Jerusalem – Few books are published 60 years after being written. One such book is Prof. Gershom Scholem’s “Magen David – History of a Symbol”, which is being released only now, 27 years after the author’s death.
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Prof. Scholem, one of the greatest Jewish scholars of our time, a researcher of Kabbalah and Jewish mysticism and one of the founders of the Hebrew University in Jerusalem, conducted a 50-year study of the history of the Star of David. He published a short summary of the study in 1949, shortly after the symbol was chosen to appear on the new state’s national flag.
In his article Prof. Scholem stated that, “The Magen David is not a Jewish symbol, and therefore not the ‘symbol of Judaism’.”
The study has recently been edited into a book by Prof. Avraham Shapira. The new book looks into the religious, mystical, national and political aspects of the Star of David.
According to Scholem, the hexagram symbol was once known as Solomon’s Seal and was used both as a decorative pattern and a symbol to which magical powers were attributed. It was first documented on the seal of Yehosua Ben Assiyahu during the period of the late kingdom, 2,700 years ago.
It appeared once again as a relief at a synagogue in Capernaum built during the third century AD, alongside another symbol, a swastika. No one asserts that these two graphic symbols have been more than mere decorations.
During the Second Temple period, the seven-arm menorah, rather than the Star of David, was considered a Jewish symbol. According to Scholem, the Seal of Solomon first appeared in Jewish mysticism during the sixth century AD on a talisman containing two lions and a Star of David in the middle.
Over the generations, the Solomon Seal appeared in two versions: A pentagon (five-sided polygon) and a hexagon (six-sided polygon).
Until the beginning of the 19th century the symbol was used as a magical means against danger, and appeared mainly on and inside mezuzot. The first book that referred to the symbol as “Magen David” was written by Maimonides’ grandson, Rabbi David Ben Yehuda HaHasid, in the 14th century.
The official usage of the Star of David as a Jewish symbol began in Prague. Prof. Scholem writes that it was either chosen by the local Jewish community or by the Christian rule as a means of branding the Jews, who later adopted and embraced it. In 1354 Emperor Charles IV granted the Jews the privilege of raising a flag of their own, and this flag contained the Magen David. One of these flags can still be found in Prague’s Old-New Synagogue.
From Prague, where the Magen David was printed on book covers and engraved on cemetery headstones, the symbol spread to the rest of Europe and gradually became known as the symbol of Judaism.
During the first Zionist Congress in Basel in 1897 the Zionist flag, which bears a blue Star of David, was chosen.
But Prof. Scholem claims that the symbol only became truly meaningful during the Holocaust, after the Nazis used it to mark the Jews, and thus sanctified it. According to Scholem, this gave the graphic symbol a spiritual sense of sacredness it never had before.
The holy Minchas Elozor of Munkacz claims that the real mogen dovid was a menorah not a star.
Wow look at the ruach hakodesh from the Rebbe zy”a (satmar) he never saw this article and he knew that a magen duvid is not a yiddishe symbol only a tzionishte symbol but it has no kedusha
rav moshe z”l has a teshvah on it forgot where it is.
Now the Satmarer Chasidim could start using it!
#1 that wasnt the reason the holy divrei yoel didnt use it, the reason is because the tziyonim adopted it as a main symbol it became profane and his reasoning is… see rashi on the pasuk ‘lo takim lecho matzevah asher soney hashem elokacho..’
I remember seeing Rabbi Meir Abuhatzera explaining the symbol and it’s Kabblistic intentions in one of his writings. Seems like all Scholem could prove is that there is no proof it was used in ancient times. Just because there is no archeological find with a Magn David, doesn’t mean it didn’t exist
To Anonymous #8  211; Where do you find that Gershom Scholem was anti-Zionist?? Was he even frum?
the professor himself states that symbol has been used at least for 700 years. That would qualify it as an ‘ancient’ jewish symbol.
If what he meant to say is that is was never used as a state symbol in ancien Israel, then there is no news there.
the fact is that the magen david has only been used regularly as a jewish symbol for about 250 years. before that it appeared irregularly as a design or as a kabbalistic talisman.
Rav Lau has a great story about his first visit with Rav Ruderman who was mediating a dispute between two baalei batim over a donation of a paroches with a magen dovid. It might surprise many people how rav ruderman chose to handle the pathetic dispute.
i have a photo in my possession of my grandmother who was in her twenties in 1939 (she’s not alive anymore) and she is wearing a necklace with a magen david hanging from it, this necklace survived and was later given to my mother and then to me because she has received it from her mother who has received it from her grandmother, a cheshbon of about 1840’s .
The true symbol of Judaism is the bris milah. That is the sign of a covenant between Jews and the RS”O.
Mogen Dovid = seal of Solomon? The symbol has been called mogen Dovid for millenia but it was the Nazis that made it a Jewish symbol?
BTW the Tshuva of Reb Moshe is concerning the Flag and it’s in the first chalek of Igros Moshe.
If it’s been used by Jews as a symbol for over 600 years, then it’s a Jewish symbol.
scholem is a not reliable.. he claims via “grammer” and such that the rashbi could not have written the zohar. he has all these crazy theories.
The Magen Dovid was also known as the Shiesh Ketzovov [six corners] & was used as a simon [sign] to be mamalich Hakodosh Boruch Hu, on the shomaim Vooretz & Daled Ruchos Hooilom. Shulchan Aruch brings, that in Cavono of the first posuk in Krias Shama, and for that reason many put it on the amud & in on top of the Aron Hakodesh in many shuls for many generations. Even this professor agrees it goes back at least as far as the Rambam’s Grandson. It is possible though that the name was Sheish Ketovos & recently changed to Magen Dovid, although I am not an expert in that.
BTW I don’t this particular proffessor, but many are Kofrim with an agenda, so be careful B4 you take any of them seriously.
i might agree that the zionists used the magen david as their symbol, but certainly it has been a religious symbol for thousands of years right?
I have seen old european shuls that have magen davids on the wall for 800 years before modern zionism existed.
so what is the truth?
The six-point star is also the symbol that represents the Masonic Order, which is a secret (not so secret anymore) that goes back to the first Beis Hamikdash. The symbol is still used by Masons, and I found this out when I saw someone who I wouldn’t expect to wear a Magen Dovid, wearing a lapel pin of a Magen Dovid. He told me he was a Mason and this is their ancient symbol.
Is there a connection? Probably.
Does that make the symbol holy? No.
Does that mean that it is therefore erroneously associated with Judaism? No way. Did Jews die defending the symbol? I sure hope not. Choosing to die al kiddush Hashem means exactly that, not Al Kovod Hamagen Dovid.
I dont know if it WAS holy, but now it IS holy!! Its on the flag of HOLY ERETZ YISRAEL!! If you dont like it you can move to Iran!!
I don’t know if y’all read the article. It seems to me that there was sporadic use of the symbol until from the sixth century onward (That’s 1500 years ago.) In the Fourteenth century usage really accelerated. The professor considers that not to ancient .
We are discussing a time 350 years before the birth of the Baal Shem Tov and 450 years before the birth of the Chasam Sofer. I really don’t understand how the Satmar sympathizers consider 700 years not to be ancient. Isn’t 700 years a Mesorah?
As a way to put in into perspective. The Jews didn’t settle in Szighet and Marmoros ontil the early 18th century.400 years after the Magen Dovid was used as a Jewish symbol in Prauge.
the professor himself states that symbol has been used at least for 700 years. That would qualify it as an ‘ancient’ jewish symbol. It makes it older than a lot of things now integral to religious judaism, such as shlugging kapporos and wearing long peyos.
If what he meant to say is that is was never used as a state symbol in ancien Israel, then there is no news there.
the fact is that the magen david has only been used regularly as a jewish symbol for about 250 years. before that it appeared irregularly as a design or as a kabbalistic talisman.
the professor himself states that symbol has been used at least for 700 years. That would qualify it as an ‘ancient’ jewish symbol. It makes it older than a lot of things now integral to religious judaism, such as shlugging kapporos and wearing long peyos.
If what he meant to say is that is was never used as a state symbol in ancien Israel, then there is no news there.
the fact is that the magen david has only been used regularly as a jewish symbol for about 250 years. before that it appeared irregularly as a design or as a kabbalistic talisman.
So a professor said, wow. Since when do we base our teachings on what professors say? Are we waiting for scientific proof that Krias Yam Suf occured? Today’s archeologists doubt that even Dovid Hamelech existed etc.
We have Reziel Hamalech, many more Kabalists saying that the symbol has Kedusha, what more kedusha does it need, if millions of our people were killed with it? It is a pure and holy symbol, and we don’t need a professor to make it holy, and it does not become Tamme if the Zionists use it.
If the Kenoim will find out why there are two lines on the Israeli flag, they will stop wearing Taleisim with the lines on it.
#55 dont know which yeshivas you have shychos with, but our kind of yeshivahs don’t just use any perush fron any ‘tom dick or harry’. it must have a haskama from a adam gadol (betorah and yiras shomayim). in our circles we dont use like ‘ jastrow’ etc. the mechaber has to be a yirai shomayin merabin. torah that is not learned mitoch kedusha is not worth anything . the holy torah that is learned just for intelectual stimulation goe to the ‘sitra achra’