The star of David, known as the shield of David or Magan in Hebrew, modern Hebrew, Ashkenazi Hebrew and Yiddish mogein DOVID or Mogen DOVID), is a recognized symbol of Modern Jewish identity and Judaism. Its shape is a hexagon, a combination of two equilateral triangles. Unlike candlesticks, Judas lions, horns, and rurals, the star of David has never been a unique Jewish symbol, although it has been used as a printer's engraving since the 16th century.

In the 19th century, the symbol began to spread in Jewish communities in Eastern Europe, and eventually used in Jewish communities in pale settlements. According to the scholar Gershom Sholem, an important motivating factor is the desire to represent Jewish religion and / or identity in the way that Christian crosses identify believers in that religion. The earliest use of this symbol by Jews was inherited by kabbalanism from the Arabic Literature in the middle ages. It was used for the segulot, known as Solomon seal. Before the first widespread use of synagogues, the symbol was also used as a decorative pattern in Christian churches. Before the 19th century, the formal use of Jewish communities began only in Prague in the middle ages, and is only known in today's Czech Republic, Austria and parts of southern Germany.

After it was chosen as the central symbol on the flag at the first Zionist Congress in 1897, it became the representative of the Zionist community and the wider Jewish community all over the world.

The recognition of the word "star of David" or "shield of David" with hexagon shape can be traced back to the 17th century. Siddur also uses the word "shield of David" as the title of God of Israel.