✡ Star of David Symbol: Meaning, History, and Unicode Guide
The ✡ (Star of David) symbol, known in Hebrew as the Magen David ("Shield of David"), is a globally recognized hexagram consisting of two interlocking equilateral triangles. While primarily known today as the central symbol of Judaism and the State of Israel, its geometric shape has a rich history spanning diverse cultures, religions, and architectural traditions long before becoming a universally recognized emblem of Jewish identity.
In the Unicode Standard, the Star of David is represented as U+2721 and sits within the Dingbats block. It was introduced in Unicode 1.1 back in 1993, making it one of the earlier symbols standardized for digital communication. When used in text messaging and social media, it often renders as an emoji—typically a purple box with a white star (✡️)—if the emoji variation selector (U+FE0F) is applied. This places it alongside other religious and cultural icons like the Latin Cross (✝️) and the Star and Crescent (☪️).
People use the ✡ symbol in various ways across digital platforms. In social media bios and posts, it serves as an expression of Jewish faith, cultural pride, or solidarity with the Jewish community. Beyond its modern cultural applications, the hexagram geometry occasionally pops up in mathematics and typography as a decorative dingbat. Historically, the six-pointed star also appeared in alchemy, Hinduism, and Islam (where it is often referred to as the Seal of Solomon), representing the harmony of opposites and the connection between the divine and the earthly.
Typing the ✡ symbol varies depending on your device. On a Windows PC, you can open the emoji menu by pressing the Windows key + Period (.) and searching for "Star of David." Mac users can press Control + Command + Space to open the Character Viewer and search for the symbol. On iOS and Android smartphones, the ✡️ emoji is easily accessible in the standard emoji keyboard under the symbols (🔣) section.
If you are looking for similar geometric shapes, the Unicode standard offers several alternatives. The Six Pointed Star with Middle Dot (🔯) is a distinct emoji sometimes confused with the Star of David, though it traditionally relates to specific Indian traditions or esoteric symbolism. You might also encounter the simple Six-Pointed Black Star (✶) or the classic Five-Pointed Star (⭐), which serve strictly decorative or rating purposes without the specific religious and cultural ties of the ✡ symbol.