The Star of David, known in Hebrew as the Shield of David or Magen David (Hebrew מָגֵן דָּוִד; Biblical Hebrew Māḡēn Dāwīḏ, Tiberian, Modern Hebrew, Ashkenazi Hebrew and Yiddish Mogein Dovid or Mogen Dovid) is a generally recognized symbol of Jewish identity and Judaism. Its shape is that of a hexagram, the compound of two equilateral triangles. The hexagram has been in use as a symbol of Judaism since the 17th century, with precedents in the 14th to 16th centuries in Central Europe, where the Shield of David was partly used in conjunction with the Seal of Solomon (the hexagram) on Jewish flags. Its use probably derives from medieval (11th to 13th century) Jewish protective amulets (segulot).
The term "Shield of David" is also used in the Siddur (Jewish prayer book) as a title of the God of Israel.
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Famous quotes containing the words star and/or david:
“You’re not a star until they can spell your name in Karachi.”
—Humphrey Bogart (1899–1957)
“I found that they knew but little of the history of their race, and could be entertained by stories about their ancestors as readily as any way.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)