Today the Star of David is inextricably linked with the Jewish people. The six point star is a globally accepted symbol of Judaism, the Jewish people, and Israel, the Jewish nation. However, this wasn't always the case.
In fact, when considering the thousands of years of Jewish history, its role as a symbol of Judaism is relatively new.
In fact, when considering the thousands of years of Jewish history, its role as a symbol of Judaism is relatively new.
The Ancient World
A six point star, also known as a hexagram, has been a decorative symbol used since antiquity in many different cultures. Its earliest known use in a Jewish context was part of seal of ancient Israel in the 6th century B.C. Its earliest documented appearance in a religious Jewish context was as part of a frieze on a synagogue in Capernaum, a village along the Sea of Galilee.
There is some evidence that the star came into use as a Jewish mystical symbol during the early centuries of the Common Era. However, there is no reference to the star in ancient Jewish religious texts, which lends support to the idea that it had no particular religious symbolism for Jews at this time.
Medieval Period
Use of the six pointed star as a symbol of Kabbalah, Jewish mysticism, grew during the Medieval Period. The six points were associated with natural and mystical properties, symbolizing the full scope of the natural and mystical universe. It also began getting explicitly associated with the biblical, mystical "Seal of Solomon," which was believed to help King Solomon control spirits and demons. It also began to appear in Kabbalistic texts of the time.
However, it also started to get used in more secular, albeit Jewish, contexts during this period as well. Jewish printers used it as a hallmark. In the 14th and 15th centuries, some European kings allowed their local Jewish communities to display their own "national" flags. These flags, such as the ones used by the Prague and Vienna Jewish communities, often included the hexagram.
Early Modern History
By the 17th century, the star was becoming a common symbol of the Jewish community. It started to appear consistently on the outer walls of European synagogues to distinguish them as houses of worship different from churches. While there is some evidence of the star being engraved on Jewish tombstones as far back as the 3rd century A.D., using the star in this way became common Jewish practice during this period.
As the Enlightenment took hold in Europe and Jews were seen as an emancipated community, use of the six point star as a means to distinguish the Jewish community from other communities began to grow. The modern Zionist movement, the organized effort of Jews around the world to reclaim the ancient land of Israel as the Jewish homeland, was born in the late 19th century. Father of the Zionist movement, Theodore Herzl, chose the Star of David as the movement's official symbol in 1897.
20th Century
By the 20th century, the six point star was indisputably recognized around the world as the symbol of the Jewish people. It still held no particular liturgical or religious symbolism, but that seemed to only strengthen its value as a Jewish national symbol representing all Jews regardless of their religious observance.
During the Nazi Era and the Holocaust, Jews were required by law to wear a yellow six point star. It wasn't the first time in history that the star was used as a symbol against the Jews. However, the power and beauty of the Star of David was quickly reclaimed by the Jewish community and it was chosen as the central symbol on the flag of modern Israel.
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