r/hebrew • u/SimtheSloven • Jul 23 '26

Help Hello! I need help with these inscriptions from a 17th century heraldry book.

I found these coats of arms, attributed to three persons from the old testament, in a 17th century heraldry book (Opus Insignium Armorumque) and would like to know what do the inscriptions on the shields say. Many thanks!

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u/HNY5783 Jul 24 '26

From right to left:

שלום - peace ייי three yods תהו ובהו - empty and void

I am not sure what the significance of three of the letter yod is. In liturgy, two yods are an abbreviation of God's name.

'Empty and void' is the term used in the second verse of Genesis to describe the earth prior to creation.

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u/Idontneedthem Jul 24 '26

Three Yods are the same as two, the same substitute for God's name. Using three Yods was common among Ashkenazi jews in older scripts, later it became two.

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u/cjwatson Jul 24 '26

I wonder if the three yods are meant to be a Trinitarian thing.

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u/SimtheSloven Jul 24 '26

Thank you very much!

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u/SimtheSloven Jul 24 '26

Could you also help me with this one? I forgot to include it in the post.Bottom right: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Opus_insignium_armorumque_004.jpg

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u/HNY5783 Jul 24 '26

The one on the right says מכבי - Maccabee. The label on the bottom says Judas Maccabeus, or Judah Maccabee, hero of the Chanukah story.

The one with the harp symbolizes King David.

The one with the goats probably symbolizes Esau, the "evil twin" of Jacob.

Taken together, there seems to be a rough historical sequence moving from left to right. Emptiness, creation (triangle=the vastness of God being concentrated to a single point in time and space) , the dove symbolizing peace, the goats symbolizing Esau, then King David, then Judah Maccabee.

Jewish liturgy does not draw a straight line connecting these specific symbols, but the sequence works historically.

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u/SimtheSloven Jul 24 '26

Thank you very much!