Emblem of Israel
Armiger Israel
Adopted10 February 1949 (1949-02-10)
Mottoישראל‎ (Israel)
Constituent partsMenorah, olive branches

The Emblem of Israel (Hebrew: סמל מדינת ישראל, romanized: Sēmel Medīnat Yīsrāʾēl; Arabic: شعار دولة إسرائيل, romanized: Shiʾeer Dawlat ʾIsrāʾīl) depicts a temple menorah surrounded by an olive branch on each side, with the word Israel written in Hebrew (ישראל‎) below it. While it is commonly displayed in blue and white, the emblem has appeared in alternative colour combinations depending on the use, such as on the Israeli Presidential Standard (see below).

History

The emblem features a menorah captured by Romans during the First Jewish-Roman War, as depicted on the Arch of Titus.

The State of Israel adopted the symbol after a design competition held in 1948. The design is based on the winning entry submitted by Gabriel and Maxim Shamir's proposal, with elements taken from other submissions, including entries from Oteh Walisch, W. Struski, Itamar David, Yerachmiel Schechter, and Willie Wind, whose entry won the first design competition.[1][2] The emblem was officially adopted on February 10, 1949.[3]

Symbolism

The image used on the emblem is based on a depiction of the menorah on the Arch of Titus. The menorah was used in the ancient Temple in Jerusalem and has been a symbol of Judaism since ancient times. It symbolizes universal enlightenment, based on what is written in Isaiah 60: "Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn".

The emblem may also be based on the vision of the biblical prophet Zechariah, chapter 4, where he describes seeing a menorah flanked by two olive trees, one on each side.[4]

Usage

The following gallery shows various contexts in which the emblem is used:

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Israel. Naissance d'un Etat. En Images. Dinosoria". Dinosoria.com. Retrieved 2013-11-24.
  2. ↑ "Emblem of Israel". Archived from the original on 2019-06-17.
  3. ↑ What Are the Weird Scribbles on the State of Israel's Emblem?, Haaretz
  4. ↑ Mishory, Alec. The Israeli Emblem. Jewish Virtual Library. . American-Israeli Cooperative Enterprise. Accessed 9 Jul. 2012.
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