Religious signs and symbols
Judaism
Star of david
Judaism
• Judaism The structure of the star, with two
overlapping triangles, has also been thought
to represent the relationship between God
and the Jewish people. The star that points up
symbolizes God and the star that points down
symbolizes the Jews here on earth.
• Appears on the Flag of Israel.
Israeli Flag
• The origins of the Star of David are unclear. We
do know that the symbol hasn't always been
associated exclusively with Judaism, but was used
by Christians and Muslims at various points in
history.
• The Star of David was eventually cemented as a
Jewish symbol when it became a favorite
architectural decoration on Jewish buildings and
then during World War II, when Hitler forced
Jews to wear a yellow Star of David as a "badge of
shame."
• One of the oldest symbols of the Jewish faith
is the menorah, a seven-branched
candelabrum used in the Temple.
• It has been said that the menorah is a symbol
of the nation of Israel and our mission to be "a
light unto the nations.“
• The lamp stand in today's synagogues, called
the ner tamid, symbolizes the menorah.
Buddhism
The Dharma wheel
Buddhism
• The Dharma wheel is one of the oldest symbols
of Buddhism. Around the globe it is used to
represent Buddhism in the same way that a
cross represents Christianity or a Star of David
represents Judaism.
• The circle, the round shape of the wheel,
represents the perfection of the dharma, the
Buddha's teaching.
• The rim of the wheel represents meditative
concentration and mindfulness, which hold
practice together.
• The hub represents moral discipline. The three
swirls often seen on the hub are sometimes
said to represent the Three Treasures or Three
Jewels -- Buddha, dharma, sangha. They may
also represent joy.
• When a wheel has eight spokes, the spokes
represent the Eightfold Path. An eight-spoke
wheel is most commonly used to represent
Buddhism.
Buddha statue
• Buddha symbolizes self-perfection and
often people keep Buddha statues as a
reminder of what they are trying to attain.
• Buddhas statues symbolize the Eightfold Path.
This path requires that one have the right
views, the right speech, the right aspirations,
the right livelihood, the right conduct, the
right effort, the right mindfulness as well as
the right contemplation.
Hinduism
Aum
Hinduism
• Traditionally, the bindi is worn on the
forehead of married Hindu women. It
symbolizes female energy and is believed to
protect women and their husbands. Bindis are
traditionally a simple mark made with the
paste of colored sandalwood, sindoor or
turmeric. The bindi is most commonly a red
dot made with vermilion.
Bindi
• More recently, the bindi has become primarily
a decorative accessory and is worn by
unmarried girls and non-Hindu women. It is
also no longer restricted in color or shape, and
self-adhesive bindis made from felt in various
designs and colors are common. Bindi styles
often vary by the area of India in which they
are worn.
Islam
Islam
• The star and crescent moon is the best-known symbol
used to represent Islam. It features prominently on the
flags of many countries in the Islamic world, notably
Turkey and Pakistan.
• Surprisingly, the symbol is not Muslim in origin. Rather,
it was a polytheistic icon adopted during the spread of
Islam, and its use today is sometimes controversial in
the Muslim world. The crescent and star are often said
to beIslamic symbols, but historians say that they were
the insignia of the Ottoman Empire, not of Islam as a
whole.
Crescent moon and star
Pakistani Flag and Turkish Flag