The Whole Zodiac of Meanings to the Names of the 12 Apostles of Jesus Christ

Aries – the Ram

PETER: Rock
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Taurus – the Bull

SIMON: One who hears and obeys
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Gemini – the Twin

JAMES: One who supplants
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Cancer – the Crab

ANDREW: Stout and strong man
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Leo – the Lion

JOHN. Grace, gift or mercy of the LORD
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Virgo, the Virgin Girl

PHILIP: Lover of horses
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Libra – the Balance/Scales

BARTHOLOMEW: Son that suspends the waters
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Scorpio, the Scorpion

THOMAS: Twin
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Sagittarius – the Archer

JAMES: One who supplants
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Capricorn – the Sea Goat

MATTHEW: Gift or a reward
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Aquarius – the Water bearer

THADDEUS: One who praise and confesses
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Pisces – the Fish

JUDAS: Confession of the LORD

 

The Bible’s Dozen

Twelve has always been a symbolic number of organization.

– Twelve, Freebiblecommentary.org

 

A Couple ‘Dozen’ Bible Verses: Exodus 24:4, Exodus 28:21, Levitucus 24:5, Numbers 13, Numbers 17:2, Joshua 4:3,9,20, 1 Kings 4:7, 1 Kings 18:31, Matthew 14:20, Matthew 19:28, Matthew 26:53, Revelation 4:4,  Revelation 7:4, Revelation 14:1,3, Revelation 12:1, Revelation 21:12, Revelation 21:14, Revelation 21:16, Revelation 21:17, Revelation 21:21, Revelation 22:2

Non-Biblical Dozens
+ Twelve signs of the Zodiac
+ Twelve months of the year
+ Twelve gods of Mt. Olympus

Old Testament Dozens
+ Twelve sons of Jacob (the Jewish tribes)
+ Twelve pillars of the altar in Exodus 24:4
+ Twelve jewels on the high priest’s breastplate (which stand for the tribes) in Exodus 28:21
+ Twelve loaves of bread in the holy place of the tabernacle in Levitucus 24:5
+ Twelve spies sent into Canaan in Numbers 13 (one from each tribe)
+ Twelve rods (tribal standards) at Korah’s rebellion in Numbers 17:2
+ Twelve stones of Joshua in Joshua 4:3,9,20
+ Twelve administrative districts in Solomon’s administration in 1 Kings 4:7
+ Twelve stones of Elijah’s altar to YHWH in 1 Kings 18:31

New Testament Dozens
+ Twelve apostles chosen
+ Twelve baskets of bread (one for each Apostle) in Matthew 14:20
+ Twelve thrones on which NT disciples sit (referring to the 12 tribes of Israel) in Matthew 19:28
+ Twelve legions of angels to rescue Jesus in Matthew 26:53
+ Twelve stars on the woman’s crown in Revelation 12:1
+ Twelve gates, twelve angels reflecting the twelve tribes in Revelation 21:12
+ Twelve foundation stones of the new Jerusalem and on them the names of the twelve Apostles in Revelation 21:14
+ Twelve thousand stadia in Revelation 21:16 (size of new city, New Jerusalem)
+ Twelve gates of pearl in Revelation 21:21

– 24 elders on 24 thrones in Revelation 4:4
– 144,000 (12 x 12,000) in Revelation 7:4, Revelation 14:1-3
– Wall is 144 cubits (12 x 12) in Revelation 21:17
– Trees in new Jerusalem with twelve kinds of fruit (one for each month) in Revelation 22:2

SOURCE: Twelve, Freebiblecommentary.org (http://www.freebiblecommentary.org/special_topics/twelve.html)

Bible References come a Dime a Dozen these Days don’t They?

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After this I saw Four Angels standing at the Four Corners of the Earth, holding back the Four Winds of the Earth, so that no wind would blow on the earth or on the sea or on any tree.

– Revelation 7:1

Cornerstone #1

Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation? Tell me, if you understand…On what were its footings set, or who laid its Cornerstone?

– Job 38:4-6

The Cornerstone of the Declaration of Independence was Christianity

The Declaration of Independence laid the Cornerstone of human government upon the first precepts of Christianity.

– John Adams, Former U.S. President (1797-1801)

And Again There is the Cornerstone….

‘And it is wonderful in our eyes…’

– Psalms 118:23

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Indeed, if we want to do justice to the Judeo-Christian tradition, we would have to talk mainly about imposed ghettos, pogroms, persecutions and killings.

A Judeo-Christian Looks at the Judeo-Christian Tradition, by Martin E. Marty. Religion On-line.com.

A Glance back at the Bible’s original, one and only, Kingdom of Hell

In Jewish, Christian and Islamic scripture, Gehenna is a destination of the wicked. This is different from the more neutral Sheol/Hades, the abode of the dead, though the King James version of the Bible translates both with the Anglo-Saxon word Hell.

– Gehenna, Wikipedia

Unique Aspects of the Four Corners of Time – Day, Month, Year, Lifetime

+ Water (in th

For a thousand years in Thy sight are but as yesterday when it is past, and as a watch in the night.

– Psalm 90:4

These are the generations of the Heavens and of the Earth when they were created, in the day that the Lord God made the Earth and the Heavens.

– Genesis 2:4

1- The Four Cardinal Directions directly corresponds to the Four Times in a Day.
2- The Four Colors of the Elements directly corresponds to the Four Phases of the Moon
3- The Four Elements of Creation directly corresponds to the Four Seasons in a Year.
4- The Four Archangels of the Four Corners directly corresponds to the Four Periods in a Lifetime.
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From the Beginning, through the Middle, and then onto the End of the Day, then the Month, then the Year, of an entire Lifetime…

 

 

Four Daily Directions– The Eastern Dawn soars upward to reach the Southern Apex of Noon then slowly falls down into the Western skies of Dusk only to find the sudden approach of Dawn from the East once again.

Four Monthly Colors- The Yellow Moon Waxes Orange culminating in a Full Red Moon which Wanes first Purple then Blue to finally end in a Green Moon only to shed its Blue portion and slowly transform into Yellow once again.

Four Annual Elements- The Spring Air heats up to the Summer Fire which is cooled off by the Fall Water and then frozen solid by the Winter Earth only to be melted by the warm Spring Air once again.

Four Lifelong Angels- Raphael, the Spirit of Birth quickly transforms into Michael, the Spirit of Youth, which slowly marches onwards to Gabriel, the Spirit of Maturity, ending finally in Uriel, the Spirit of Old Age, only to be replaced by the birth of the next generation under the guiding Spirit of Raphael once again.

 

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TIME: The Beginning, From the Beginning, Near the End, The End
DAY: Eastern Dawn –> Southern Noon –> Western Dusk –> Northern Midnight
MONTH: Waxing Yellow –> Full Red Moon –> Waning Blue –> New Green Moon
YEAR: Air of Spring ——> Fire of Summer ——> Water of Fall –> Earth of Winter
LIFETIME: Birth of Raphael –> Youth of Michael –> Maturity of Gabriel –> Old Age of Uriel

The Four Elements (1575-76), by Jacobo Zucchi

Artist: Jacopo Zucchi
Painting: The Four Elements 1575-76
Summary: This unfinished allegorical painting on copper may once have formed part of a larger decorative scheme. The subject is the Four Elements:

1) Water (in the form of a river-god and abundance of coral lower left),
2) Earth (in the form of Cybele who is seated lower centre),
3) Fire (shown by Vulcan in his forge lower right) and
4) Air (with Juno in the centre, surrounded by nymphs, and a multitude of birds upper left).

– The Four Elements, by Jacobo Zucchi, Web Gallery of Art, Wga.hu

The Four Times of Day, Phases of the Moon, Seasons of the Year, and Periods in a Lifetime

This List of References and Correspondences to the Four Corners of Time (Day, Month, Year, Lifetime) has been arranged in chronological order, much like a timeline that goes from left to right, and/or from top to bottom- just like the standard historical timelines seen in textbooks and other official publications. As an example of this organizational structure, here is a more detailed illustration of the Four Corners of Time:

The Four Corners of Time
1) Day (24 Hours): Dawn –> Noon –> Dusk –> Midnight
2) Month (30 Days): Waxing Moon –> Full Moon –> Waning Moon –> New Moon
3) Year (12 Months): Spring –> Summer –> Fall –> Winter
4) Lifetime (72 Years) Birth –> Youth –> Maturity –> Old Age

The Four Times of Day, the Four Phases of the Moon, the Four Seasons of the Year, and the Four Periods in a Lifetime…

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The Four Corners of Creation (Chronological)
Elements: Air, Fire, Water, Earth
Colors: Yellow, Red, Blue, Green
Directions: East, South, West, North
Archangels: Raphael, Michael, Gabriel, Uriel

The Four Corners of Time (Chronological)
Daily Times: Dawn, Noon, Dusk, Midnight
Lunar Phases: Waxing Moon, Full Moon, Waning Moon, New Moon
Annual Seasons: Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Lifetime Periods: Birth, Youth, Maturity, Old Age

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The Blue Water of the West brings forth dusk from the day, as the light grows darker with the setting of the sun under the ocean, putting out the Fire of Summer to usher in the Fall

The Four Chronological Corners of Creation
Elements: Air, Fire, Water, Earth
Times: Dawn, Noon, Dusk, Midnight
Colors: Yellow, Red, Blue, Green
Phases: Waxing Moon, Full Moon, Waning Moon, New Moon
Directions: East, South, West, North
Seasons: Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Archangels: Raphael, Michael, Gabriel, Uriel
Periods: Birth, Youth, Maturity, Old Age

The German Nietzche’s Hatred for the Judeo/Christian

Nietzsche is forthrightly blaming the Judeo/Christian moral tradition for the rise of the slave morality. For Nietzsche, there are no essential differences between Judaism and Christianity- Jesus was a Jew who wanted to reform Judaism, and the ensuing split between Judaism and Christianity is a matter of two variations on the same theme. Both Judaism and Christianity share the same roots and the same general approach to morality. Nietzsche traces the origin of that morality back to a decisive set of events early in Jewish history, before the time of Moses. That event was the enslavement of the Jews in Egypt. If we recall our Biblical history, the Jews were for a long time a slave people under powerful Egyptian masters.

– The Origin of Slave Morality, by Stephen Hicks, Stephenhicks.org

Ronald Reagan and the Judeo/Christian Tradition of the Bible

And we’re also remembering the guiding light of our Judeo/Christian tradition. All of us here today are descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, sons and daughters of the same God. I believe we are bound by faith in our God, by our love for family and neighborhood, by our deep desire for a more peaceful world, and by our commitment to protect the freedom which is our legacy as Americans.

– Ronald Reagan, Former U.S. President (1980-1988)

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Of the many influences that have shaped the United States into a distinctive nation and people, none may be said to be more fundamental and enduring than the Bible.

– Ronald Reagan, Former U.S. President (1980-1988)

Within the covers of the Bible are the answers for all the problems men face.

– Ronald Reagan, Former U.S. President (1980-1988)

For centuries the Bible’s emphasis on compassion and love for our neighbor has inspired institutional and governmental expressions of benevolent outreach such as private charity, the establishment of schools and hospitals, and the abolition of slavery.

– Ronald Reagan, Former U.S. President (1980-1988)

Inside the Bible’s pages lie the answers to all the problems that mankind has ever known. I hope Americans will read and study the Bible.

– Ronald Reagan, Former U.S. President (1980-1988)

 
We’re blessed to have [the Bible’s] words of strength, comfort, and truth. I’m accused of being simplistic at times with some of the problems that confront us. But I’ve often wondered: Within the covers of that single Book are all the answers to all the problems that face us today, if we’d only look there. “The grass withereth, the flower fadeth, but the word of our God shall stand forever.” I hope Americans will read and study the Bible in [the coming year]. It’s my firm belief that the enduring values, as I say, presented in its pages have a great meaning for each of us and for our nation. The Bible can touch our hearts, order our minds, refresh our souls.

– Ronald Reagan, Former U.S. President (1980-1988)

The Congress of the United States, in recognition of the unique contribution of the Bible in shaping the history and character of this Nation, and so many of its citizens, has by Senate Joint Resolution 165 authorized and requested the President to designate the year 1983 as the ‘Year of the Bible.‘

– Ronald Reagan, Former U.S. President (1980-1988)

Deep religious beliefs stemming from the Old and New Testaments of the Bible inspired many of the early settlers of our country, providing them with the strength, character, convictions, and faith necessary to withstand great hardship and danger in this new and rugged land. These shared beliefs helped forge a sense of common purpose among the widely dispersed colonies – a sense of community which laid the foundation for the spirit of nationhood that was to develop in later decades.

– Ronald Reagan, Former U.S. President (1980-1988)

The Bible and its teachings helped form the basis for the Founding Fathers’ abiding belief in the inalienable rights of the individual, rights which they found implicit in the Bible’s teachings of the inherent worth and dignity of each individual. This same sense of man patterned the convictions of those who framed the English system of law inherited by our own Nation, as well as the ideals set forth in the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution.

– Ronald Reagan, Former U.S. President (1980-1988)

 

A Brief Examination of ‘Root and Branch’ Star of David Cross-References for Revelation 22:16

I, Jesus…am the Root and Branch of David, the bright, Morning Star.

– Book of Revelation 22:16

‘Root and Branch’ Cross-References for Revelation 22:16
– (Isaiah 11:1) A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his ROOTS a BRANCH will bear fruit.
– (Romans 15:12) And again, Isaiah says, ‘The ROOT of Jesse will spring UP, one who will ARISE to rule OVER the nations; the Gentiles will hope in him.’
– (Revelation 5:5) Then one of the elders said to me, ‘Do not weep! See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the ROOT of David, has triumphed. He is able to open the scroll and its seven seals.’
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The official cross-references listed for Revelation 22:16 include a specific Old Testament prophecy from the Book of Isaiah which reads: ‘A shoot will come UP from the stump of Jesse, from his Roots, a Branch will bear fruit.’ Because of its blatant use of the ‘Root and Branch’ metaphor, this passage alone should be proof enough that the word ‘Branch’ may indeed be synonymous with the more common term ‘Offspring’ used in most English Biblical translations of Revelation 22:16- ‘I, Jesus…am the Root and Offspring of David.’
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ROOT/BRANCH OLD TESTAMENT: A shoot will come UP from the stump of Jesse; from his Roots, a Branch will bear fruit. (Isaiah 11:1)
ROOT/BRANCH NEW TESTAMENT: And again, Isaiah says, ‘The Root of Jesse will spring UP, one who will arise to rule OVER the nations; the Gentiles will hope in him.’ (Romans 15:12)
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Not only that, but it also seems that St. Paul himself makes reference this same passage from Isaiah in his New Testament Letter to the Romans, where he mentions both the Root (Downward Triangle) and how it shall also metaphorically ‘spring UP’ (Upward Triangle) in a prediction concerning ‘one who will ARISE to rule OVER the nations’.

Clearly, Paul’s use of language can be seen as a blatant display of the Biblical tradition- ‘As Above, so Below’, or in this particular case where the Root is mentioned first- ‘As Below (Root) so Above (Branch)’. The metaphorical understanding to these two Biblical cross-references (Isaiah 11:1 and Romans 15:12) may be seen as follows:

OLD TESTAMENT: A shoot will come UP…From his Roots, a Branch will bear fruit. (Isaiah 11:1)
NEW TESTAMENT: The Root of Jesse will spring UP…who will ARISE to rule OVER the nations. (Romans 15:12)
SYMBOLIC INTERPRETATION: A Downward Triangle shall bring forth an additional Upward Triangle, just as a living tree Root Below will inevitably result in the growth of a new Branch Above. For just as the Star of David requires the presence of both Triangles to become a Star, so too a living tree needs both Roots and Branches simultaneously in order to grow and prosper.

DOWNWARD TRIANGLE: Stump of Jesse, His Roots (Isaiah), Root of Jesse (Romans)
UPWARD TRIANGLE: A shoot will come UP, a Branch will bear fruit (Isaiah), will spring UP, will ARISE to rule OVER the nations (Romans)
BOTH TRIANGLES: The metaphorical family lineage (or family tree as it were) that both the Prophet Isaiah and the Christian Disciple Saint Paul are clearly referring to without ever actually using the word ‘Tree’. With this in mind, the most appropriate symbol for a tree would not only include the Upward Triangle, but would also need the Downward Triangle in order to symbolically represent the underground root system which supports the tree and prevents it from falling over.

THE FINAL EQUATION
GEOMETRY: Downward Triangle + Upward Triangle = Both Triangles Together
TRADITION: Root of David + Branch of David = Star of David
REVELATION: ‘am the Root’ + ‘and Branch of David’ = ‘the bright, Morning Star’

The Complete ‘Root and Branch’ List of Bible References

 
I Jesus have sent mine Angel to testify unto you these things in the Churches. I am the Root and the Branch (offspring) of David, the bright, Morning Star.

– Revelation 22:16

>— The Complete ‘Root and Branch’ List of Bible References —<
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His Roots are dried Below, and his Branch is cut off Above.

– Job 18:16

My Roots will reach to the water, and the dew will lie all night on my Branches.

– Job 29:19

Then a shoot will spring from the stem of Jesse, And a Branch from his Roots will bear fruit.

– Isaiah 11:1

And it sprung up and grew into a spreading vine of low stature, and the Branches thereof looked towards him, and the Roots thereof were under him. So it became a vine, and grew into Branches, and shot forth sprigs.

– Ezekiel 17:6

And there was another large eagle, with great wings, and many feathers, and behold this vine, bending as it were her Roots towards him, stretched forth her Branches to him, that he might water it by the furrows of her plantation.

– Ezekiel 17:7

Say thou: Thus saith the Lord God: Shall it prosper then? shall he not pull up the roots thereof, and strip off its fruit, and dry up all the branches it hath shot forth, and make it wither: and this without a strong arm, or many people, to pluck it up by the root?

– Ezekiel 17:9

How beautiful the tree was- So tall, with such long Branches. Its Roots reached down to the deep-flowing streams.

– Ezekiel 31:7

And if they flourish in Branches for a time, yet standing not fast, they shall be shaken with the wind, and through the force of winds they shall be Rooted out.

– Wisdom 4:4

Out of a Branch of her Roots shall one stand up in his place, who shall come with an army and shall enter into the fortress of the king of the north, and shall deal against them and shall prevail.

– Daniel 11:7

To fear the Lord is the Root of Wisdom; her Branches are long life.

– Sirach 1:20

The Root of wisdom is to fear the LORD and the Branches thereof are longlived.

– Sirach 1:25

Her children shall not take Root, and her Branches shall bring forth no fruit.

– Sirach 23:35

The Offspring of the ungodly shall not bring forth many Branches, and make a noise as unclean Roots upon the top of a rock.

– Sirach 40:15

‘For behold, the day is coming, burning like a furnace; and all the arrogant and every evildoer will be chaff; and the day that is coming will set them ablaze,’ says the LORD of hosts, “so that it will leave them neither Root nor Branch.”

– Malachi 4:1

If the part of the dough offered as firstfharvest is holy, then the whole batch is holy; if the Root is holy, so are the Branches.

– Romans 11:16

If some of the Branches have been broken off, and you, though a wild olive shoot, have been grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing sap from the olive Root.

– Romans 11:17

Do not consider yourself to be superior to those other Branches. If you do, consider this- You do not support the Root, but the Root supports you.

– Romans 11:18

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A Christian Star of David in a Stained-Glass Church Window

The Star of David and the five-pointed star are both symbols associated with Christianity. The Star of David is a six-pointed star formed by two interlocking triangles, one pointing up, one pointing down. It is named after King David and appears on the flag of Israel. While predominately recognized as a symbol of Judaism and Israel, many Christians identify with the Star of David as well.

– Christian Star, Christian Symbols Illustrated Glossary, About.com

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This calls for wisdom. Let the person who has insight calculate the Number of the Beast, for it is the Number of a Man. That number is 666.

– Revelation 13:18

A true riddle is found in Revelation 13:18, where the number 666 is apparently an obscure reference to some individual. The attempts to interpret it are legion and no consensus reigns…Great caution needs to be exercised in interpreting the “dark sayings” of the Scripture. Special care should be given to understand exactly what the words in the original language meant. Due regard to context, always important, is esp. so in such instances.

– Encyclopedia of The Bible,  BibleGateway.com

The Talmudic Wisdom of Keeping Baskets and Serpents Separated…

No one can live with a Serpent in the same basket.

 – Babylonian Talmud, Kethuboth 72a

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Beware of the stuffed toy animal Snake!

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No one can live with a Serpent in the same basket.

– Babylonian Talmud, Kethuboth 72a

A +1,000 Year-Old Star of David drawn with Hebrew Letters

For the LORD God is a Sun and a Shield. The Lord will give grace and glory. No good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly.

– Psalm 84:11

The Star of David displayed just above has been known for many centuries and it comes from the pages of the Leningrad Codex, a Jewish Bible written by Jewish scribes more than 1,000 years ago, sometime around the very early 11th century (1006-1009 A.D.). The document has been called a Codex because it has not been written in scroll form like a Torah, but is a very old example of a high quality, hand-written book instead. This particular Codex has been kept at the archives in the Russian city of St. Petersburg (Leningrad during the USSR) since 1863.

Why would they call an ancient Jewish Bible by the name ‘Leningrad’? Well, even though the city once called Leningrad (1918-1991)was renamed St. Petersburg after the demise of Communism, the National Library of Russia requested that the name for this text remain ‘Leningrad’ simply because they already had another document named after St. Petersburg. The somewhat ironic ‘Communist’ designation it has received does not stop this particular +1,000 year-old Jewish Bible from getting the attention it truly deserves. As one particular Jewish source notes:

The Leningrad Codex is one of the most important Hebrew documents extant, with ramifications and influence that is immeasurable. It is…one of the sources for biblical tradition, for the study of Hebrew Scriptures, and for providing an accurate text for the reading and writing of the Torah and the other books of the Bible. The Leningrad Codex is the oldest complete manuscript of the Tanakh, the 39 books of the Bible. Written in Cairo on parchment in the year 1009

– The Oldest Tanakh, by Curt Leviant, Jewish Virtual Library, jewishvirtuallibrary.org

As can be seen just above, this one particular page of the Leningrad Codex provides some fairly irrefutable proof that the Star of David and its significance was already common knowledge among the leading Biblical authorities of Judaism long before the period (1400-1800 A.D.) which most ‘scholars’ believe was the time when Judaism slowly ‘decided’ to adopt the six-pointed Star of David as their own symbol. The significance of the Star of David being included in such an important text of Judaism has yet to be completely understood by most historical authorities. This particular picture (shown below) happens to be what experts call the ‘Carpet Page’. As can be seen, the Star itself has been partially drawn using words and phrase in the Hebrew alphabet.