Like people of other religions, Jews make use of a range of symbols - objects that serve as reminders of deeper ideas and duties.
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The Menorah - The seven branched lamp that stood in the temple is, perhaps, the most important of Jewish symbols. The original menorah was made of solid gold to a design set out in Torah. This was the original everlasting light, kept burning at all times to signify the prescence of G-d. |
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The Star
of David, or Magen Dovid, is probably the most
universally recognised symbol of Judaism, but has only been used by Jews as a symbol for a
little over 100 years. The intertwined, six pointed star has been used as a good luck
symbol in the Middle East since early times, but is quite unusual in early Jewish works of
art or literature. It first began to be used as a decoration on the outsides of synagogues in the 17th century. It only gradually gained popularity as a Jewish symbol until it was chosen as the emblem of the Zionist movement in 1897. |
This mezuzah is of a fairly modern design. The 3 pronged device scribed onto it's front is a stylised letter shin. |
The first thing that a Jewish
family will do when they move into a new home is to put up their mezuzot.
A mezuzah is a small box or tube that is fixed to the doorframe of each door in the house.
Mezuzot can be all sorts of shapes, sizes or materials. Many mezuzot are decorated with the Hebrew letter SHIN. It is the first letter of the word, Shaddai meaning Lord, one of the names be which Jews refer to G-d. Some mezuzot show the whole word.. In Deuteronomy 6:4-9 G-d commands Jews to keep His words constantly in their minds and hearts. Part of the passage tells us to Write them on the doorposts of your home. A mezuzah contains a handwritten copy, on kosher parchment, of this passage and one other on the same theme (Deut.11:13-21). The word mezuzah means doorpost. |
