Pentagram and Star of David
People love geometric symbols, so there has been connections formed with lines, circles, triangles, squares and pentacles (i.e. five sided stars). As soon as someone has a system with X points, they often devise a symbol that represents it. And if they have a symbol they enjoy, they often make up meanings for each point or side of the symbol. Sometimes it's hard to say which came first. And in many cases the symbol or points were adapted from previous systems and then modified.
The pentacle was enjoyed by primitive people because you could draw a star (a very powerful astrological symbol) with just one movement of a drawing utensil, without lifting your hand. So it is often called the 'Endless Knot' because of that.
Apparently pentacles have been found in excavations as far back as 3500 BC.
The Star of David, which is the sign of Judaism, is a SIX pointed star, made up of two triangles place on top of each other.
From a Visitor -
Can I just say something on the pentacle (or pentagram)? Dan Browne was only partly right, it was used by pagans to worship the sacred feminine or Venus, but it was adapted by Anthony de Mellifont (not sure on the name), the founder of modern organized Satanism, as the symbol for the religion. It was really a terrible thing to do. It really polluted it's original meaning. A shame, it's a lovely star... ;-)
My Response -
I'm sure the pentacle might have been used to worship Venus, but it was used as a magical symbol long before the days of the Greeks and Romans It has been adapted by many, many people over the years.
From a Visitor -
The key point meaning he adapted it. In addition, if you care to notice, it is NOT the same symbol. The pentacle inverted (the high point that points north would now be pointing south) is the supposed symbol for satanism, and is not the exact same symbol used by Wiccans and witches, et al. for Goddess worship. The pentacle means many things, none of them evil.
My Response -
Right that's an excellent point. It's like the symbol for the Nazis. That symbol wasn't created by the Nazis, they used an existing symbol. And sadly they "polluted" it with their use, so that everyone else now can't use it without carrying that burden.
It would be as if the KKK adopted some sort of symbol - let's say a crescent moon - and started using it for all their racist activities. Now all the other people who use the crescent moon would be sad, because their symbol would be tainted.
From a Visitor -
in Dan Browns book the pagans and christianity where in a way "married" from Constantine in order to have one religion that whould have all the people united, however, if the paggans had as their sympol the pentagram, where is it in the new religion? because i think it is a sympol of jews isn't it?
My Response -
I think you're confusing the pentagram which was one of MANY symbols that pagans used, with the Star of David, which is the symbol of Judaism ... Christianity didn't use every single symbol the pagans ever used. However you do in fact see five sided stars in some churches.
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