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Judaism Jewish Judaic Talmud
Background Beliefs Overview Traditions
The Jewish Holiday of Tu B'Shvat (Tu Bishvat, New Year of the Trees) is a New Year celebration for trees which is celebrated on the fifteenth day of the Hebrew month of Shvat. This day was set aside as the day for fruit tithes in the Mishnah. It is celebrated by many people in Israel by planting trees and with a Tu B'Shavat Seder which includes recitations and songs; special foods (dates, figs, grapes, wheat, barley, pomegranates, and olives); and a Shehechiyanu blessing of thanks to G-d for health and life.
The Jewish Holiday of Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement) is a time of self-denial, atonement, and cleansing of sins which is observed eight days after Rosh HaShana and the days inbetween are called the Days of Awe. On Yom Kippur the books inscribed with individual names and judgments are sealed, so it the last chance to change judgements by demonstrating repentance. The main focus of Yom Kippur, which is considered the solemnest and holiest day of the year, is one of reconciliation and atonement.
Bathing, conjugal relations, drinking, and eating are prohibited. Fasting begins at sundown and ends the next day after nightfall. The Yom Kippur services begins with the recitation before sunset of the "Kol Nidrei", all vows prayer, which is a public annulment of the personal religious vows Jews made between themselves and G-d during the preceding year. The one day holiday ends with the blowing of the shofar which concludes the fast.
Early Jewish symbols
included the Shofar (ram's horn), the Lulav (palm shoot), and the Menorah
(seven-branched candelabra). A Shield of David was found on a thirteenth century
ACE Jewish tombstone in southern Italy at Taranto. Twelfth century ACE literary
writings mention that a Tetragrammaton also known as a David's shield was used
on amulets.
Torah Scroll and Star of David
A recognized universal symbol of the identity of the Jewish people and Judaism, the Star of David (Shield of David, Jewish Star) is on the flag of Israel. There is no archaeological validation for the use of the Jewish Star in ancient times in the Holy Land even after the reign of King David. The Shield Star of David was also not mentioned in rabbinical literature
It has been suggested that the Kabbalah might have initially obtained the Star of David symbol from the Templars. In the Kabbalah the symbol was placed on amulets, and, the ten Sephiroth spheres where arranged in a similar configuration.
A 1307 CE Tanakh manuscript belonging to a rabbi from Toledo, Spain had a Jewish Star on it. For hundreds of years, the Star of David has been placed on Jewish tombstones in Europe. Today many synagogues have the flag of Israel with the Star of David symbol prominently displayed close to the Ark containing the Torah scrolls.
The shape of the Star of David was that of a hexagram. The hexagram was an occult and magical symbol used by other belief systems long before the Jews adopted it as their primary symbol. According to Jewish legends the symbol was used on the magical signet ring (the Seal of Solomon) that King Solomen used to control demons and other spirits as slave labour forcing them to build his Temple.
The Jewish lore also indicated that King David had a magical protective shield with the symbol on it. Some researchers have suggested that the symbol represented the astrological chart of either the moment David's birth or his anointment as king. The symbol was known by astrologers as the "Kings Star".
Ancient magical papyrus artifacts indicated that pentagrams along with stars and other symbols were often found on protective amulets bearing the Jewish names of G-d. The pentacle was also used as a symbol by early Jews.
A pentacle was used as an
architectural ornament on an ancient synagogue at Tell Hum. The fifteenth
century CE Jews had a red flag with two pentacles and two golden stars. A
pentacle also occurs in a 1073 CE Jewish manuscript... Go back
Read Judaism Talmud Articles
Glossary Terminology,
Haggadah Shabbat and Seder,
Halacha and the Ten Commandments,
Jewish Holidays Begin at Sundown,
Judaic Lifecycle Events,
Judaism Spiritual Beliefs,
Menorahs Tallits and Yarmulkes,
Prayers and Jewish Principles of Faith,
Symbology of the Jewish Star of David,
Tefillin Mezuzah Hebrew Bible Verses,
Torah Talmud Tenakh Mishna Gemara
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Jewish Judaic Talmud Copyright © 2002-2008 Maureen Grace Burns, Blessings Cornucopia. All Rights Reserved.
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