King David and the Spider

Jenni Gottschalk is my favorite graphic artist. In this case she illustrated an ancient Jewish legend without even knowing it, which only proves my point, because when you make an excellent illustration it conveys more meanings than you intended to convey:
Retold by Aaron Zerah:
David decided to ask God about it. "Why, O Creator of the world, did you make spiders? You can't even wear their webs as clothing!"

God answered David, "A day will come when you will need the work of this creature. Then you will thank me." ...King Saul was jealous and afraid of David and sent his soldiers to kill him. David ran away to the wilderness. He hoped King Saul's fit of anger would pass and David would be safe to return. But King Saul's men kept chasing him.

At last, the soldiers were very close. David ran into a cave to hide. He heard the footsteps of the men and knew that they would soon find him. David was so afraid, his bones shook and hurt.

But then David saw a big spider at the front of the cave. Very quickly, it was spinning a web all the way across the opening. Just before the soldiers came up to the cave, the spider finished the web. As the men started to enter the cave, they ran into the web. "Look," they said, "This web is unbroken. If David were here, he'd have torn the web to pieces. He must be hiding somewhere else. Let's go!"

So because of the spider, David's life was saved. David understood that God was wise and thanked God for creating all the creatures, including the spiders.

In this Star of David work Jenni Gottschalk even makes it possible to think that the origin of the six-pointed star is this special spider web and it is destined to remind us to thank God for creating all the creatures, including the spiders.

Another meaning: the Star of David is a symbol of protection. King David is protecting those who read his Psalms, the Lord is protecting King David, the spider is protecting King David...the Lord is protecting King David and every creature on earth, including us.

Jenni Gottschalk

This Picture of the lion of Judea along with the Magen David was designed by Jennie Gottschalk as a suggestion for a congress of the descendants of King David.
The Picture is courtesy of Jennie Gottschalk
BTW, The Jewish Magazine presented recently a few of Jenni Gottschalk's graphic works.

Dick Ben Dor, Genesis, Seventh Day

This is the last painting in the Star of David series of The Seven Days Of Creation made by Israeli artist Dick Ben Dor.
See more works of Dick Ben Dor on

Email Dick Ben Dor: dbendor1@bezeqint.net

Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. 2 And on the seventh day God finished his work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had done. 3 So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it God rested from all his work that he had done in creation.

Dick Ben Dor, Genesis, Second Day

Photo is courtesy of Israeli painter Dick Ben Dor who made a series of seven paintings depicting the seven days of Genesis. Each painting is 70 centimeters high and made of 4 triangles: one big and three small.
Copyright: Dick Ben Dor 2008

Email Dick Ben Dor: dbendor1@bezeqint.net

And God said, “Let there be an expanse in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters from the waters.” And God made the expanse and separated the waters that were under the expanse from the waters that were above the expanse. And it was so. And God called the expanse Heaven. And there was evening and there was morning, the second day.

Dick Ben Dor, Genesis, Fifth Day

A Star of David frame and on it a depiction of the fifth day of creation, made by Israeli painter Dick Ben Dor.
Copyright: Dick Ben Dor 2008

And God said, “Let the waters swarm with swarms of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the expanse of the heavens.” So God created the great sea creatures and every living creature that moves, with which the waters swarm, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. And God blessed them, saying, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth.” And there was evening and there was morning, the fifth day.

Email Dick Ben Dor: dbendor1@bezeqint.net

Dick Ben Dor, Genesis, Day Three

Photo is courtesy of Dick Ben Dor who made seven paintings in order to depict the seven days of Genesis.
Copyright: Dick Ben Dor 2008

And God said, “Let the earth sprout vegetation, plants yielding seed, and fruit trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind, on the earth.” And it was so. The earth brought forth vegetation, plants yielding seed according to their own kinds, and trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. And there was evening and there was morning, the third day.

Email Dick Ben Dor: dbendor1@bezeqint.net

Dick Ben Dor, Genesis, Sixth Day

Photo is courtesy of Israeli painter Dick Ben Dor who made a series of seven paintings each depicts one of the seven days of Genesis. In these days the series is on its way to an art gallery in France.

And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” And God said, “Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit. You shall have them for food. And to every beast of the earth and to every bird of the heavens and to everything that creeps on the earth, everything that has the breath of life, I have given every green plant for food.” And it was so. And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.

Email Dick Ben Dor: dbendor1@bezeqint.net