Flag Proposals

Santiago Dotor edited a web page about the Israeli flag proposals in 1948. I found there a few interesting things about Stars of David:

1. Nissim Sabbah of Tel Aviv proposed two blue stripes, a white background, a Star of David in the middle and seven gold stars.
2. Mordechai Nimtza-bi proposed in a book entitled The Flag 8 variations, designed by Zeljko Heimer, which were not accepted. All proposals included a Star of David.
3. Oteh Walisch, graphic artist, proposed seven golden Stars of David.
4. 164 people participated in a competition announced on 10 June 1948 by the committee for considering the flag question. These participants submitted 450 designs. The text of the Call for Proposals stated clearly that each proposal should include "Magen-David, or seven stars (gold or other color) [but] any other proposal or idea would be accepted for consideration as well"

 

The First Hexagram

Dr. Dan Gazit wrote (in Hebrew) that the Magen David is one of the variations on the motive of the rose, which was prevalent right after the invention of the pair of compasses. There are no such roses on the Nabateans' ceramics because they used free hand and not compasses for making them.

I think when Dr. Dan Gazit says Magen David he means Hexagram. Uri Ofir claims that the origin of the Jewish Magen David is from the Tabernacle, but that doesn't imply that there weren't hexagrams before that.

According to Greek mythology Perdix, the nephew of Didalus, invented the first pair of compasses. Anyhow compasses seem to be here since immemorial time, and it's hard to pinpoint the date people started to use them, as well as it’s hard to trace back the first Hexagram.

Peki'in

On the Israeli 100 NIS banknote there's a picture of the synagogue in Peki'in, and a view of this western Galilee village. Peki'in is a symbol of the conservation of the Jewish ember since there are a few Jews whose families never went to exile. Parts of this synagogue are two thousand years old and there's a Star of David on its walls.

 I also found a Hebrew description of a travelers track to Peki'in where the author says that this synagogue was built in 1873, and its walls are checkered with remnants of stone relief such as: Shofar, Lulav, Etrog, pan and Magen David. 

 

 

Israeli National Photo Collection

I found a few interesting Stars of David on the Israeli National Photo Collection website:

1. On a Jewish national blue box, from USA 1960's.

2. On a poster for the 41 years of independence.

3. On a door in Peki'in village.

4. Formed by soldiers in the center of the Ramat Gan stadium during a rehearsal of the IDF pageant.

5. On the outfit of a Japanese boy belonging to the "Makoya" sect.

6. On the floor of a church in Rome, Italy.

7. On the Azrieli Towers in Tel Aviv on new year's eve, 31/12/2001

8. On a rock excavated at the 4th century synagogue at Samua in Judea. I found another photo on another website but here the description was slightly different: Eshtamoa synagogue from the 5 - 6th century located in the village of Eshtamoa near Hebron.