Christian organizations that use the Symbol
Today many Christian organizations use the Star of David:
Messianic Jews fellowship; Christian Friends of Israel; Hope for Israel, Christian Friends of Israeli Communities;Why Israel Canada; Messianic Jewish Net;
Jews for Jesus; Messianic Congregation; Campus Crusade; Hebrew Christians; Inter-Varsity Christian Fellowship; Young Life ; Here's Life
Between the World Wars the symbol of the Cross in the Star of David was widely used by Jewish believers in Yeshua.
Ethiopian
Ethiopian kings used the Order of Solomon's Seal, a cross inside a hexagram.
There is a Star of David on the right side of the Ethiopia 1930 Coronation stamp.
in Lalibela, where 11 churches have been hewn into a mountain rock. The Churches have been used continuously since the beginning of the 13th century. Most are decorated with a Star of David, underscoring the church's close kinship with King Solomon.
Makuya
Makuya of Christ, based at the Tokyo Bible Seminary, is a small Japanese New Religion, which considers itself Christian, and is strongly Zionist. They use the Star of David in their parades.
Zion Christian Church
A Star of David badge is worn by members of the Zion Christian Church. They have over three million members and are the largest African Initiated Church in southern Africa; a Star of David is also on their flag.
Mormons
Mormons believe they belong to the Jewish lost tribe Ephraim, and that's why Judaism is so important for them. No wonder they use the Star of David. The Salt Lake Assembly Hall is Victorian gothic building and a Star of David within a circle is placed high above each entrance.
David Koresh
There was a Star of David on the flag of David Koresh (1959-1993) who was born Vernon Wayne Howell. He was the guru of the Branch Davidians cult. David Koresh and some of his believers were killed while they fought with the FBI on Mount Carmel Center, Texas.
Artifacts
Ein Yael, Israel
White lily motif in the center of the star appears in Ein Yael in south Jerusalem in a farm with a Roman villa from mid-third-century CE. Yehudah Rapuano, who participated in the excavations, wrote an article about the Christian findings on this site:
among the thousands of baskets of pottery shreds recovered, we discovered fragments of slipper-type oil lamps bearing parts of Greek inscriptions based on a formula that translate as: “The light of Christ shines beautifully for all.” A complete oil lamp was found, the upper half of which bears a crucifix in molded relief. In addition, excavation revealed a large chunk of white marble, carved in the shape of a cross, surrounded by a floral motif. Another cross was discovered, painted in a niche on the wall of the upper bathhouse.Yehudah Rapuano discusses in his article the possibility that this place commemorated Philip’s baptism of the eunuch, related in Acts 8.
Aquiliea, Italy
There’s a six pointed star in the Christian basilica in Aquileia, Italy from third-century CE.
Capernaum, Israel
In Capernaum, headquarter of Early Christianity, is the earliest Star of David that was found in a synagogue. Maybe Judeo-christian synagogue.
Bethlehem, Israel
There’s a six-pointed star inside a circle as one of many other symbols on mosaic fragments in the Milk Grotto Church in Bethlehem, which was built before the 5th century.
St. Euthymius, Israel
There’s a six-pointed star on the mosaic floors at the Monastery in St. Euthymius (Khan el Akhmar) in Mishor Adummim, east of Jerusalem in the Judean desert – 7th century CE.
Shilo, Israel
There’s a six-pointed star on the mosaic floors at the Basilica- 6th century CE
Kafr Makr, Israel
The el-Makr 6th century CE mosaic adorned the floor of a church/monastery that dates to the Byzantine period. The mosaic pavement is from the nave.
Khirbet Sufa, Israel
There’s a six-pointed star carved on a marble chancel screen from the late Byzantine period.
Akko, Israel
Six-pointed star with a lily and a cross were found by Gaetoni Pierri in a house of the old city in Akko. Begatti published the lintel without being able to identify the location.
Khirbet er ribba, Israel
Lily inside a hexagram was published by Avi Yona with lily and Greek cross.
Khirbet el karmel
In Khirbet el Karmel Near Hebron was found the only instance of cross inside a Star of David.
Early Christians
Israel Today, October 09, 2005:
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 (represented by a menorah [candelabrum]), and Gentile Christians (represented by the Ichthys [fish]).
Moreover, the Law of the Spirit, that is, «the six-point star...is one of the symbols that the early Christians connected with Christ and which was called Exagram, or Monogram of Christ…Monthly Hera Magazine, year III, n.30, june 2002, p. 59.
Gershom Sholem:
"Seal of Solomon" a term which was also taken over by many Jewish groups. This name connects the hexagram with early Christian, possibly Judeo-Christian magic, such as the Greek magical work The Testament of Solomon.
Adriano Forgione:
That keeps us back to the ancient’s knowledge of microcosm. The six-pointed star, the base for the drawing of the hexagon, it’s one of the symbols that early Christians associated to Christ, calling it “Hexagram” or “Christ’s Monogram”, which goes back to the concept of a harmonized human thanks to the purification of our inner waters.
Eastern Orthodox Church
Agia Irene Eastern Byzantine has Stars of David on the two domes and on the walls of the choir.
Professor. Oskar Wulffberlin:
Aya İrini, Hagia Irene or Hagia Eirene (Church of Holy Peace), is an ancient Byzantine church located in the outer courtyard of Topkapi Palace in Istanbul, Turkey. It is open as a museum. The building reputedly stands on the site of a pre-Christian temple. It ranks, in fact, as the first church built in Constantinople. Roman emperor Constantine I commissioned the Hagia Irene church in the 4th century and Justinian I later had the church restored. It served as the church of the Patriarchate before Hagia Sophia was built.
Armenian Stone Cross Monuments
At a short distance from the chapel of St. David stand two very remarkable khatchk'ar monuments. [khatch = cross and k'ar = stone] decorated with a six pointed star interlace.
There is a 12th century hexagram on the dome of Armenian st. Jacob’s church in the Armenian quarter in Jerusalem.
Cathedrals
Germany
There are hexagrams in Brandenburg, Stendal and Hannover in Germany.
Spain
There is a six-pointed star in a rose window in the Gothic-style cathedral in Burgos, Spain. The cathedral was built in the 13th century but the main façade was reformed in the 18th century.
There is a marvelous black hexagram on a stained glass window in Valencia Cathedral, Spain.
There is a hexagram pattern in the Almudena Cathedral, near the Royal Palace in Madrid, Spain. The Almudena Cathedral is very new by European standards; it was completed in 1993 but the plans for its building began in the 16th century.
There is a Star of David stained glass window in the Gothic Metz Saint-Etienne's Cathedral, which was built from the 13th century.
There is a Star of David stone carving above Roman Catholic Sevilla Cathedral entrance in Spain.
USAThere is a hexagram surrounded by circles on the façade of the Cathedral of the Holy Cross, Boston MA.
Mexico
There is a Hexagram in a stained glass window in the cathedral at Mazatlan, Mexico.
Holland
In Amsterdam there is a big hexagram above the entrance to St. Agnes' Church, and a few hexagrams carved in stone above the entrance to Krijtberg church.
Italy
Jewish architect Niccolo Matas [1798 – 1872]. from Ancona designed between 1853 and 1863 the Santa Croce church in Florence with a big Star of David above the entrance.
There is a stone with an engraved Star of David found in St. Mark’s Cathedral in Venice. According to legend, the stone was brought to Venice from the Temple in Jerusalem.
There is a Star of David on the Romanesque Cathedral of Ferrara, Emilia Romagna, Italy. Built in the 12th century… It seems as "an official" acknowledgment of the contribution offered from the Jewish community of the time to the construction of the cathedral.
There is a raw of interlaced hexagrams in the middle of a column in Orvietto Cathedral, an ancient town in Umbria, Italy.
There is a Hexagram in Palermo, Sicily, Capella Palatina which was completed in 1143. On the wooden ceiling there is an Islamic inlaid Hexagram along one wall.
In 1632 architect Borromini planned The University of Roma chapel, which was dedicated to St. Ivo, protector of the lawyers. The plan of St. Ivo is based on a Star of David whose points act as chapels of alternating convex and concave forms.
France
In the church of Aveize, a village in the Rhone Alps which was built in 1884 there are many windows and above each there's a six pointed star space made by expert stonecutters surrounded by a splendid stone arc.
In the 12th century Rodez cathedral there are rose windows emblazoned with the Star of David. In the middle Ages, the rose was a symbol of esotericism - sub rosa means to do something in secret.
England
There is a tetragrammaton inside a Star of David stained glass dedicated to King Edward VII (9 November 1841 – 6 May 1910 at St Ann's Church, Manchester.
There are many hexagrams on the ceiling of the Old Templar church of Garway, Wales.
Solomon's seal
Solomon's seal or Seal of Solomon was according to Jewish Islamic and Christian legends King Solomon's signet ring that gave him the power to command demons. It is in the shape of five (pentagram) or six-pointed star.
Chrismons
Chrismons is a combination of CHRISt and MONogram. There is a gallery of such Chrismons on http://www.cresourcei.org/symbols/chrismon.html and one of them is The Star of David or the Creator's Star. The six points represent six aspects of God: love, mercy, wisdom, majesty, power, and justice. In this form, the two triangles represent the Trinity.
Coat of Arms
There are two hexagrams ( a.k.a.Stars of Mary) and a cross on the Coat of Arms of Hanover, Germany. Stars of Mary (Mariensterne) on top of the two side-towers recalls the fact that Hamburg used to be an archbishopric.
Various Interpretations
Remo F. Roth:
wrote an online book titled The Archetype of the Holy Wedding in Alchemy and in the Unconscious of Modern Man where he says that the Star of David is used
in the mysticism of all five world religions: in the Kabbalah, in Christian mysticism… in the heart chakra of Buddhist and Hindu Tantrism and in Muslim Sufism. It is always connected to the heart.
Apostle Paul McAroy
Apostle Paul McAroy wrote on his website in 1998
The Two Triangles interlacing each other Represent the Bride of Christ and the 144,000 Jewish saints that have been Redeemed by the Blood of Jesus Christ. One Triangle Represents the Bride of Christ and the Other Triangle Represents the 144,000 Jewish saints.
Number Symbolism
Robin Headlam Wells wrote in an article titled Number Symbolism in the Renaissance Lute Rose:
The renaissance luthier adapted the decorative motifs, which his instrument inherited from its Islamic origins, in order to express the idea of harmony. Despite their apparent variety most renaissance lute roses are based on two figures: the hexagram and the tetragram. According to the familiar body of Pythagorean doctrine transmitted through Plato to the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, the numbers six and four were of profound significance.
Six Is the Number of Man, Seven Is the Number of God
Whtstealth published a very elegant and ORIGINAL graphic explanation for the meaning of the shape of the Star of David on Youtube.
Lucian Craciun comments:
1) "Jews for Jesus", "Messianic Movement" -- such things didn't even exist until the 2nd half of the 20th century (>1948 AD).
2) Ethiopians were Jews long before they were Christians. (Moses had Ethiopian wives; Solomon & the Queen of Sheeba; and Acts 8:27-28). So don't act *too* surprised by them using circumcision, hexagrams, and abstaining from pork. :-))
3) The Neo-Protestant (wacky) leaders & (weird) sects You mention also appeared only in the XXth century. The Mormons themselves are no older than the 1800's.
4) The Byzantine church-buildings You mention are *all* from Israel, or the Middle-East (today's Turkey). -- so the symbol was borrowed from surrounding cultures (Arabs, Babylonians, ... Jews!).
5) The Catholic church-buildings You mention are *all* from the 2nd millenium AD. Around the turn of the 1st millenium AD, the great schism took place between the east and the west. The west shifted its course to become a mental, rational (istic), cerebral, intellectual religion. -- [It resembles in this aspect Judaism and Islam. -- and apropos Islam: remember that they once occupied the entire Iberic peninsula (so this would be an explanation right there)]. Anyway, this change of "mentality" made them in the course of time what they are today: scientific, wordly, etc. So they began to be exaggeratedly interested in 'sacred geometry' [in architecture], in renaissance-like paintings [in arts], in philosophical speculation [in theology], and a plethora of other kindred things.
6) The Monogram of Christ is a Tetragram [no pun intended], rather than a Hexagram. It is: IC XC = IS HS = Jesus Christ. I'm completely unaware of a hexagram EVER being used as a symbol for Christ. [Cross, Chi-Ro, Fish, Pelican, Shephard, Bachus, ... you name it! ... but NOT the hexagram -- sorry].
7) "Christian mysticism" : well, it's like this: You sit quietly all by yourself, easily breathing in and out. You push your mind into your heart by way of respiration (inspiration + expiration). You constantly and attentively repeat the short prayer: "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, mercy me, the sinner", while avoiding any *imaginations* and *rationalizations* --> _NO_ HEXAGRAMS THERE WHAT SO EVER !!!
8) The *ONLY* thing which merits attention is that of the Roman villa. (And of the Capernaum Synagogue, maybe...)
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