Jewish shield blazons

[Crispvs]

Do we have any information on what Jewish shield blazons might have looked like? I am most interested in what any blazons at the time of Christ might have looked like (such as those which have been carried by Herod or Herod Antipas's soldiers) but any information on Jewish shield blazons would be of interest.

I have long been under the impression that the Jews were not in the practice of depicting people and that therefore no images of their soldiers would exist. However, I have been wrong about things before and someone else may know more about this.

Crispvs

[Forty-One]

According to the Osprey book on Herod's Army by Samuel Rocca, there are no human figures at all in Jewish art from the second temple period, let alone images of soldiers. This is because of the second commandment's injunction against graven images - which the jews at that time obeyed strictly. The two or three shield blazons that are shown in that book are reconstructed largely from coins, some of which show Hellenistic round shields, and others which show common Jewish designs (cornucopiae etc).

[Matthew Amt]

Aren't a lot of Hellenistic shields of the thureos type shown plain? Maybe the boss and spine are a different color from the background, but no emblem beyond that. Seems to be a perfect option for Jewish soldiers. Then we only have to argue about colors, ha!

Matthew

[M. Demetrius]

It also seems plausible that Temple guards might have painted a Star of David on the fronts of shields. For theatre purposes, that would clearly identify them as who they were.

[Folkert van Wijk]

If I am correctly then most Temple guards where not Jewish but foreigners, most likely put there by the Romans taken allong from Europe and elsewere. Therefore I would figure them with a Roman blazoon on their shield. If it comes to the Jewish then I have no qlue if only the idea's taken from the Ospray mentioned above...

[john roberts]

Depends on where the guards were stationed. If they went within the Temple outer courtyard, no pictorial representations would be permitted. That was one reason for the famous "money-changers" outside the courtyard. Coins with pictures (almost all Mediterranean coinage) could not be taken within and had to be exchanged for Temple money, at a handsome profit to the changers.

[Swampster]

Regardless of the nationality or religion of the shield bearers, a star of David is most unlikely. It had no particular significance to the Jews at this date, at least according to the British Museum and various on-line discussions I've seen.
There are some roughly 2nd AD and later uses of it in a Jewish context but it's main link with the faith is post 16th century.
The British Museum comment is attached to a non-Jewish use of the symbol in a decorative manner. (Just found it is available on-line - http://www.britishmuseum.org/explore/hig..._bowl.aspx )

[Robert Vermaat]

I know it's common to address this hexagram symbol as the 'star' of David, but shouldn't it be the 'shield' of David? The Ivrit for the symbol is, after all, 'magen' (as in Magen David Adom, the Jewish version of the Red Cross) which means 'shield'. Not relevant to this discussion, I know.:wink:

But indeed, the symbol does not become associated with the Jewish religion until after the Middle Ages, although it's occasionally used as a decorative motive.

[Ghostmojo]

I always used to think of it as a star as well, until I saw a programme with some academic pointing out it was two overlapping triangles. Not sure what it is called - a hexagram, a hexangle?

[Robert Vermaat]

A hexagram.

[Theodosius the Great]

Avete,

The menorah seems like an acceptable symbol to use as a shield blazon.

A couple of years ago a discovery of a 1st century synagogue took place in Galilee.
And a stone depiction of the menorah was uncovered. The depiction predates the destruction of the Second Temple which proves that the menorah was used as a Jewish symbol during that time. This menorah differs from the one found on the Arch of Titus. You can read the article and see the photos in the link below.

First-century Synagogue Discovered on Site of Legion’s Magdala Center in Galilee ("Legion" refers to the Legion of Christ, a Catholic organization that owns the land)

The stone also depicts palm trees which are also found on both Herodian and "procuratorial" coinage. So, there's another alternative for a shield blazon.

~Theo