Difference between revisions of "Seal of Solomon"

The '''Seal of Solomon''' (Hebrew: חותם שלמה, Ḥotem Shelomo; Arabic: خاتم سليمان, Khātam Sulaymān) is the legendary symbol attributed to [[King Solomon]] in medieval mystical traditions, from which it developed in parallel within Jewish mysticism, Islamic mysticism and Western [[occult|occultism]]. It is the predecessor to the Star of David, the contemporary cultural and religious symbol of the Jewish people.

It was often depicted in the shape of either a pentagram or a hexagram. In religious lore, the ring is variously described as having given Solomon the power to command the supernatural, including [[angel]]s and [[demon]]s, and also the ability to speak with animals. Due to the proverbial wisdom of Solomon, it came to be seen as an amulet or talisman, or a symbol or character in [[ritual magic|medieval magic]], occultism, and [[alchemy]].

In many representations of the Seal of Solomon, the two triangles are interlaced giving the appearance of a 3-dimensional figure. This was said in the ''[[Testament of Solomon]]'' to make demons confused and dizzy, unable to do Solomon any harm.

In different traditions, the hexagram can be seen as the combination of the four elements. Fire is symbolized as an upwards pointing triangle, while Air (its elemental opposite) is also an upwards pointing triangle, but with a horizontal line through its center. Water is symbolized as a downwards pointing triangle, while Earth (its elemental opposite) is a downwards pointing triangle with a horizontal line through its center. In a hexagram, therefore, it was assumed that the symbols of all four elements could be seen combined.

In Islamic eschatology, some believe that the Beast of the Earth, which should appear near the Last Judgment day, will come bearing "the Seal of Solomon", and will use the latter to stamp the noses of the unbelievers.

The symbol appears on the back of the [[Oracle of Heaven and Hell]] and on the cover of the ''[[The Grimoire of Heaven and Hell]]'', a modern [[grimoire]] which gives instructions for using the symbol in magic.