Comparing Religions
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Judaism
Christianity
Islam
Hinduism
Buddhism
Comparing Religions What’s in a Symbol?
The Mogen David
The Mogen David, or Star
of David, is the central
symbol of Judaism. The
star is the sign of the
house of David, the family
that produced the kings of
Biblical Israel.
The Cross
The cross is the central
symbol of Christianity.
Christians believe that
Jesus died on the cross and
three days later rose from
the dead. The cross is a
symbol of victory over
death, promising eternal
life.
The Crescent Moon
The crescent moon is a
common symbol of Islam.
Muslims believe that when
Muhammad received his
first revelation, the moon
was in its last stage,
appearing as a waning
crescent.
The Aum
In Hinduism the AUM (OM) is a symbol of the
Supreme God. Hindus believe that it was the
first sound produced at the creation of the
universe, the Big Bang. The sacred syllable
AUM is the name of God. It is uttered at the
beginning and the end of most Hindu prayers.
Dharmachakra or "wheel of law"
• The wheel is one of the most
important symbols of Buddhism.
The eight spokes of the wheel
symbolize the Noble Eightfold
Path set out by the Buddha in his
teachings. The wheel also
represents the endless cycle of
samsara, or rebirth, which can
only be escaped by means of the
Buddha's teachings.