It is very common for the Jew / Judaism - hating Islamic apologists to attack the Zionism symbol and national emblem which is the "Star of David" (Hebrew: Magen David מָגֵן דָּוִד). Therefore, it's only fitting to examine the Star of David in comparison with it's main opponent - the Islamic national symbol of the Crescent Moon (Arabic: هلال hilāl).
The hexagram is not an original symbol of Judaism such as is the much older symbol - the menorah. The hexagram was adopted by Judaism to represent the famous King David and his offspring (also called the "Seal of Solomon") within the Jewish community that from it would come the long awaited Jewish messiah (Hebrew: Mashiach ben David).
"...there shall come a Star out of Jacob, and a Sceptre shall rise out of Israel, and shall smite the corners of Moab, and destroy all the children of Sheth. " - Numbers 24:17
From the time of the original Torah text all the way to the second century during the time of the thought to be messiah, Simon ben Kosiba, given the surname "Bar Kokhba" (Aramaic: "Son of a Star") Judaism has associated their messiah with a symbol of a star.1 There is a Star of David symbol that was carved on an arch-stone left on the ruins of a 3rd. / 4th. century synagogue in the Galilee of Israel that I have seen with my own eyes. Therefore, it's not surprising that the oldest surviving complete copy of the Masoretic text - the Leningrad Codex of 1008 C.E., contains the Star of David. The modern Zionist movement also used the then known "Star of David" on their original flag in 1891. This modern Zionist flag, along with the very long history of the Star of David, culminated into today's Israeli national flag. The Israeli flag consist of the Star of David, two prayer-shawl stripes (Hebrew: tallit) in the color of "tekhelet" blue - the special spiritual color for the tzitzit - (fringes / tallit strings). See Numbers 15:38
Even though Arabic terminology recognizes Judaism's thought on this "Star of David" (Arabic: نجمة داوود, Najmat Dāwūd or "Seal of Solomon" خاتم سليمان Khātem Sulaymān) some Islamic apologists will attack this symbol claiming it to be a pagan symbol thereby giving a damning representation of the Jews who refuse to follow Allah and his final, and most glorious prophet-messenger, Mohammad. However, it is not widely known that many Islamic historical artifacts such as Moroccan coins of 1873 and the Karamanids (the Flag of Karaman 1250C.E. - 1487C.E.) actually displayed the Star of David in the hexagon form!.2 Talk about a "moment of pause" effect that such facts cause when I surprisingly throw these facts into the debate with Islamic apologists. Its almost like I can see (like Cain) their countenance fall, even through the internet.
If you are a Muslim reading this as a referral from our debate on another form, be advised that every single photo of the Star of David image above on this blog are not on Jewish religious structures but on your religious Islamic structures! Ooh, that has to hurt! Oh yes, the photos above include the Islamic Qutb Complex in Delhi, India, the Jameh Mosque in Iran, a mosque in Begova, Saragevo, and the old Ulu Mosque in Bursa, Turkey. They show the Star of David being on Islamic religious structures in basically every part of the Islamic world. Of course these photos are not the end of the list. They are just a few that I posted without inundating this blog with pictures. But given this Star of David upon Islamic religious structures fact, I can't help but think how such an amazing fact becomes a real show-stopper in addressing claims by willfully-ignorant Islamic apologist that the Star of David is a paganism symbol.
In all of their ridiculous claims and doctrines Islam apologists never fails to come up with a wild-asinine3 proof-text from the Hebrew Bible in order to make an attempt at proving their Islam. On this Star of David claim they point to Amos 5:26 that reads in the English KJV: "But ye have borne the tabernacle of your Moloch and Chiun your images, the star of your god, which ye made to yourselves".
To the Islamic apologist, this is a damning proof-text of the origin and creation of the Jewish Star of David that now appears on the Israeli flag. The original Hebrew states it this way: "and you will carry Siccuth your king, and Chiun your images, Kochav your god, which you made to yourselves." "Kochav" meaning "star" of whom the prophet Amos was referring was the very name of an idol-god, not just a carved out symbol of some star. Further response to this ridiculous wild-asinine Islamic claim is as follows:
- The hexagram that appears of the 3rd. / 4th. century in the Galilee of Israel (mentioned above) is the oldest known usage of this symbol among the Israelites. That's 7 to 8 centuries "after" the time of Amos!
- In all of known Judaism history (secular or religious) the hexagram shape never symbolized the God of Israel or any other deity. It "always" represented King David and his offspring concerning the everlasting covenant YHVH made with him. This is why the symbol is called "The Star of David" or the "Seal of Solomon" in reference to David's son.
- The false-deity usage of "Kochav" during the time of the prophet Amos resulted in the God of Israel promising to exile these Israelites from out of the land of Israel. See Amos 5:27 - the very next verse after the so-called Islamic proof text of Amos 5:26. However, we see just the opposite of Amos 5:27 concerning this more modern Star of David. Ever since the national usage of this symbol the Jews from around the world are being gathered and returning back into the land of Israel. Amazing huh?
- From the time of Mohammad himself until the modern Zionist movement of the nineteenth century (610 CE to 1891 CE - 1281 years) no Islamic scribe, historian, sage, ayatollah, mullah, mufti, or common imam, had ever stated anything negative concerning the Star of David emblem that they themselves used on their artifacts and in their mosques. One can search the entire Koran, the hadiths (from both Sunni and Shia sources), rulings of the caliphs or legal fatwas of Islamic history, and not find a single notation against the six-pointed Star of David symbol!
The Crescent Moon
The crescent moon pagan symbol that we see today at the top of Islamic religious minaret prayer towers, mosque domes, coins, and national flags, goes all the way back the time of the biblical judges.
"...And Gideon arose, and slew Zebah and Zalmunna, and took the crescents that were on their camels' necks." - Judges 8:21 American Standard Version (ASV)
The Hebrew word "ha-sa-ha-ronim" that the ASV correctly translates as "crescents" does indeed mean (in the plural) "a round moon-shaped crescent ornament". The two kings "Zebah and Zalmunna" that Gideon killed were Midian kings (see Judges 8:12 and 8:26). Midian was in the region of northwest Arabia. Therefore, can we see a biblical picture being developed here connecting the Arab people of Midian and their crescent pagan ornaments. I mean, what kind of god(s) did these two Midian kings worship with their crescent-moon ornaments hanging around their camels' necks? The one true God of Israel that their slayer Gideon worshiped or their pagan false god(s) of Midian and the Arab people worshiped? This is a simple question that any Islamic apologist should address.
Again, this Arabian crescent-moon symbol is unlike the mystical / spiritual Star of David in that the crescent-moon symbol refers to an actual celestial body which is the tangible lunar-moon in its astronomical waxing or waning crescent phase. Pre-Islam Arabia had 360 false gods that were worshiped at the Ka'aba in Mecca. The chief-god of this pantheon of Arabian of gods was non-other than "Allah" (meaning "the god") who had one of three daughters or consort (depending on the region of Arabia) named "Allat" meaning "the goddess"5. This Ilah, or chief god, was worshiped in the form of the physical moon much like the Egyptian god Ra was worshiped in the form of the physical sun. Also, the Arabian calender is the only one of its kind that is solely lunar based6 showing the emphasis on moon consciences within the Arabian culture and societies both ancient and present. Thus, the picture becomes even more clearer in linking pagan moon-worship (via a false god named Allah) within the land of Arabia.
Many Islamic apologists will pass off the Islamic religious symbol of the crescent moon (along with the star) as a non-meaningful adoption of the Constantinople Christian symbol after the Islamic takeover of that major city (now Istanbul) in 1453. However, the crescent moon of Christian Constantinople (306 CE to 1453 CE) was an adopted symbol from the pre-Christian pagan city of Byzantium itself. The fact is that the crescent moon symbol of the ancient pagan city of Byzantium was the city's veneration of the goddess Diana / Artemis. The star that now co-exist with the crescent moon symbol was added during the Christian-Constantinople period of the city to represent the birth of Jesus as the crescent moon took on the reference to the Virgin Mary replacing the goddess Diana.
Therefore, the bottom line facts concerning the Jewish symbol of the Star of David verses the Islamic symbol of the Crescent Moon and star are these:
- Though the hexagram is not originally Hebrew in design it was adopted by Jews / Judaism many centuries ago, not as a deity symbol of any kind, borrowed or created, but as a reference to King David and the Davinic Covenant and is based largely upon the Torah text of Numbers 14:27.
- The Jewish Star of David has been used as an "ensign" (see Isaiah 5:26 / Isaiah 11:12) that under the current Zionism movement is calling Jews from all over the world back to their ancient homeland of Israel, just as the Hebrew prophets prophesied.
- The prayer shawl stripes along with its spiritual color of tekhelet blue, gives the Star of David shape upon the Israeli flag its special ensign spiritual meaning.
- The Islamic Crescent Moon symbol has direct spiritual links to Arabian and other false gods and goddesses.
- The Crescent Moon false god(s) symbol can be traced biblically in the Hebrew text of Judges 8:21 compared with Judges 8:12 and 8:26 of the same textual material.
- The keeping of the pagan chief moon-god name of "Allah" as the most personal name of God, along with the lunar-based calender "holy" months such as "Ramadan", and such things as the veneration of the meteorite Ka'aba Stone, and many other pre-Islamic rituals, show that the religion of Islam is founded upon celestial-body pagan worship that continues today by masking itself as the Hebrew God of Israel, YHVH.
1. This also includes the first-century New Testament background with the "Wise Men" seeing the messianic star in the east. See Matthew 2:2-9.
2. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karamanoğlu and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hexagram
3. The original Hebrew calls Ishmael and his descendants a "peh-rea a-dam" literally, a "wild-ass man" in Genesis 16:12. We therefore see this wild-ass nature being expressed in his "wild-asinine" religious statements and claims against the everlasting covenant that the God of Israel has with the Jewish people. This same verse goes on to tell of his terrorist-nature: "...his hand (his jihadic Islam) against everyone, and everyone's hand (The Christians and the Jews) against him."
4. This act can also include the paganism aspects within Christianity. The physical star that the New Testament "wise men" followed is depicted at the top of most modern Christmas trees. The Hebrew prophet Jeremiah covers this five-pointed Christmas Star (not limited to placement on Christmas trees) and the Christmas tree itself in Jeremiah 10:2-4.
5. I have read many of the same report on many different web-sites by non-archeologists that a rock inscription has been discover at Adumattu, Arabia that reads, "May Allat (goddess) grant every wish" of which contains an image of the crescent moon and star. Verification by professional archeologists is needed for confirmation.
6. The Greco-Roman calender is solar based and the Hebrew Biblical calender both solar and lunar based. The Islamic calender is the only one of the monotheistic religions that is solely lunar based.
