Page:Jewish Encyclopedia Volume 8.pdf/280

Mag-en Mag-gid Rabbinism,

more

tlie

and tlominant Judaism for

official

Nevertlieless, a David's 2,000 3'ears. lias recently been noted on a Jewisli tomb-

tliau

sbield

stone at Tarentum, in sovitliern Italy, which may date as early as the third century of the common

252

dus derived it from the Semites ("Magiedaus I'lude Antique," p. 93, Paris, 1904), although the name by no means proves the Jewish or Semitic SolODion's origin of the sign. The Hindus likeSeal, wise employed the hexagram as a means of protection, and as such it is mentioned in the earliest source, quoted above. In the synagogues, perhaps, it took the place of the mezuzah, and the name "shield of David" ma)' liave been given it in virtue of its protective powers. The hexagram may have been employed originallj' also as an architectural ornament on synagogues, as it is, for example, on the cathedrals of Brandenburg and Stendal, and on the Marktkirche at Hanover. A pentacle in this form, J?-, is found on the Charles IV. preancient synagogue at Tell Hum.

Jews of Prague, in 1354, a red flag with both David's shield and Solomon's seal, while the red flag with which the Jews mot King JIatthias of Hungary in the fifteenth century showed two pentacles with two golden stars (Schwandtner, "Scriptores Rerum Ilungaricarum," ii. 148). The pentacle, therefore, may also have been used among the Jews. It occurs in a manuscript as early as the year 1073 (facsimile in jI. Friedmann, " Seder Eliyahu Rabbah we-Seder Eliyahu Zuta," Vienna, 19U1). scribed for the

A

"

era (see Herbert M. Adler in "J. Q. R." -xiv. 111). The earliest Jewish literary snurce which mentions it, the "Eshkol lia-Kofer" of the Karaite Judah Hadassi (middle of the 13th cent.), says, in ch. 242: "Seven names of angels prec(Hle the mezuzah: Tetragrammaton protect Michael, Gabriel, etc. thee And likewise the sign called David's shield It was, is placed beside the name of each angel." therefore, at this time a sign on amulets..

'

'

!

In the magic papyri of auticiuity, pentagrams, together with stars and other signs, are frequently found on amulets bearing the Jewish of God^" Sabaoth," " Adouai," Eloai " and nsed to guard against fever and other diseases (Wessely, "Nene Zauberpapyri," pp. 68, 70, and note). Curiously enough, only the pentacle appears, not the hexagram. In the great magic papyrus at Paris and London there are twenty-two signs side by side, and a circle with twelve signs, but neither a pentacle nor a

Magic

Papyri.

names "

—

I.e. pp. 31, 112), although there In the a triangle, perhaps in place of the latter. many illustrations of amulets given by Budge in his

hexagram (Wessely, is

"Egyptian Magic " (London, 1899) not a single penThe sj'ncretism of or hexagram appears. Hellenistic, Jewish, and Coptic influences did not,

tacle

therefore, originate the symbol.

It is

M. Griinwald, Jahrh. fHr .TIhliK<-lir (^rxch. 1111,1 Liliralin; vol. iv., Berlin, 1901; Mith-il i,ji, 11 •Irr Orsrlhvhiifl IllrJlUU.iche VolkskuiuJe, x. 1:17-14(1, HiunhiirK, ma: B. Vajda, Zvr Ge.icli. drx iJaviil-iscliiliJi s. 111 Mmniar Zunz, Hilus. ]•. l-l'.i 'the Zxiilu Sznnh'. lilUli, xvii. ;61CI-:K3 ilTtli Psalii] "11 David's shield in the f"riii nf the iiienciraln: D. Mayer, JJer Ahcrylaulie des Mittdalters, p. :i,5T, Basel, l.sst.

BiBLiiKjRAPnv

Magen Pawid " from a " Mizrali

probable that

was the Cabala that derived the symbol from the Templars (see Vajda in "Magyar Zsido Szenile," xvii. 314 tt seq,; German reprint in Grunwald's it

"Mitteilungen der Gesellschaft f ur JlidLsche Volkskunde," X. I'iH et seq.). The Cabala, in fact, makes use of this sign, arranging the Ten Selirot, or spheres, in it, and placing it on amulets (see illustrations, Jbw. Encvc. i. 181, 550: iii. 475). The pentagram, called Solomon's seal, is also used as a talisman, and Heniy thinks that the Hin-





B

L.

J.

MAGGID.

MAGGID

See Cabala.

Itinerant preacher, skilled as :i narpreacher of the more scholarly rator of stories. sort was called " darshan " and usually occupied the The title of "maggid official position of rabbi.

A

mesharim" (="a preacher

of uprightness"; abbreviated DD) probably dates from the sixteenth There always have been two distinct century. classes of leaders in Israel the scholar and rabbi, and the preacher or maggid. That the popular

—

prophet was sometimes called "maggid" tained Zech. "

is

main-

by those who translate "maggid mishneh" maggid repeats" (Lowy, ix. 12, by "the

Bekoret ha-Talmud,"

Like the Greek soph-

p. 50).

the early maggidim based their preaching on Thus questions addressed to them by the multitude. thePesikta, thefirstcollectionof set speeches, usually begins with "yelammedenu rabbenu " (= "let our master teach us"). An excellent example is the ists,

Passover Ilaggadah, which

is

introduced by four

the reciter of the answer is called When there were no questions the magnd. gid chose a Biblical text, Avhich was called the "petihah " (opening). The greater popularity of the maggid as com pared with the darshan is instanced by the fact that the people left the lecture-room of R. Pojiularity Iliyya, the darshan, and flocked to

questions;

of the Magg-id.

To apHiyya, Abbahu

hear R. Abbahu, the maggid. ]iease

the

sensitive

modestly declared,

"We

are like

two

merchants, one selling diamonds and the other selling trinkets, which are more in demand " (Sotah 40a).