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"Summarizing Symbol"

A Summarizing Symbol is an anthropological concept that condenses an entire value system into a single, powerful emotional symbol.


One of the most significant expressions of the "Summarizing Symbol" concept is the flag. Try to imagine how much this symbol summarizes for you, along with millions by your side—values, ideas, and perceptions.


I am embarking on an Inquiry Journey: flags and symbols in the Land of Israel. Here is the first stop (with more fascinating stops on the journey coming very soon):


The first biblical reference to the concept of a flag appears during the organization of the camp ahead of the journey from Sinai to the Land of Canaan. The divine command instructs Moses and Aaron: "The Israelites shall camp each with his standard, under the banners of their ancestral house; they shall camp around the Tent of Meeting at a distance." (Numbers 2:2).


According to research, the biblical term "degel" (flag/standard) originally denoted a military unit or an organized social group, while the term "ot" (sign/banner) referred to the visual symbol—the color or image imprinted on the fabric of the flag—intended to distinguish between the different camps.


The Midrash of the Sages and medieval exegesis expand on this, describing a developed heraldic system in which each of the Twelve Tribes had a unique flag. Rashi explains that each flag bore a "colored cloth" whose color matched the stone on the High Priest's breastplate (Hoshen). Ibn Ezra adds that the images on the flags resembled the visions of the Chariot (Merkabah) seen by the prophet Ezekiel, including figures of a human, a lion, an ox, and an eagle.


Here are the names of the tribes, their representing stone on the breastplate, the color of their flag, the illustrated symbol, and its historical meaning, according to the Midrash:


  • Reuben - Odem (Ruby) - Red - Mandrakes – symbolizing the flowers he picked for his mother, Leah.

  • Simeon - Pitdah (Topaz) - Green - The city of Shechem – in memory of the vengeance in Shechem following the incident with Dinah.

  • Levi - Bareket (Emerald) - Tricolor (White, Black, Red) - Urim and Thummim – a symbol of holy service and religious leadership.

  • Judah - Nofech (Carbuncle/Turquoise) - Sky blue - Roaring Lion – based on Jacob's blessing: "Judah is a lion's whelp."

  • Issachar - Sapir (Sapphire) - Dark blue - Sun and Moon – symbolizing the tribe's expertise in astronomy and intercalating the calendar.

  • Zebulun - Yahalom (Diamond/Quartz) - White - Ship – representing the tribe's dwelling by the seashore and its commercial activity.

  • Dan - Leshem (Jacinth/Opal) - Similar to sapphire - Snake – according to Jacob's blessing: "Let Dan be a serpent by the road," or an eagle according to other traditions.

  • Gad - Shevo (Agate) - Mixed black and white - Military camp – denoting the tribe's battalions of warriors, based on: "Gad, a troop shall troop upon him."

  • Naphtali - Achlamah (Amethyst) - Similar to clear wine (pale reddish) - A doe let loose – based on Jacob's blessing: "Naphtali is a doe let loose."

  • Asher - Tarshish (Beryl/Aquamarine) - Similar to a precious stone women adorn themselves with - Olive tree – symbolizing olive oil and the blessing of the land.

  • Ephraim - Shoham (Onyx) - Deep black - Ox – based on Moses' blessing: "His firstling bullock, majesty is his."

  • Manasseh - Shoham (Onyx) - Deep black - Wild ox (Re'em) – based on Moses' blessing: "And his horns are the horns of the wild ox."

  • Benjamin - Yashfeh (Jasper) - A combination of all twelve colors - Wolf – based on the biblical blessing: "Benjamin is a ravenous wolf."

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Image 1 - Mosaic of the 12 Tribes of Israel - wall of the synagogue in Givat Mordechai, Jerusalem. Source: Ori229, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons


Image 2 - Stamp Series - Tribes of Israel, 1955. Source: Designer: G. Hamori, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons





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