Lion of Judah

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For the animated film, see The Lion of Judah.
The Lion of Judah on a Bezalel ceramic tile.

The Lion of Judah (Hebrew: אריה יהודה, Aryeh Yehudah) is a Jewish national and cultural symbol, traditionally regarded as the symbol of the tribe of Judah. The association between the Judahites and the lion can first be found in the blessing given by Jacob to his fourth son, Judah, in the Book of Genesis of the Hebrew Bible.[1]

It is also mentioned in the Book of Revelation of the New Testament as a term representing Jesus of Nazareth, according to Christian theology.[2] The Lion of Judah was also one of the titles used by Ethiopian emperors from the Solomonic dynasty.

History

Judaism

Emblem of Jerusalem

The biblical

Emblem of Jerusalem.[4][5]

Christianity

Lion of Judah ("Thesouro de Nobreza", 1675)

The phrase appears in the New Testament in Revelation 5:5:

Then one of the elders said to me, "Do not weep. See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered, so that he can open the scroll and its seven seals."

This is widely regarded as a reference to the Second Coming among Christians.[citation needed]

Many Christian organizations and ministries use the lion of Judah as their emblem or even as their names.[citation needed]

Ethiopia

Imperial Flag of Haile Selassie of Ethiopia with the Lion of Judah, cross scepter, five Stars of David and the words "Conquering Lion of the Tribe of Judah" in Attention

It was depicted on a map of the Upper Nile published in 1683 by the Italian Jobi Ludolfi describing the Lion of Judah symbol as the

Rastafari movement.[6]

The Lion of Judah motif figured prominently on the old imperial flag, currency, stamps, etc. and may still be seen gracing the terrace of the capital as a national symbol. After the collapse of the Derg in 1990, a minor political party bearing the name Mo'a Anbessa' made its appearance.[citation needed]

Kebra Nagast

King David) was deposed in 1974.[7][8][9]

Both

Ge'ez motto Mo`a 'Anbessa Ze'imnegede Yihuda ("The Lion of Judah has conquered"), included among the titles of the Emperor throughout the Solomonic Dynasty.[citation needed
]

Rastafari

The Lion of Judah is a prominent symbol in the

Rastafari movement. It represents Emperor Haile Selassie I as well as being a symbol of strength, kingship, pride and African sovereignty.[10]
Rastafari consider the mention of "The Lion of Judah" in Genesis 49:9 and Revelation 5:5 of the Bible to refer to Emperor Haile Selassie I. Rastafari hail Haile Selassie I with the titles "King of kings, lord of lords, conquering Lion of Judah, elect of God, the light of the world".[11]

In literature

Inspired by the Lion of Judah, C. S. Lewis used a lion named Aslan to represent Jesus in The Chronicles of Narnia.[12][13][14][15]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Genesis 49:9". Biblos. Archived from the original on 17 February 2015. Retrieved 1 December 2014.
  2. ^ "Revelation 5:5". Bible Study Tools. Archived from the original on 19 January 2015. Retrieved 1 December 2014.
  3. ^ Genesis 49:9
  4. ^ על מקורותיו של האריה הירושלמי
  5. ^ אריות בירושלים
  6. ^ "Rastafarians". flagspot.net. Archived from the original on 2015-09-29.
  7. ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 2016-11-30. Retrieved 2017-01-06.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  8. ^ "Debate Central - Since 1994". Archived from the original on 2017-05-21. Retrieved 2017-01-06.
  9. S2CID 155064698. Archived
    from the original on 2017-01-07 – via Cambridge Core.
  10. ^ Barnett, Michael; Onuora, Adwoa Ntozake (2014). "Rastafari as Afrocentrically Based Discourse and Spiritual Expression". Rastafari in the New Millennium: A Rastafari Reader. Syracuse University Press.
  11. ISBN 9781566395847. Archived
    from the original on 2016-09-18.
  12. ^ "Liam Neeson says Narnia's Aslan could be Muhammed | Christian News on Christian Today". Christiantoday.com. 2010-12-09. Retrieved 2015-03-05.
  13. ISBN 9780060638801
    . Retrieved 2015-03-05.
  14. ^ "NarniaWeb Community Forums  • View topic – Allegorical Aslan – C.S. Lewis Quote". Forum.narniaweb.com. Archived from the original on 2014-05-24. Retrieved 2015-03-05.
  15. ^ "C S Lewis Letter Testifies Narnia's Lion as Christ | Christian News on Christian Today". Christiantoday.com. 2005-12-07. Retrieved 2015-03-05.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Lion of Judah.
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