In the Middle Ages hexagrams appeared with greater frequency among Jews but did not yet assume any special religious or social significance. They were also found on Roman Catholic cathedrals. The first clear association of the hexagram with the Shield of David appears about 1300 in a work of Kabbala. In later centuries the Shield of David gained currency among adherents of practical Kabbala—Kabbala that uses magical rites for everyday purposes. It gradually shifted from a symbol of magic and mysticism into a symbol of communal identity, beginning in Prague. By the 19th century the Star of David was widely adopted by European Jews as an emblem of Judaism that served a role similar to the Christian cross.
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