The Star of David or Shield of David (Magen David in Hebrew, ????? ?????? with nikkud or ??? ??? without, academically transcribed Ma?en Dawi? by Biblical Hebrew linguists, pronounced [ma'gen da'vid] in Modern Hebrew and Mogein Dovid ['m?ge?n 'd?vid] or Mogen Dovid ['m?gen 'd?vid] in Ashkenazi Hebrew and Yiddish) is a generally recognised symbol of Jewish identity and Judaism. It is named after King David of ancient Israel; and its earliest known communal usage began in the Middle Ages, alongside the more ancient symbol of the menorah. Geometrically it is the hexagram. -------------------------- With the establishment of the state of Israel in 1948 the Star of David on the Flag of Israel has also become a symbol of Israel. The symbol is also associated with the Zionism movement.---------------In the Jewish prayerbook, the term "Shield of David" appears at the end of the "Samkhaynu/Gladden us" blessing, which is recited after the reading of the Haftara portion on Saturday and holidays. The term refers directly to God, who shielded the Biblical David in battle and during his flight from Saul. The term may be loosely based on Psalm 18, which is attributed to David, and in which God is compared to a shield (v. 31 and v. 36). A similar term, "Shield of Abraham" appears in the first blessing of the "Amidah" prayer, which was written in early Rabbinic times (around year 1, a millennium before the first documentation of the term in reference to a six-point star). That term is probably based on Genesis 15:1, where God promises to shield Abraham. Without knowing when the Haftara blessings originated, it is difficult to know whether the term "Shield of David" pre-dated the symbol. If so, the term "Shield of David" originally referred to God, and somehow became attributed to a six-point star.