# Star of David

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-of-david/195941>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [August 18, 2003, 10:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-of-david/195941 "2003-08-18T10:44:34Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Ambiguous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3e96dc/32.png) [@Ambiguous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambiguous)\
**Post date:** [August 18, 2003, 10:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-of-david/195941/1 "2003-08-18T10:44:34Z")

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why do Jews use the star of David for their symbol?

is it true that the star of David can also be a symbol of the devil in goat form?

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**Author:** ![Atreyu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5e9695/32.png) [@Atreyu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atreyu)\
**Post date:** [August 18, 2003, 11:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-of-david/195941/2 "2003-08-18T11:06:13Z")

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The most comprehensive answer I’ve seen can be found at [Judaism 101](http://www.jewfaq.org/signs.htm#MagenDavid)’s entry on the topic.

I’ve never heard of it being used as a symbol of the devil in goat form. I believe you are thinking of an upside-down pentagram (with one of the points sticking straight down, so the two remaining points form the horns). A pentagram, as its name suggests, has five points, while the Star of David has six.

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**Author:** ![Dogface](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9d8465/32.png) [@Dogface](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dogface)\
**Post date:** [August 18, 2003, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-of-david/195941/3 "2003-08-18T18:13:53Z")

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A Rabbi mentions that pentagrams and swastikas were also used at one time to decorate Synagogues:

[http://scheinerman.net/judaism/rituals/star.html](http://scheinerman.net/judaism/rituals/star.html)