The Jewish religion dates back 3,000 years to the time when Abraham founded Judaism – the first monotheistic religion in the world. Judaism is defined by the laws dictated in the Old Testament and by a vast amount of scriptures which interpret it.
Throughout the ages, jewelry artisans drew inspiration from the bible and created beautiful Judaism jewelry. The pieces possess not only aesthetic value but immense spiritual value.
One of the most famous Jewish symbols is the Menorah. The Menorah was a lampstand made of pure gold. It had seven-lamps (six branches and a central lamp) and was approximately 1.62 meters (5.3 ft) high.
The Menorah was built by the Jewish people in the dessert after they fled from Egypt. Initially the Menorah was part of the portable sanctuary, and once the First Holy Temple was built in Jerusalem it was permanently placed there. In the Temple, the Menorah was lit daily as part of the service of God.
The Menorah signified that God’s spirit resided within the Jewish people. Due to its spiritual significance, the Menorah became a very popular symbol in Judaism jewelry.
The Star of David is another biblical symbol that has been extensively interpreted in Judaism jewelry. The Star of David, also known as a Magen David, is composed of two overlaid triangles that form a six-pointed star. In Hebrew, Magen David means the “protector of David”. It is said that the shields of King David’s army had the shape of a six-pointed star and symbolized God’s protection over the Jewish people.
According to the Kabbalah, or Jewish mysticism, the double triangle of the Star of David symbolizes the connection between God, the Bible and the people of Israel. In modern times, the Star of David has become the most recognized symbol of the Jewish faith and many people choose to wear a Star of David pendant as a means to connect with their faith.
One of the most famous stories in the bible is that of the flooding of the world. The bible describes how for 40 days heavy rains fell on the earth and during the next 150 days all of the world’s water reservoirs opened and exacerbated the flooding.
Water covered all of the land, even the highest of mountains, and destroyed all that existed on land. The only people who survived were Noah and his family who built an ark. In accordance with God’s decree, they placed a female and male of each land species into the ark so that the world could be recreated after the flood.
After about a year, the waters began to subside. The bible describes how Noah sent a dove out from the ark in order to search for land – ” And the dove came in to him at eventide; and lo in her mouth an olive-leaf freshly plucked; so Noah knew that the waters were abated from off the earth.” (Genesis 8:11). From this story, the image of a dove with an olive branch became a universal symbol of peace on earth.
The Dove of Peace is very common in Judaism jewelry and can be found in both traditional and contemporary interpretations.
The pillar of all Jewish law is the Ten Commandments. The commandments include laws to only worship God and honor His name, keep the Sabbath day (the seventh day of the week) holy, and honor one’s parents. They also prohibit idolatry, blasphemy, murder, adultery, theft, dishonesty and coveting.
The imagery of the Ten Commandments is very common in the Jewish tradition. Bible scrolls are often covered with a fabric that has a hand-woven design of the Ten Commandments, and many Jewish synagogues have paintings or glass vitrages with the symbol. The commandments have also been incorporated as part of Judaism jewelry.
Temple Mount Jewelry
The Temple Mount in Jerusalem, Israel, is the holiest site in the Jewish religion. According to Jewish scripture, God founded the world from the ‘foundation stone’ located on Temple Mount. Many significant biblical events also took place on Temple Mount such as the binding of Isaac and Jacob’s dream. Lastly, the two holy Jewish Temples stood on Temple Mount. The first was built by king Solomon and the second by three Jewish prophets- Haggai, Zechariah and Malachi.
The periods in which the Temples stood, 1200-586 BC and 586 BC-AD 70, respectively, represent the golden age of the Jewish faith. For when the Temples stood, it is said that God’s spirit resided within the Temples and the Jewish people could worship God in the most direct way.
The Moriah collection is a unique Judaism jewelry collection that incorporates stone salvaged from the Temple Mount with precious gems and gold. The stone dates back to the time of the Holy Jewish Temples and has been coined Moriah stone.
Unlike any other Judaism jewelry, the collection enables the wearer to enjoy a contemporary piece of Jewish art which has both a high aesthetic appeal and deep spiritual significance, while also connecting to the Holy city of Jerusalem and the Temple Mount wherever they go.
Summary:
The Jewish religion dates back thousands of years and over the centuries a rich variety of Judaism jewelry has been developed. The jewelry often references biblical events or symbols that have spiritual value. The Menorah, Star of David and Ten Commandments are prime examples.
