the philosopher's stone. In Freemasonry, the magendovid was an emblem of transcendental wisdom.
The interpretation of this symbol by the German-Jewish philosopher Franz Rosenzweig deserves special mention. In his opinion, magendovid personifies the relationship between the creator, people and reality. At the apexes of the triangle that lies at the base are God, Man and the Universe. And the other triangle expresses the position of Judaism in relation to these elements. The addition of triangles forms the “Star of Salvation.”
Symbol of freedom
The six-pointed star has the strongest connection with Judaism. Most Jewish communities around the world have recognized the Magendowid as one of their main symbols. And since 1840, the German poet of Jewish origin Heinrich Heine used it instead of a signature under his articles in the German newspaper Augsburger Allgemeine Zeitung. Therefore, it is not surprising that in the 20th century the symbol appeared in anti-Semitic cartoons, and then the Nazis chose the magendovid on a yellow background as a distinctive sign of a Jew. This humiliating bandage was required to be worn by all Jewish residents of the ghetto during World War II. But less than ten years have passed since the star with six rays turned from a stigma into a symbol of freedom. On October 28, 1948, the Israeli flag with a blue six-pointed star on a white background was officially adopted.
It is noteworthy that Israel's greatest friends - the United States - also have a hexagram in their symbolism. The Star of David appears on the Great Seal of the United States. Also, the Star of David is clearly visible in the ornament of the walls of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior in Moscow and in the cross of the central dome. It is also present on icons. The symbol can today be found on the coats of arms of the German cities of Gerbsted and Scher, as well as the Ukrainian ones of Konotop and Ternopil.
Since ancient times, the star has been considered a special symbol, because we see it almost every night. The sky seems so distant and inaccessible that its stars are associated with something strong and permanent. The brightness and beauty of these celestial beings evokes dreams and thoughts of miracles. There are thousands of interpretations of the images of stars, and they have a special place in the culture of all nations.
A six-pointed star (hexagram), formed as a result of superimposing two equilateral triangles on top of each other (one with its apex up, the other down) with a regular hexagon resulting in the middle, is called the Star of David (in other cultures - the Star of Goliath, the Seal of Solomon, the Seal of Vishnu in India).
Now emblem is most strongly associated with the Jewish people, although in fact it is an international sign. The symbol is depicted on the flag of not only Israel, but also Burundi, Nigeria and some Muslim states (Karamana, Kandara). The Star of David can be discerned in elements of the US state seal and the coats of arms of some German, Ukrainian, Portuguese, Russian, Finnish and Estonian cities. The photo is presented below.
Origin story
Early finds
The history of the origin of this symbol and its names go back a long way and is not known for certain. The first images began to appear in rock paintings of the Bronze and Iron Ages. Since the 7th century BC. e. The hexagram began to be found in books on alchemy and magic, elements of ancient seals, frames of synagogues and the interiors of rich houses.
This sign was often found in Arabic books, became widespread in India, the Middle East and Europe in the Middle Ages, and was also mentioned as the “shield of David” in the Kabbalistic “Book of Limit” and “The Alphabet of the Angel Metatron”. Some researchers mistakenly claim that the “shield of David” was also mentioned in the 12th century work “Eshkol Ha-Kofer”, but according to Wikipedia this definition appeared only in the 19th century edition.
There is a theory about the Russian origin of the symbol. In the north of the country, V. Meshcheryakov found a silver six-pointed star on a stone stand from before the Ice Age. He suggested that at that time this territory was occupied by ancient highly developed civilizations.
The hexagram had much in common with the pentagram. Nowadays the six-pointed star is called the "shield of David" and the five-pointed star is the "star of Solomon" (it is believed that it was engraved on the king's magic ring, hence the name), but in the past these names were considered interchangeable. The pentagram was more common, but both emblems were given magical meaning and used in amulets.
For your own well-being, you should start drawing a star from the top of the upper triangle. Then draw the bottom one and touch the center. Freemasons used them as a “flaming star” and a sign of undivided power over the world, occultists believed that the hexagram would help reveal secrets, used it to summon demons, and alchemists saw it as a sign of immortality and wore silver amulets of this shape.
Connection with Jews
It is not known for certain what served as the beginning of the history of the perception of the Star of David as a national symbol of the Jews. In the 7th century BC. e. A seal with her image was discovered that belonged to the Jew Yehoshua ben Yeshayahu, but this symbol was often found among other nations. In 1354 it appeared on the Jewish "flag of King David" and the official seal of the community in Prague. The choice of this particular image could have been borrowed from the culture of Egypt, in which it was associated with deities. In another version, it was an image of King David’s shield, with which he liberated the state. It was then that the star began to take on a more important meaning than a decorative one.
In the XIII–XIV centuries the image was already quite common on Jewish manuscripts, amulets, family coats of arms and in Kabbalistic texts. Then the sign spread to the Czech Republic, Moravia, Austria, Italy, the Netherlands, and Eastern Europe. The attitude towards the hexagram as a symbol of the Jews was finally consolidated in the 18th century. It began to appear on Jewish tombstones, anti-Semitic caricatures, and replaced five-pointed stars on coats of arms.
In the 19th century, the hexagram was adopted by all Jewish communities and appeared on their buildings and synagogues, monuments, and document forms. Although it was often given a meaning similar to the Christian cross and was depicted on the graves of Jews, the star did not represent religion. This is what allowed her to become the official symbol of secular Zionism.
Finally, the six-pointed star was sadly associated with the Israeli people by the Nazis, who chose it as a mark of Jews, separating them from other populations. In concentration camps, all prisoners had a distinctive sign in the form of one triangle, and Jews had two. In addition, the foreheads of concentration camp prisoners who were subjected to experiments were marked with a yellow hexagram.
Derogatory meaning, which was a symbol of the Nazis, was turned into a source of pride by Jewish soldiers of the British Army by creating an emblem of a yellow star against a background of blue and white stripes. And then the blue six-pointed star began to be depicted on the national flag of Israel.
Red Star on a white canvas is the official emblem of emergency care organized by Jews. This organization continues the work of the international committee for the provision of medical assistance. The emblem was adopted by the International Committee of the Red Cross in the early summer of 2006, on the condition that outside Israel, it would be framed by a red diamond.
Connection with the menorah
Initially, the menorah, which is now depicted on the coat of arms of Israel, was considered a Jewish symbol (see photo). It was a seven-branched candlestick, which at the beginning of the new era was also called the “shield of David.” The sacred connection between the menorah and the Star of David began with the fact that Solomon placed columns topped with two-meter lilies at the entrance to the Temple. In the ancient Bible, the flower is translated as lily and symbolizes the nation of the Jews, since it was the only one that grew wild on their territory. The same white lily flowers, when opened, resembling the shape of a six-pointed star, were located under each of the menorah candles, common in churches from the 2nd century AD. e. When the candles were lit, the fire was located in the very center of the Star of David.
origin of name
No matter how widespread this theory may be, it is not supported in the Bible. The king’s personal seal depicted a shepherd’s crook, and, most likely, people began to look for connections with this legendary hero already in the Middle Ages.
What does the Star of David mean?
Hexagram has always been perceived as the sum of several principles that form an equilibrium Universe. The number of these principles varies in different cultures from two to twelve.
Hexagram in ancient religions
- In the Jewish religion Jews are considered a supernation, and all other people are contemptuously called goyim. In the 17th century, when the symbol was widely used by Kabbalists, it was given the meaning of world domination of the Israeli people (the triangle with its apex up symbolizes the triumph of reason and will) over all goyim (the second triangle is a designation of pseudo-man, a creature without will and spirit). In this context, the pentagram means the same thing, the absence of one corner is the cut off mind of the goyim.
- Star used in Muslim mosques, in the book of the Holy Quran. The main shrine of Muslims, the Kaaba stone, is covered with a silk blanket with the image of stars with six rays.
- Hexagram in Christianity depicts the Star of Bethlehem and is an element of the ornament of Orthodox churches even more often than synagogues. It symbolizes the struggle between God and the devil, but more often it is perceived as a symbol of Jesus Christ - the union of the divine and the human. It is also a sign of the six days of the creation of the world, and is used in decorating temples and icons.
Star of David in religions
It is also believed that in the pentagram the absence of one corner means the cessation of the desire for God and is considered a demonic symbol. In this context, the Bolsheviks who built communism were called Satanists who created the kingdom of the Antichrist, since they wore this image on their headdresses.
Who can wear a Star of David amulet?
Since the hexagram is present in the culture of all civilizations, anyone can wear it. Some wear it as a decoration, without attaching any significance to the symbol; others - as an amulet, believing that it will prolong life and health or awaken special abilities. Previously, sailors even gave themselves tattoos with a hexagram in order to return home safely. It was believed that this sign protects against evil spirits, but now it is also actively used by Satanists.
Everyone can interpret a chain with a hexagram worn around the neck in their own way, the main thing is what meaning the owner of the amulet gives to the Star of David.