The Star of David (also known as the Shield of David or Magen David) is an internationally recognized emblem of both Israel and the Jewish people, though the symbol itself predates being adopted by the world’s oldest monotheistic religion by thousands of years. Found on various synagogues near the Ark containing the Torah scrolls, as well as jewelry, tombstones, coffins, creative art expressions, sculptures, and so forth, the Star of David symbolism helps remind the Jewish people that God will be with them, just as God was with King David and helped him conquer armies of superior military prowess.

Historically, the Star of David symbolism has also been associated with the following:

1. Pagan worship.
2. Ancient temples.
3. Early, medieval, and Byzantine church decorations (not as a symbol of Christianity but used in decorative, ornamental ways).
4. The "seal of Solomon" derived from Islam and was thus found adorning many mosques.
5. The Moroccan flag, until 1945 (then changed to a five-pointed star to differentiate itself from the Zionist movement).
6. In Buddhist meditation, one somehow achieves peace and harmony, including references to the goddess Lakshmi in Hinduism. Lakshmi is supposed to be the goddess of fortune and material abundance.
7. Various other religions of the Eastern Orient.

Originally, the concept of the Magen David using that explicit terminology was found penned in the Babylonian Talmud (Pesachim 117b) as an epithet to God rather than symbolism of the Jewish nation. However, some also point to folklore where the hexagram could be found on the shields of King David’s army solely to fulfill decorative purposes. Some rabbis believe the Star of David was chosen as the symbol of the Bar-Kochba revolt, and others have launched various quests to link the symbol directly to the House of David. Geroshom Scholem, a Kaballah scholar, believes the Star of David symbolism originated from a 7th-century Jewish seal uncovered in Sidon and that the Star of David symbolism was commonly used to decorate synagogues in the 3^rd and 4^th centuries, despite not necessarily being associated with the Jewish people at that point in history.

The earliest uses of symbolism in Judaism appear to be the following:

1. An ancient stone etched with the Star of David that was recovered from the Galilee region of Israel and believed to date back to the 3^rd century, most likely used for decorative purposes (along with possibly a few lamps or seals lacking in noteworthy historical or spiritual significance).
2. The Star of David appeared in the Leningrad Codex of 1108, which is considered to be the oldest version of the complete Hebrew Bible. In this context, the star symbolizes another way to refer to the God of Israel. It represents God as a shield protecting King David.
3. Furthermore, the Star of David also appears in a Spanish edition of the Tanakh dating back to 1307.
4. A siddur (Jewish prayer book) recovered in Prague dating back to 1521 features an etched Star of David on its cover.

Regardless of its exact history, the Star of David did not become a Jewish symbol until the Middle Ages. In the 14^th century, Charles IV (the emperor at the time of the Holy Roman Empire) gave permission for the Jewish people in Prague to have their own flag, and the people chose to adorn their flag with the hexagram symbolism we now refer to as the Star of David. The symbolism was later used in local synagogues and printed materials in Prague. From the Jewish people of Prague and their first flag, the Star of David became more prolifically recognized as a symbol of Judaism (and the Star of David was later used in a second flag designed in Prague in 1648 regarding a battle defending their city against Sweden).

Despite all the other uses of the Star of David throughout history, many of those no longer apply as the Star of David has pretty much universally come to represent Israel and the Jewish people, especially with the symbol so prominently placed on the Israeli flag. Prior to this time, the menorah had been pretty much the universally accepted symbol of the Jewish people, and the Jewish people after the French Revolution did seem to desire a symbol for their people, just as Christians have the cross to universally represent their faith, but they wanted a symbol that would be internationally recognized without being overtly religious in nature.

However, the first official connection between the Star of David and the Jewish people occurred when the First Zionist Congress adopted the symbol to appear on Israel’s national flag when convening in 1897, thus giving the symbol some prominence on the international stage.

"At the behest of our leader Herzl, I came to Basel to make preparations for the Zionist Congress. Among the many other problems that occupied me then was one that contained something of the essence of the Jewish problem. What flag would we hang in the Congress Hall? Then an idea struck me. We have a flag, and it is blue and white. The talith (prayer shawl) with which we wrap ourselves when we pray is our symbol. Let us take this Talith from its bag and unroll it before the eyes of Israel and the eyes of all nations. So I ordered a blue and white flag with the shield of David painted on it. That is how the national flag, which flew over Congress Hall, came into being." - David Wolffsohn, who designed the template that became the flag of the first Zionist movement and later the State of Israel in 1948.

On the Shabbat today, all these years later, when the reading of the Prophets takes place, the third blessing includes, "Blessed are you, God, Shield of David." Yet the Star of David is found in neither the Bible, the Torah, nor the Talmud, nor explicitly in rabbinic literature, nor is it considered an official symbol of Judaism, nor is it considered an object of idol worship. The Star of David is mostly just an unofficially universally recognized symbol encouraging people to walk with a God who loves and will protect them.

What exactly the six-sided star represents symbolically has also been open to many interpretations over time. In the study of alchemy, the triangle pointing upwards represented water, and the triangle pointing downwards represented fire. The combined triangles facing both upwards and downwards simultaneously thus represented harmony between water and fire. Alternatively, alchemy also maintains that this six-sided star represents air, water, earth, and fire, which effectively describes everything that exists in terms of this earth.

From the perspective of Kabbalah, the two triangles somehow represent a relationship between man and God.  The triangle pointing upward signifies God, and the holiness, blessings, and mercy He pours out upon us then flow downward.

To some, the six points plus the center of the star point to the number 7, which has much Biblical significance. Of course, it is symbolic of the six days leading up to the seventh day, Shabbat, functioning as a memorial to creation. To others, the twelve sides of the star represent the Twelve Tribes of Israel.

Another alternative perspective is that the Star of David is somehow a family crest that somehow points to the lineage of David. The Jewish people revere David as not only a military hero because of God’s grace and providence bestowed upon him but an anointed one after God’s own heart who penned many of the Psalms.

From a more spiritual perspective, some maintain that the six-sided star represents God’s omnipresence over all of heaven and earth and that His protection is with us always, protecting us from six directions: north, south, east, west, up, and down. One more modern commentary on the topic suggests that the six corners of the Star of David represent the following: creation, Revelation, redemption, man, God, and the world.

Regardless of the interpretation of the meaning of the Magen David, the Star of David is commonly incorporated in Jewish jewelry and such Judaica items as mezuzahs and kiddush cups. Generally today, it seems to be associated with God’s protection over the Jewish people—a reminder of His omnipresence and benevolent character, as well as a symbol of support, solidarity, and love for the modern state of Israel, whether one is Jewish or not. Some Haredi and Orthodox Jewish people will reject the Star of David in all formats, however, believing it to be a pagan symbol connected with the occult and magic. They would rather distance themselves from the symbolism, rejecting it as a symbol for the Jewish people.

Hijacking the symbol of the Zionist movement and everything that symbolism triumphantly represented against all historical odds, the Star of David was unfortunately used by the Nazis as a method of identifying the Jewish people by forcing all those over age 6 originally living in Germany as well as the Protectorates of Bohemia and Moravia (though eventually throughout all of Europe that had fallen to the Nazis) who identified with Judaism to wear a yellow six-pointed star with the term "Jude" emblazoned in the middle. The consequences of not wearing the identifying star in public could include, at best, significant punishment or, at worst, death.

In other communities, Jews might have been forced to wear white armbands emblazoned with blue Stars of David on each armband. The practice did not originate under the Third Reich, however, as there is history pointing to similar badges that the Jewish people were forced to wear by command of various Muslim and Christian entities throughout history, as well as those that were applied to the Jewish people living under the reign of the Ottoman Empire.

Others who supported the Jews (the righteous Gentiles), however, may have also chosen to wear the yellow star as a sign of support and solidarity, such as the King of Denmark, who publicly professed he would wear the star until the decree for the Jewish people of his country to wear the star was eliminated by the Germans. The King of Denmark was not personally Jewish. This practice also often extended into the concentration camps, where the six-pointed stars with the term Jude were used by the Nazis to stigmatize Jewish people.

The Israeli version of the Red Cross plays off the symbolism and is referred to as Magen David Adom, translating to the "Red Star of David," perhaps to differentiate itself from the concept of a cross being affiliated with Christianity. The Star of David is used in its logo and is the only emergency and humanitarian service within Israel; each country is to have only one organization that upholds the rule of international law in humanitarian endeavors. The Magen David Adom goes beyond simple disaster relief and humanitarian efforts but also extends assistance to the poor, the needy, and the elderly within Israel and has done so since Israel was born in 1948.

Despite differentiating itself in name and symbol, the Magen David Adom is indeed an official member of the International Committee of the Red Cross, though the organization was denied admission to the International Committee of the Red Cross through 2006 for attempting to use the Star of David in its logo rather than the internationally recognized and already pre-approved use of the red cross.

If the theories are correct that the Star of David may have been part of the design on the coat of arms carried by the forces of David’s army (hence the Shield of David terminology), it could be somewhat ironic that the Star of Bethlehem would eventually signify the birth of the Messiah of Israel, whose coming would ultimately be more triumphant for the Jewish people and the world (whether that fact is acknowledged or not) than the arrival of David’s armies.

While the Star of David is not biblical, it has become a powerful symbol of Judaism. The Jewish people never intended it in such a way, especially given the parallel symbolism of the Star of David and the Star of Bethlehem that shined forth on the night of the birth of the Messiah for not only the Jewish people but all the world. Sine Jewish people may be repulsed by a symbol that possibly bears some unforeseen symbolism with the coming of Yeshua as Messiah, whom they reject as Messiah.

One cannot help but marvel at the intricate threads of history and faith woven around the Star of David as we eagerly anticipate the great and glorious day of the coming of the Messiah—the bright morning star, the Messiah of the Jews and the Gentiles alike.