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Translingual
Description
A hexagram (six-pointed star formed by overlapping two equilateral triangles).
Etymology
The precise origin of the use of it as a Jewish symbol remains unknown, but it apparently emerged in the context of medieval Jewish protective amulets (segulot). The Jewish Encyclopedia cites a 12th-century Karaite document as the earliest Jewish literary source to mention the symbol.[1]
Symbol
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Usage notes
This shape is generically called a hexagram (and has a wider array of definitions), but this specific symbol has been labelled by Unicode for use as the Star of David.
References
- ↑ "Magen Dawid", Jewish Encyclopida , retrieved 2010 May 28.
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