Genesis sculpture

John Robinson's Genesis sculpture is placed at the Isaac Newton Institute for Mathematical Sciences, Cambridge, U.K. It has three rhombuses. and forms  a three-dimensional hexagram. The sculpture belongs to Robinson's Universe Series, which he began in 1975.

Keynsham, England

Dr . Steve Cosh referred me to six large hexagrams that had been found in room J/K Keynsham, Bristol, England. I went to the Rockefeller Museum library and saw on MOSAIC Vo. 25, 1998 p. 12 a painting of this mosaic, made by S.R. Cosh, The hexagram lines are made in the shape of Guilloche. Between each two points there is a swastika. Above the left upper hexagram there’s a cross. The six hexagrams fill the floor of a hexagonal room and encircle a hexagon that serves as a frame for a six petalled flower. This kind of a hexagram mosaic that fills a whole room reminds me of the 3rd century Roman room full of hexagrams in Villa Romana del Casale in the town of Piazza Armerina in Sicily; only there each hexagram is a frame to a bust.

Following is an excerpt from Dr. Steve Cash’s email to me:

There are many interlaced squares in Romano-British mosaics but very few interlaced equilateral triangles(hexagrams). The only ones I can cite are from Keynsham, Bristol, England. It is a grand villa with rooms of hexagonal plan at either end. One has a scheme of hexagons, six of which surrounding the central hexagon contain hexagrams. I assume that this is because of the shape of the room and the usual interlaced squares have been adapted on a purely geometric basis. The mosaic also features Medusa and is probably early fourth century.
Reference:
Mosaic no II, 204.5 in Cosh SR and Neal DS 'Roman Mosaics of Britain
Vol II South-west Britain' 2005.

Balaca, Hungary

There are two 2nd century hexagrams in the mosaic pavement that had been excavated in room no. 20 in Balaca, Hungary. They show on the middle row among many other symbols and shapes. the mosaic pavement is part of a building that belonged to a family that moved from Italy and wished to have the same conditions as they had there.

The first artifacts of this former Roman villa farmstead which is unique in Central Europe were discovered in the early 20th century. Work continues to this day and relics found include particularly beautiful mosaics similar to those found in Pompeii…the mosaic of the exhibition room number 20 was transferred to the Hungarian National Museum in 1925. However the other unique large-scale mosaic tiling in room 31 remains on site.

Source: vendegvaro.hu/

Savaria, Hungary

There is an interlaced hexagram on the mosaic pavement of the 4th-century Basilica of St. Quirinus in Szombathely, Hungary. In the Roman times this city was called Savaria and it was the capital of Pannonia. The mosaic pavement was discovered during building work in 1938.

A semi-circular apse and a 25m (82ft) long mosaic (acanthus ornaments, Christian symbols) by a master from Aquileia have been preserved from the St Quirinus basilica (4th C), which was rebuilt from parts of the former governor's palace.

Source: www.planetware.com/

Flag of Salta Province

Photo is courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

Salta is a province in the northwest of Argentina.

The flag of Salta was officially adopted …on June 5, 1997, after a contest for designing…The flag has the color of the poncho of Salta…Some of the devices at the center of the field have elements we find on the provincial coat of arms… a light blue ellipse with a golden border. At the middle of the ellipse, a six pointed silver star with a yellow 32 rays sun at the center of that star. Around the ellipse, 23 smaller golden stars of similar design representing the 23 municipalities of the province. .. The six-pointed silver star recalls a star-shaped medal given to General Martín Miguel de Güemes after the victory of the Battle of Humahuaca in 1817 over the Spanish royalist army.

Source: Flags of the World

Nuwaubian Nation flag

The Nuwaubian Nation black, red, and green flag shows a six-pointed star, above a crescent and there's an ankh inside the star.

Nuwaubians say the six-pointed star represents the Sun, the crescent represents the moon, and the ankh represents the key to eternal life... 

The Nuwaubian Nation is a religious sect started by Malachi York that mixes a wide variety of New Age, Afrocentric, and other beliefs. 

Republic of Er Rif, Morocco

I found on Flags of the world website an entry about the red flag of the Republic of Er Rif (Morocco, 1920-1926) which showed a hexagram and a crescent. The flag was created after Abd-el Krim (1882-1963) defeated the Spanish army and founded on 19 September 1921 the Republic of Rif.

Roncesvalles, Navarre, northern Spain

On 03 Feb 2006 Valerie Brewster Willis asked Nexus Network Journal readers about an enigmatic twelfth century hexagram in Roncevalles, Navarre,  a relief carved on one of the stones in the wall of the Augustinian abbey. 

As Above So Below

Steven Sora speaks about the six-pointed star in his book The Lost Colony of the Templars: Verrazano's Secret Mission to America. In chapter 7: The Secret Mission of Verrazano he says: 

The family crest of Verrazano was one such symbol. It began as the same six-pointed star that could be found in the windows of churches in Southern France. It evolved into an eight-pointed star after his journey to the New Arcadia.
The six-pointed star was not to become the Star of David until the seventeenth century. Long before that, it had a much different connotation. The triangle pointing up overlaid on a triangle pointing down represented what would become a Masonic creed: As Above, So Below. It is depicted on Masonic aprons as the square and the compass, the “A” without the bar, over the “V.” In Christian symbols it was the Ave Maria, the words Gabriel used to announce to the Blessed Virgin she was with the Child of God. The number six itself had been a masculine symbol for the sun just as the number five and the pentagram had been a female symbol for the moon.
Five in becoming six creates time and space. Our measurements used in dividing time have been based on six from the beginning of time. The ancient symbol for volume is the six-sided cube. Six was the event in which harmony exists as male and female principal come together. It was an understanding once present in Christianity, later repressed in Roman Christianity as the female was pushed out of the equation.

Growing Star of David

Usually the Magen David is a graphic 2 dimensional symbol. In this blog I already showed a few 3D items, but they were not GROWING...
Picture is courtesy of "tonidelong" who published it on Flickr under the title "Magen David in the garden of the old synagogue in Caceres".
Caceres is in Spain - I checked it out.

six and one- 1

I already wrote about the connection of the number seven to the Magen David but here's a fresh approach to it - Lucian Craciun sent me the following chapter from the article he is writing on this subject:

Fearful Symmetry - That’s the name of the 18th episode of the 2nd X-Files season. Fearful, indeed! No, ... not the episode! (I’m not that big of a scary-cat! J ). Rather, I used this to describe the psychological effect my little study on the first chapter of The Book of Genesis had on me: That sense of utter awe and sheer amazement: Such fearful symmetry! (It took me literally days to recover from its realization).
Just imagine that: God worked in pairs –or shifts, if You prefer— first He created the three mediums, (or dwelling-places, if one were to say so): the light; the air & the waters; and –last- the solid earth. Then He went on to inhabit them each with their own respective dwellers: the luminaries, the fowls and fishes, and -last- the land animals. Also, there was an almost inescapable feeling of the increase of density, beginning with the ethereal light, followed closely by the gaseous atmosphere and liquid hydrosphere, only to end with the denseness of the lithosphere. [I can’t help it here but remember the words of our Gymnasium Geography professor: we are all creatures living at the very bottom of a gigantic ocean of air].
Indeed, at the realization of such great things, one cannot resist, but exclaim in one voice with the Psalmist: “Great are You, Oh Lord, and wondrous are Thy things, and no word is ever enough to the praise of Thy works!”. I knew seven was the number of perfection ... and now I knew why! How could it not be? How could such splendid a symphony of symmetry and harmony not be a symbol of utter perfection?

What I had failed to realize then, however, was that this whole thing with the Beginning was just that: the beginning! As I said, it took days for these shivers, thrills and tremors to settle down ... but what I didn’t actually mention was that it took days for these feelings to quiet down; I didn’t imply by this that other such little heart-shakes and mind-quakes didn’t happen ... And, as it happens, one of these was just on its way heading full-strength in my direction ... and when I come to think of it, I realize now that I was just an innocent bystander, placed there by mere chance, at the collision-site of the powerful forces of ideas. [Yep, I’m an idiot! J ].

And so, there I was, a few days after, pondering these things in my heart, when, relatively sure that I’ve somehow come, in some way, to understand, in a certain sense, the beauty of the solution to the things that troubled me for quite a long while now, I just figured that, after all, why should I not try at least to link my find with other such related things? What was there to lose, after all, other than a little bit of time, an insignificant amount of time, of which I had, at that period, plenty, if not enough. Clearer: why not try to see if there might, by any chance, be any possibility of, likewise, discovering a logical structure behind other similar things, (for starters). If, let’s say, I won’t be able to succeed in doing that, then, of course, there would be no real loss in it. But if I were to, in some way, actually succeed, then the implications would, obviously, be of tremendous meaning and have huge implications. With nothing to loose and everything to gain, I set foot on my path. I tried, for starters, to begin with something easy, which, quite frankly jumped right into my mind: namely, the seven openings of the head, which puzzled the minds of Rabbis for centuries. So, what I basically did next was to simply step out of my room, turn left and gaze straight in the bathroom-door-window found right in front of me. My intention was to find, perchance, some structure of, or logic to, or arrangement in it. Well, ... there were two eyes, [until now, nothing of spectacular], two ears, [I think this is when I felt that cold chill shoving down my spine], ... and ... two ... nostrils, [Houston, I think we have a problem] ... and ... a ... mouth ... [Houston, we’ve just lost control] ... I think that as I reached this point my thoughts kind-a paralyzed ...

And I just STOOD there.

And stared.

And was beside myself.

OK, You see: NOW I was worried! ... Was God mocking me? Making fun of me? Laughing at me right now? Teasing me, maybe? Or did he just like to play little mind-games every now and then?

And I just stood there.

And stared.

What on earth ... ? What IN THE WORLD ... ? What ... what was going on here? Had I just kept my Eyes Wide Shut all this time? ...

Eyes Eyes
Ears Ears
Nostrils Nostrils
Mouth

... Talking about the eyes being the light of the body ! (Matthew 6:22; Luke 11:34). Jeez ! (Gives me the freaks when I think of it !).

Bracha Lavee –Brym

Magen David in Bracha Lavee –Brym's painting.

Bracha Lavee –Brym was born in Poland in 1948 and arrived in Israel in 1957…she enrolled in the Bezalel Art Academy in Jerusalem.
The city of Jerusalem and stories from the Bible provide her with endless sources of inspiration.

First Pentagram Drawer

The green leaves' angles do not obey exactly the rules of drawing a pentagram (Solomon’s seal), but I think that the first pentagram drawer might have been influenced by this innocent vegetable...

Gaulish Mosaics-5

Detail from the previous Gaulish Mosaic posting . The symbol on the bottom left looks like a swastika.
Source:
Inventaire de mosaique de la Gaule et de L'Afrique, Edition Leroux, Paris, 1922

Gaulish Mosaics-4

Hexagram at the upper left corner of a Gaulish mosaic floor as one of few symbols. Usually researchers say that geometric symbols serve a decorative purpose, but IMHO they serve a religious purpose and I hope to prove it in the near future. 
Source: Inventaire de mosaique de la Gaule et de L'Afrique, Edition Leroux, Paris, 1922. 299, Nimes, d'apres ARTAUD.

Basilica Mosaic at Shiloh, Israel

A Star of David was discovered in the year 1927...The first archeological excavations began in the years 1922-1932 by a Danish expedition. The finds were placed in the Danish National Museum in Copenhagen…

Picture is courtesy of Israel Medad

Fishes Swimming in a Hexagram

I already published two photos of the mosaics at Casale near Piazza Armerina, Sicily. This one is a close-up on a detail from a bigger mosaic. Picture is courtesy of uromattox who published it on Flickr.

Robert Graves Poem

Robert Graves wrote a Poem titled Solomon's Seal which is actually about the 3D six pointed star which he calles "doubled pyramid":

Under each pyramid lies inverted
Its twin, the sister-bride to Pharaoh,
And so Solomon's seal bears witness.
Therefore we neither plead nor threaten
As lovers do who have lost faith-
Lovers not riven together by an oath
Sworn on the very brink of birth,
Nor by the penetrative ray of need
Piercing our doubled pyramid to its bed.
All time lies knotted here in Time's caress,
And so Solomon's seal bears witness.

The Star of George Washington

9th Mississippi Infantry Regiment, first pattern, 1862-1863

copied from confederateflags.org

In Brit-Am-Now Gary Smith quoted some extracts from a URL that is no longer active, under the title: The Star of David Probably WAS favored by George Washington and WAS important in US and Confederate Symbolism.

The twelve six-pointed stars first came to light on flags of the South: the 57th Georgia, 9th Mississippi and 1st Florida. These were Braxton Bragg's Battle Flags of 1862. They showed up again: a 1995 postage stamp…Another star can be found on the Army of the United States, Eighth Corps Battle Flag of 1862.

 1862- Confederate states stamp with 4 Hexagrams

During the American Civil War from 1861 to 1865 the Confederate States issued their own stamps.

Printer: First - Thomas De La Rue & Company in London 

Later:  Archer & Daly in Richmond, Virginia
Courtesy of Dobush

The Star of Abram

Craciun Lucian sent me the following paragraph from The Book Of The Upright, Chapter 8:

And it was in the night that Abram was born, that all the servants of Terah, and all the wise men of Nimrod, and his conjurors came and ate and drank in the house of Terah, and they rejoiced with him on that night.
And when all the wise men and conjurors went out from the house of Terah, they lifted up their eyes toward heaven that night to look at the stars, and they saw, and behold one very large star came from the east and ran in the heavens, and he swallowed up the four stars from the four sides of the heavens.
And all the wise men of the king and his conjurors were astonished at the sight, and the sages understood this matter, and they knew its import.
And they said to each other, This only betokens the child that has been born to Terah this night, who will grow up and be fruitful, and multiply, and possess all the earth, he and his children for ever, and he and his seed will slay great kings, and inherit their lands.
And the wise men and conjurors went home that night, and in the morning all these wise men and conjurors rose up early, and assembled in an appointed house.
And they spoke and said to each other, Behold the sight that we saw last night is hidden from the king, it has not been made known to him.
And should this thing get known to the king in the latter days, he will say to us, Why have you concealed this matter from me, and then we shall all suffer death; therefore, now let us go and tell the king the sight which we saw, and the interpretation thereof, and we shall then remain clear.
And they did so, and they all went to the king and bowed down to him to the ground, and they said, May the king live, may the king live.
We heard that a son was born to Terah the son of Nahor, the prince of thy host, and we yesternight came to his house, and we ate and drank and rejoiced with him that night.
And when thy servants went out from the house of Terah, to go to our respective homes to abide there for the night, we lifted up our eyes to heaven, and we saw a great star coming from the east, and the same star ran with great speed, and swallowed up four great stars, from the four sides of the heavens.
And thy servants were astonished at the sight which we saw, and were greatly terrified, and we made our judgment upon the sight, and knew by our wisdom the proper interpretation thereof, that this thing applies to the child that is born to Terah, who will grow up and multiply greatly, and become powerful, and kill all the kings of the earth, and inherit all their lands, he and his seed forever.
And now our lord and king, behold we have truly acquainted thee with what we have seen concerning this child.
If it seemeth good to the king to give his father value for this child, we will slay him before he shall grow up and increase in the land, and his evil increase against us, that we and our children perish through his evil.
And the king heard their words and they seemed good in his sight, and he sent and called for Terah, and Terah came before the king.
And the king said to Terah, I have been told that a son was yesternight born to thee, and after this manner was observed in the heavens at his birth.
And now therefore give me the child, that we may slay him before his evil springs up against us, and I will give thee for his value, thy house full of silver and gold.
[... ... ...]
And Terah hastened, (as the thing was urgent from the king), and he took a child from one of his servants, which his handmaid had born to him that day, and Terah brought the child to the king and received value for him.
And the Lord was with Terah in this matter, that Nimrod might not cause Abram's death, and the king took the child from Terah and with all his might dashed his head to the ground, for he thought it had been Abram; and this was concealed from him from that day, and it was forgotten by the king, as it was the will of Providence not to suffer Abram's death.
And Terah took Abram his son secretly, together with his mother and nurse, and he concealed them in a cave, and he brought them their provisions monthly.
And the Lord was with Abram in the cave and he grew up, and Abram was in the cave ten years, and the king and his princes, soothsayers and sages, thought that the king had killed Abram.

This story is astonishingly similar to Mat 2 1-16

Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem,Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him. When Herod the king had heard [these things], he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he demanded of them where Christ should be born. And they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judaea: for thus it is written by the prophet, And thou Bethlehem, [in] the land of Juda, art not the least among the princes of Juda: for out of thee shall come a Governor, that shall rule my people Israel. Then Herod, when he had privily called the wise men, enquired of them diligently what time the star appeared. And he sent them to Bethlehem, and said, Go and search diligently for the young child; and when ye have found [him], bring me word again, that I may come and worship him also. When they had heard the king, they departed; and, lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy. And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh. And being warned of God in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed into their own country another way. And when they were departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeareth to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and be thou there until I bring thee word: for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him. When he arose, he took the young child and his mother by night, and departed into Egypt: And was there until the death of Herod: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Out of Egypt have I called my son. Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked of the wise men, was exceeding wroth, and sent forth, and slew all the children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the coasts thereof, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had diligently enquired of the wise men.

I reckon that folklore experts will find even more similar legends from earlier times...Anyhow, these legends may help explain the words "star of David" but not the Hebrew name of the six pointed star which is the Shield of David...

Gaulish Mosaics-3

Ancient hexagram on part of a mosaic from Gallia, apparently from the Roman period. I published another part of this mosaic on the previous posting in this blog.
Source: Inventaire de mosaique de la Gaule et de L'Afrique, Edition Leroux, Paris, 1922. Acille a la cour de Lycomede. D'apres ARTAUD
.

Gaulish Mosaics-2

Details from a bigger mosaic.
Source: Inventaire de mosaique de la Gaule et de L'Afrique, Edition Leroux, Paris, 1922. Acille a la cour de Lycomede. D'apres ARTAUD.

Gaulish Mosaics-1

I already published here pictures of ancient hexagrams from Pompeii. Now I'm happy to publish ancient hexagrams from Gallia that I found in a French book
Inventaire de mosaique de la Gaule et de L'Afrique, Edition Leroux, Paris, 1922. Tete de meduse, dauphins & poissans. D'apres Wilmowsky.

Robert Graves

Robert Graves wrote in his "Solomon's Seal," Difficult Questions, Easy Answers, pp. 176 ff:

The six points of the Seal represent the multiplication of the female or lunar number, three, by the male or solar number, two; so do the six points of the double pyramid....Thus Solomon's name is clearly more appropriate for attachment to the Seal than his father David's. David was a fighter and a politician, not a mystic like Solomon, whose proverbial wisdom and control of spirits made him famous far outside his territory. The triangle with its point uppermost was regarded as male; the other, lying reversed, had always been the accepted hieroglyph for "woman," because it recalled the outline of women's pubic hair--men's is kite-shaped rather than triangular. A superposition of the male on the female triangle (wherever the sun was regarded as male and the moon as female) therefore referred to sexual desire, while the surrounding circle suggested holy privacy. The seal seems to have sanctified a divine marriage in countries which originally worshipped a Supreme Goddess rather than a Supreme God, but in which (by a compromise between matriarchal and patriarchal custom) the executive side of government had been entrusted first to a lover chosen by the Queen to act as her temporary vizier, and then, after political revolution, to her husband as permanent King reigning with the Goddess's consent....

Yet Solomon's Seal meant far more than an announcement of a public love-feast [celebrated in Tabernacles built by Belzebiel]; when examined closely, it proves to be a statement of man's dependence on woman for his well-being, most applicable wherever man is equated with the Sun as power and energy, and woman with the Moon as wisdom and healing....Nor was Solomon's Seal merely a dynastic charm. As a two-dimensional sign for the double pyramid it laid down the law for all true-love-alliances.

Arafat's Vicious Imagination

David G. Littman wrote in FrontPageMagazine.com on November 15, 2004 that Arafat ( in his press conference at the Palais des Nations in Geneva on September 2, 1983) said that Jesus was the first Palestinian fedayin who carried his sword along the path on which the Palestinians today carry their Cross...

David G. Littman also mentioned that in 1974 Geneva’s authorities banned the entry and display of Arafat-Fatah posters representing Jesus nailed to a Star of David, with the caption “Palestine.”

The Beginning of Zionism

The following paragraph is from Dr. Asher Eder’s book The Star of David, which was published in 1987 in English in Jerusalem by Rubin Mass Ltd. The publication here is courtesy of Oren Mass
This version includes corrections and new materials that do not appear on the printed version.

Perhaps Jews began to use it as part of this trend. Baron Shlomo Meir Rothschild incorporated it into his emblem when he was knighted in Vienna in 1822; and Heinrich Heine, in spite of his conversion to Christianity, signed his newspaper articles with a six-pointed star instead of his name.
In the 1880's the Hovevei Zion movement, a rather loose organization of Jews hoping to return to the ancient Land of Israel used the star, sometimes with the word "Zion" inscribed in the middle field. Next, it was shown in a flag hoisted in 1884 in Rishon-le-Zion, a newly established Jewish settlement in the ancient land of Israel.
Also in Rishon-le-Zion, the Palestine Wine and Trading Company used it as its trademark, encasing the company name in its field, as can be seen in an advertisement which appeared in The Jewish World, London, on October 5, 1900, page 28.
Altogether, the Magen David was apparently quite in vogue in Palestine during the last century. For instance, the teacher's organization , חברת החינוך העברי , which tried to inculcate Hebrew, showed it in its letterhead, and it was also on school buildings in Rehovot and Jaffo (there, it was on the בית ספר תלמוד תורה , the Talmud Torah School).
In the Jewish communities of the Diaspora, it served as a sign of hope for a brighter future, a hope which traces back to King David.
However, the way from basic design to the present flag was marked by several attempts to give it its shape. Dr. Theodore Herzl, preparing for the First Zionist Congress, in a letter to his right-hand man de Haas (dated July 27, 1896) proposed the following design as "our flag":
On another occasion, he explained that the seven (or 6+1) small stars should symbolize the laborer's right to one day of rest after six days of work.
The weekly Die Welt (which he started in July 1897) showed in its imprint the basic hexagram, with a stylized map of the eastern Mediterranean in its middle field.
The same design, now with a lion in its middle field, appears on the imprint of a Hebrew paper called בו ביום , which was issued on August 29, 1897, the day of the opening of the First Zionist Congress in Basel, Switzerland.
The Correspondenz-Karte issued by the organizers of the Congress featured the hexagram in its basic design, flanked by a quotation from Ps. 14:7 ("Oh that someone
might bring salvation to Israel from Zion"):
However, the membership card (Mitglieds-Karte, dated August 29-31, 1897) showed the hexagram without the above quote from Ps. 14:7.

Candar Flag

Picture is courtesy of Wikipedia Flag of Candaroğlu according to the Catalan Atlas c.1375)
The Candar Flag has a red hexagram in its center.

Candar dynasty, also called Isfendiyar, had been a Turkmen dynasty (c. 1290–1461) that ruled in the Kastamonu-Sinop region of northern Anatolia (now in Turkey).
The dynasty took its name from Semseddin Yaman Candar, who served in the army of the Seljuq sultan Mas'ud II (reigned 1283–98) and was awarded the Eflani region, west of Kastamonu, in return for his services.

Karamanid Flag

Picture is courtesy of Wikipedia(Flag of Karaman according to the Catalan Atlas, c. 1375.
Karamanid Flag is very similar to the Israeli flag also in its color.
is a province of central Turkey. It was the location of the Karamanid emirate, which came to an end in 1486 after 250 years.

Beyond The Star 2

I already published a Picture of an iron gate in East Berlin with the same hole in the door in the shape of a Star of David "patent", and wrote that it is an original use of this shape. Now that there are two such doors I guess in the future I'll find and publish even more...
Picture is courtesy of "dM.nyc" who published it on Flickr.

The Power of the Stars

The word STAR in the name Star of David encourages astronomical and astrological explanations. e.g occultist Israel Regardie (1907 -1985)in his book The Golden Dawn says that:

Saturn is at the point at the top, the Moon is at the point at the bottom, Jupiter is at the upper right point, Venus is at the lower right point, Mars is at the upper left point, Mercury is at the lower left point, and the center is given to the fire of the Sun.

Gaudí

It is not clear to me what is this white hexagram doing in Park Guell, Barcelona, Spain. The park was designed by Catalan architect Antoni Gaudí and built in 1900 to 1914. It is part of UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Picture is courtesy of "docman" who published it on Flickr.

Yummy Star of David

Picture is courtesy of nullalux who published it on Flickr
and wrote in the caption:

I made yummy pumpkin pie tonight. The only cookie cutters we have are Jewish shapes, hence the pie's religious leanings.

Ginger-Sugar Pumpkin Pie Filling Ingredients:

340g firm tofu
1 heaping c. cooked pumpkin or 15oz. canned pumpkin
1/4 c. brown sugar
1 c. ginger sugar (*see recipe below)
1 t. cinnamon
1 t. grated nutmeg
1/2 t. ground cloves
1/2 t. allspice
dash salt

Star Dish

Picture is courtesy of Tamara Eden who published it on Flickr.
I don't know how am I supposed to use this Jewish Star Dish but it looks original and that's enough for me...

Ceramic Seder Plate

Picture is courtesy of Hillary Brenner who published it on Flickr and wrote to me:

It is ceramic and painted in underglazes. I am based in Adelaide, Australia.

I don't know if Hillary knows that Isaac Luria teaches in his book "Etz Hachayim" that the elements of the plate for the Seder evening have to be placed in the order of the Jewish Star. Although Hillary's Seder plate has a Jewish Star in its center it does not obey Rabbi Isaac Luria's instructions. Maybe what I wrote here will make her start a new line of Seder plates...

Sumerian MAGAN is Egypt

Usually the Hebrew name for the Star of David is Magen David, but on the Web you'll find all the other possible spellings: Magen Dawid, Mogan david etc. Search Engines are so dumb that when you ask for one such spelling they ignore the others although the meaning is exactly the same. That's how I stumbled upon a very interesting idea about the origin of the Star of David that I missed until now just because the author used the Mogan david spelling- all I had to do was to mis-spell:

In the Sumerian language 'MAGAN' = Egypt.

According to Zecharia Sitchin, in 'The Wars of Gods and Men', page 180; "Jerusalem - Ur-Shulim, the City of Shulim, meant 'The Supreme Place of the Four Regions', and the Sumerian emblem of the Four Regions applied to it, [and was], possibly the forerunner of the Jewish emblem called the 'Star of David'. Emblem of the four regions at left.

The Star of David is a Homoform

I asked on Yahoo Answers:

How do we call the same shape when it has more than one meaning? Can you give an example?

On the details question I explained:

When the same word has different meanings we call it a homonym.
My example: The Star of David is a shape that has different meanings in different cultures...

In a few hours I got the following answers:
Garypopki:

The symbol that was appropriated by the Nazis, the swastika, was an old an honorable one before the Nazis dishonored it. It was used as the logo of some European beer, but after the Nazis made it famous, the beer company changed its logo.

Rammohan:

Cross is used in churches and it has a different meaning when you see it in the hospital.

lubylou91:

Oblongs and rectangles. the natzi symbol was also a sacred hindu thing or something like that. I don't understand this question!!!

carebears

How about "O"? Can be used as a circle, a zero, the alphabet O.

I chose the first answer as best and rated it 3 out of 5. In the feedback section I wrote:

Very good example but no name - I'll have to invent one myself - I'll call it a homoform.

Margaret Starbird

Margaret Starbird wrote a chapter about the Star of David in her book The Woman With the Alabaster Jar (Bear and Co, 1993).
She also wrote an article titled: The Archetypal Mandala of the Star of David. Here is an excerpt from that article:

The Star of David... is a reminder that we are not alone--that we are part of a whole and that the Living Force of the Cosmos is with us. Equality, mutuality, community and wisdom are all summed up in this beautiful mandala whose ultimate archetypal meaning is harmony in diversity.

Brand Name

Jewish Star appears on the belly of a Teddy Bear. Picture is courtesy of The "Rhett" who published it on Flickr and wrote in the caption: 

Judaica Bear and his blue octopus to the rescue!

It seems that the Jewish Star became a brand name and it can help sell anything...

Transparent Stars

Transparent Magen David on the shelf of a Judaica store in Bathurst, Canada. I don't know what it's for but since I had never seen such a product (and since I like it ) I decided to publish it here.
Picture is courtesy of "fortinbras" who published it on Flickr.

Jews For Jesus Logo

In the Jews For Jesus logo the letter "o" in the word "for" is replaced by a Star of David.

Rick Ross published in 1982 a booklet titled:

"What in G-d's name is going on in Arizona?! Impostors - Hiding Behind the Star of David."

The groups he blames as hiding behind the Star of David were
Jews for Jesus
The Jewish Voice Broadcast
Messianic Congregation
Campus Crusade
Hebrew Christians
Inter-Varsity Christian Fellowship
Young Life
Here's Life
Picture is courtesy of "Cygnoir" from Flickr

Pigeon House

Hexagram in a house for 4000 Pigeons in Yazd, Iran. Yazd is Recognized by UNESCO as holding one of the oldest architecture all over the world.

Seville, Spain

Eric Broug has an amazing collection of Islamic geometrical designs on his Web site. He sent me this beautiful pattern from Seville, Spain, which does have Solomon’s seals in it.

The Great American Ceiling

The same design of the Great American Seal, which appears on the one-dollar bill appears also in an old ceiling of hammam in a citadel in Aleppo/Haleb, Syria. The origin of this design is IMHO the double tetraktys.
Picture is courtesy of "CharlesFred" who published it on Flickr.

Crusader Coins

13th century silver coins of the Crusaders were copies of Islamic coins that feature a Solomon’s seal. The coins were struck at Tripoli, Lebanon from 1220 to 1240 C.E., in order to simplify trade with neighboring Muslim kingdoms

Exclusive Pure Singleness

I found a deep insight about the meaning of the Star of David in different cultures in James B. Klee's article. Here's an excerpt:

In India it is seen as a six-pointed mandala, inclusive of six aspects at least. In the Indian context one senses the inclusiveness of the symbol. Yet its more recent use is to merely label one group, either as a mark on a “foreign” group to be excluded, or even within the group to exclude others. Indeed the star often is a symbol of singleness in the arithmetic sense - be it one of the 13 original colonies, or one of the 50 states, or the lone star state of Texas. In each Western case, the symbol is used to express exclusive pure singleness. Seldom is the sense of the multiple aspects of the figure developed.

”

The Transition from Hexagram to Magen David

The following paragraph is from Dr. Asher Eder’s book The Star of David, which was published in 1987 in English in Jerusalem by Rubin Mass Ltd. The publication here is courtesy of Oren Mass

This version includes corrections and new materials that do not appear on the printed version

In the meantime, before the end of the Thirty Year War, the Jewish community of Prague began to employ a seal showing the hexagram with the six Hebrew characters מגן דוד , Magen David , inscribed in its six angles, for the first time officially combining the design and the term.

Also in Bohemia, the synagogue of Budweis is known as having displayed the Magen David during those centuries.

It was also in Prague that the first Hebrew book ever published in modern book form, the Seder Tefillot, appeared in 1512, with a six-pointed star as the printer's mark and bearing an inscription which says: "Every man under the banner of his father's house....may they be worthy of good gifts, all those who adhere to the Magen David" The transition from the "internationality” of the hexagram to the Jewish Magen David, or Shield of David, was not smooth. On the one hand, Christians and Jews alike used it on amulettes throughout the Middle Ages, but on the other hand there were incidents of persecution of Jews who used it. One such incident involving the six-pointed star occurred in Brandenburg, Germany in the 16th Century. There, a mint master by the name of Lippold struck the coinage of Prince Elector Joachim II, using hexagrams as printer marks on the reverse side of the coins.

 Lippold's coin 1567

After Joachim IInd's death, this was one of the accusations which led to the mint master's execution on the rack. Then, in Moravia, a province neighboring Bohemia, the leaseholder of the mint in Wischnau was dismissed because he, too, used the hexagram as his mint mark.

These incidents may indicate that besides the emperor, non-Jewish circles had also begun to recognize a special connection between the hexagram and the Jews.

Apparently, it reached Vienna through other communities in Bohemia: Viennese Jews are known to have used it on their community's seal in 1655. Better known is the boundary stone of 1656, with the six-pointed star marking the site of the Jewish cemetery, and the cross marking the site of the neighboring Carmelite monastery.

Then we find it in printers' marks on several Jewish books, including an Italian edition of the Rambam's Guide to the Perplexed (Printed at Sabbioneta in 1553). It is shown in tree leaves and is obviously linked to those Psalms which mention the Lord as a shield.

In the following centuries, many European Jewish communities adopted the star as their symbol, among them the Ashkenazi synagogue of Amsterdam (in 1671), which showed it on their building and on cult objects and books.

The 17th-Century Shabtai Zvi movement provided a new interpretation of the symbol, namely, The Seal of MBD, these letters standing for Messiah Ben David, relating the hopes for the final redemption by the Son of David. The linking of the Magen David to such widespread yearnings for redemption from the torment of anti-Semitism, as well as the need for a sign of self-identification in a world where every other group had an emblem of its own, must have been an added impetus for Jewish circles all over the world to adopt this symbol.

All this can be linked to a passage in an ancient prayer, our daily Amidah-prayer, which reads in its English translation: "Let the Branch of David thy servant shoot forth speedily...". Similar also is our special prayer on new moon days, alluding to the Son of David.

Micrography From Germany, Pentateuch From Yemen

The following paragraph is from Dr. Asher Eder’s book The Star of David, which was published in 1987 in English in Jerusalem by Rubin Mass Ltd. The publication here is courtesy of Oren Mass
This version includes corrections and new materials that do not appear on the printed version

Not confined to the realms of the sacred, the hexagram appeared from the 11th century C.E. on the seals of Jews and non-Jews alike.
In 1299, it appears as one of the decorative patterns on a page of masoretic text in micrographic writing in Germany:
Also, a Tanakh, written in 1307 by Rav Joseph Bar Yehudah Ben Marvas of Metudellah (Spain), was decorated with handwriting in the pattern of a hexagram.
In a design similar to that of Beth-El, as shown in fig.6, we find it in a Humash (Pentateuch) manuscript of 1409 in Yemen:

Nabatean bowl, Celtic Brooch

The following paragraph is from Dr. Asher Eder’s book The Star of David, which was published in 1987 in English in Jerusalem by Rubin Mass Ltd. The publication here is courtesy of Oren Mass
This version includes corrections and new materials that do not appear on the printed version

It [the hexagram] played a role in the art of the Nabateans, whose kingdom bordered Israel in ancient times. A painted ceramic bowl [probably of the first century B.C.E.] shows it together
with palm branches:

Dr. Asher Eder’s note:
Stewart Macalister, The Excavations of Gezer, vol.III, Plate 159, no.12. Macalister does not claim the drawing is part of a hexagram, but I mention it since it is sometimes presented as an early example thereof.

It was known also to distant cultures such as the Celts. We find it there on ornamental buttons, or brooches.

Zeevveez's note:
I couldn’t obtain permission to publish the photos of the ceramic bowl and the brooche, which appear in the book.

The Logo of Reiki

William Lee Rand, Usui Reiki Master Lineage, answered my question about the meaning of The Logo of Reiki which looks very similar to a Magen David:

The Japanese kanji in the center of the logo means Reiki which is spiritually guided life energy. The upward pointing triangle represents humanity moving toward God. The downward pointing triangle represents God moving toward humanity. Because the two triangles are united, and balanced, they represent humanity and God working together in harmony. The inner sixteen petaled flower symbolizes the throat chakra or communication. The outer twelve petaled flower symbolizes the heart chakra or love. The complete logo represents Reiki uniting God and humanity in harmony through the communication of love.
The Logo is the Registered Service Mark of The International Center for Reiki Training.

WW2 Medals

Six pointed stars on Great Britain WW2 medals.

Picture is courtesy of Daniel Morris who published it on Flickr and wrote in the caption:

My auntie phoned my mum and asked me to take a photo of my Grandad with his medals from WW2.

Eight campaign six pointed stars were created for the 2nd World War (1939-1945)

Samanids

There's a six-pointed star on a Samanid coin. The dynasty of the Samanids ruled in Persia during 9th - 10th centuries. 

Early Christians

I read three very thought provoking points on Israel Today from Sunday, October 09, 2005

1. 

- Is the Star of David an occult Symbol   

If the Star of David is an occult symbol, then so is every snowflake

2.

Because Yeshua (Jesus) was from the House of David, the Star of David served as a symbol to the early Christians of the link with their Jewish brothers

3.

During the reign of the Third Reich in Germany, the Star of David was labeled an occult symbol. This caused many Christians to refrain from trying to save Jews because they didn’t want to come under occult influences from the Jewish Star they wore

Star of David Dance

Magen David Dance is quite a rare phenomenon. It makes one think why is it so rare. It seems that for some mysterious reason we are not at ease with out national simbol - we have no songs about it, nor musicals nor symphony nor dances. I asked several musicians to write a special piece dedicated to  the Magen David. I'll update you if it happens.

Anti-Semites: "Jewish Money"

Magen David above "the Jew" on the cover of the book: Protocols of the Elders of Zion, 1943 edition, Poland, Poznan. At that time Poland was occupied by Nazi Germany.
Picture copied from Wikipedia.

Anti-Semites: "Jewish Snake"

This is how The Star of David is viewed by anti-semites: on the head of the "Jewish Snake" that strangles the world. Photo is of the Brazilian edition of the Protocols of the Elders of Zion, 1937. Source: Poliakov, Leon (1997). It is copied from Wikipedia.
The Magen David is hated by some in the same intensity it is loved by others. No wander it is the symbol of the unifying of the opposites...

Mobile Phone Accessories

Magen David and Hamsa as mobile phone accessories.
Now that mobile phone are so common it will be interesting to follow if people start showing their Magen Davids on their mobiles instead of on their necks...
Photo is courtesy of "fiona655" who published it on Flickr.

Hanging the Star of David

Picture is courtesy of Beny Shlevich who published it on Flickr and wrote in the caption:

Klaipeda, Lithuania, 2005. As if nothing happenned.

It remind us of the relevancy of the Haggadah which says that In every generation there are those who try to destroy us but G-d saves us from their hands.

Arab-Israeli Peace Card

Picture of a Jewish star on top of a Christmass tree is courtesy of "w.wabbit" who published it on Flickr. It is a Blessing of Peace in Hebrew and in Arabic. The green tree looks like a Christmass tree so in fact the blessing is about peace between Arabs, Israelis and Christians. The six-pointed star is used by Christians Muslims and Jews, and it is the fittest symbol of their future coexistence.

Ulstar Flag

Hexagram appers on the Northern Ireland Ulster Flag, which is based upon the St. George’s Cross. St. George is the Patron Saint of England, and his cross is on the national English flag. The Ulster Flag of Northern Ireland is considered Loyalist because of the Crown.
There is a dispute as to the meaning of the star, with some maintaining it is the Star of David, and others say it represents the six counties that make up Northern Ireland.

Picture is courtesy of  "Still burning" from Flickr

Northern Ireland 1971 Queen Elizabeth 

Machin SG NI 60 Scott NIMH 46

Malaga, Spain

11th century Moorish Star of David made from pebbles

Picture is courtesy of "Turnips" from Flickr who wrote to me:

It's part of the flooring at the Malaga Alcazaba in Andalucia in Spain

Tobacco Synagogue -3

The splendid wall with Stars of David of the Tobacco Synagogue in Budapest, Hungary. It looks just great!

Picture is courtesy of "Big Logie's Missus" from Flickr

Tobacco Synagogue -2

Delicate Star of David window grilles from the Dohany Synagogue in Budapest, Hungary. Picture is courtesy of "Whistling in the Dark" from Flickr.

The Non-Jewish Star of David

Here in Israel we tend to think that the Star of David is an unmistakably Jewish symbol, but six pointed stars serve other religions as well. In this blog I published six pointed stars from India, Nepal, Jamaica, Japan, China, Spain, Arab countries etc. I reckon there are more non-Jews than Jews who use our national emblem with or without assigning to it the meaning of the Magen David...

Tobacco Synagogue in Budapest

Golden Star of David on the ornate canopy that is hanging over the pulpit at Dohany Synagogue in Budapest, which was built between 1854-1859.
Picture is courtesy of "canonsnapper" who published it on Flickr.

Ceiling of Askenazi Synagogue

There’s an orange Jewish Star o on the ceiling of the Ashkenazi Synagogue in Istanbul. At first sight I thought circles of Stars of David surround it but looking more closely I found out that pentagrams surround it. Anyhow the design is unique and I like it a lot.
Picture is courtesy of "canonsnapper" who published it on Flickr.