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One of the most prominent early appearances of the hamsa is the image of a large open hand that appears on the Puerta Judiciaria (Gate of Judgment) of the Alhambra, a 14th-century Islamic fortress in southern Spain.
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The Hamsa is widespread among Sephardic Jews, many of whom hail from Arabic lands. But it is also common among Muslims and Christians from those same lands. So can the Hamsa be considered a legitimately Jewish symbol, or is it something borrowed from non-Jewish neighbors, or even a holdover from idolatry which was once ubiquitous in those lands?
For many Jews, the hamsa symbolizes the “hand of God.” The symbol also has been called “the hand of Miriam” (who was Moses’ sister) and Muslims may refer to it as “the hand of Fatima” (who was Muhammad’s daughter).
God's hand from heaven would lead the Jewish people out of struggle, and the Jews quickly made a connection with the hamsa and their culture. The hand was identified in Jewish text and acquired as an influential icon throughout the community.
Hamsa: The Hand The Hamsa, a symmetrical image of a palm with an eye in its center, is common to many cultures, including Judaism. There are those who question whether it is a legitimate Jewish symbol, and many people refrain from wearing the Hamsa or hanging it in their homes.
5 lis 2024 · The Hamsa is depicted as an open right hand, often with an eye in the center of the palm and sometimes adorned with fish or other symbols of protection and luck. The hand can either be pointing up or down, fingers spread or close together, and many believe even the smallest of details have an impact in the Hamsa's protection.
23 kwi 2019 · The Hamsa is an amulet shaped like a hand, thought to protect against the evil, popular in Jewish and Middle Eastern jewelry. Learn more about the symbol.
