The Star of David: the Magen David, the Shield of David

The Star of David is a six-pointed star formed by two interlocking equilateral triangles. One triangle points upward with its apex, the other downward. This figure is called a hexagram. In Judaism it bears the name Magen David.

Today the Star of David is the best known sign of Judaism of all. It appears on synagogues, on religious objects and on the flag of the State of Israel. Anyone who sees the sign associates it immediately with Judaism. This clear attribution is generally known.

Less well known is that this close connection between the hexagram and Judaism arose only over the course of history. The hexagon as a figure is very old and was for a long time not a distinctly Jewish sign. Only over several centuries did it become what it is today.

The name Magen David, the Shield of David, points to the idea of protection. A shield is an object of defense, and so the Star of David also belongs in the context of protective signs. Its history connects the meaning as a sign of faith with an older protective use.

The Hebrew name of the sign is Magen David. The word Magen means shield, David is the name of the biblical king. Translated literally, the sign therefore means Shield of David. Thus the idea of protection is already contained in the name.

King David is a central figure of the Hebrew Bible. He is regarded as the forefather of a royal line, and great hopes of the Jewish tradition are attached to his name.

Why the hexagram came to be connected with David in particular cannot be said with certainty. The sources give no clear information on this.

The expression Shield of David is, in the Jewish tradition, not at first tied to the hexagram. It occurs as a phrase in prayer, where God is invoked as the Shield of David. The transfer of the name onto the geometric figure is a later process.

For the understanding of the Star of David as a sign of protection the name is nevertheless important. A sign that is called a shield carries within it the idea of defense. This meaning became effective over the course of history especially in the use of the hexagram as an amulet.

The figure of the hexagram is much older than its meaning as a Jewish sign. The hexagon formed by two triangles is a simple, clear geometric shape. Such shapes arise readily and have been used independently of one another in many cultures.

In antiquity and in the Middle Ages the hexagram appears as an ornament and as a sign in quite different contexts. It is found in the Christian, in the Islamic and in the Jewish world. In this it was at first not a sign clearly assigned to any single religion.

The hexagram played an important role in magic and in the use of amulets. Here it frequently occurs together with the five-pointed star. Both figures were regarded as powerful signs to which a protective or binding effect was ascribed. In this context the hexagram was used across cultural boundaries.

From this follows an important observation. For a long time the hexagram was a widely diffused sign and not a distinctive identifying mark of Judaism. Its later, unambiguous attribution to Judaism is the result of a historical development, not an original state.

The path of the hexagram to becoming an unambiguous sign of Judaism ran over several centuries. An important station was the Jewish community of Prague. There the hexagram had been used as a sign of the community since the late Middle Ages and the early modern period.

The Prague community carried the sign on a banner and in its seal. With this the hexagram became an identifying mark of a particular Jewish community. From Prague this use gradually spread further, and other communities adopted the sign.

In this way the hexagram became step by step a Jewish sign. It was at first the sign of individual communities, then the sign of Jewish communities in general. This process extended over a long time and was not a single decision.

The decisive step toward unambiguous attribution took place in the 19th century. During this period Judaism sought a generally intelligible sign, comparable to the cross of Christianity. The hexagram suggested itself because it was already widely known as a Jewish sign. Thus the Magen David became the sign of Judaism as a whole.

An important root of the Star of David lies in the use of amulets. The hexagram was used over a long time as a protective sign on amulets. In this use it stands especially close to the idea of the shield, which after all resonates in the name Magen David.

In the Jewish tradition there is a rich tradition of protective amulets. Such amulets bore divine names, verses and signs, and among these signs the hexagram is also found.

It was regarded as a powerful sign that could avert misfortune. The protection of mother and child at birth in particular was a frequent concern of such amulets.

In this amulet-like use the hexagram was not restricted to Judaism. It was also connected with the name of King Solomon, to whom a special power over spirits was ascribed. The so-called Seal of Solomon could denote both the five-pointed and the six-pointed star. Here various traditions touch upon one another.

This amulet-like past is instructive for understanding the Star of David. It shows that the hexagram had long been connected with protection before it became the general sign of Judaism. The idea of the shield, of defense, thus belongs to the older history of the sign.

With the 19th century the Star of David became definitively the sign of Judaism. During this period the position of Jews in many countries of Europe changed. Jewish communities entered more strongly into public life, and with this the need for a clear, generally intelligible sign grew.

The Star of David met this need. It was placed on synagogues, which were now often erected as visible buildings within the cityscape. It appeared on religious objects, on books and on community seals. In this way the Star of David became the firm, visible sign of Jewish communities.

The Star of David acquired a particular significance in the Zionist movement, which arose in the late 19th century. This movement chose the hexagram as its sign. With this the Star of David, beyond being a religious sign, also became a sign of Jewish national hope.

From this development it can be explained that the Star of David today appears on the flag of the State of Israel.

The sign that the Prague community once carried thus became the sign of a worldwide community and finally of a state. This history shows how a sign can gain in meaning over the centuries.

The history of the Star of David in the 20th century is marked by two very different chapters. The one is among the darkest chapters of European history of all. During the National Socialist persecution, Jewish women and men were forced to wear a yellow star in the form of the Star of David.

This yellow star was a sign of exclusion and of disenfranchisement. It marked people in order to expose them to persecution.

With this a sign that stood for belonging to a community of faith was turned against the people who wore it. This history is part of the meaning of the Star of David and must not be passed over.

After the Shoah the Star of David regained a different, dignified position. With the founding of the State of Israel it became a component of the national flag. From the imposed sign of persecution there once again became a self-chosen sign of belonging, of self-confidence and of hope.

The Star of David thus carries a particularly grave history. It is a sign of faith and of community, and it is at the same time connected with the memory of persecution.

A factual account names both sides. It shows the Star of David as what it is, a sign of great dignity and of deep historical weight.

The form of the Star of David has received many interpretations over the course of time. The two interlocking triangles invite such interpretations, because they show an interplay of two equal parts. None of these interpretations is, however, documented as the original and sole valid one.

A widespread interpretation sees in the two triangles the interplay of heaven and earth or of God and humanity. The upward-pointing triangle then stands for the one, the downward-pointing for the other. Their interlocking expresses the connection of both realms.

Other interpretations emphasize the six points and the central area and assign a meaning to each of them. A connection with the tribes of Israel or with attributes of God has also been proposed. These interpretations are rich and varied, yet they are subsequent readings.

For a precise account it is important to identify these interpretations as what they are. They are readings that give the form a meaning, not a content fixed from the outset. The Star of David acquired its meaning above all through its history and its use, less through a single original interpretation of the form.

The Star of David is today known worldwide as the sign of Judaism. It appears on synagogues, on the flag of the State of Israel and on countless religious and cultural objects. Its attribution is unambiguous and generally understood.

As a worn sign the Star of David is widely distributed. Many people wear it as a pendant, as a profession of their faith, of their origin and of their belonging. In this use the sign ties in with its old meaning as the Shield of David, for it expresses connectedness and self-affirmation.

The Star of David belongs at the same time to the signs that are to be treated with particular gravity. Its history encompasses persecution and hope, suffering and dignity. Anyone who depicts the sign should be aware of this weight and approach it with respect.

Within the large family of protective signs the Star of David thus occupies a place of its own. Its name, the Shield of David, connects it with the idea of protection, and its amulet-like past confirms this connection.

At the same time it has become far more than a protective sign, namely the comprehensive sign of a religion and a community.