Rising Lion Pendant Gold

 

From Shrapnel to Symbol: The New Lion of Judah

A few weeks ago, after an Iranian ballistic missile attack destroyed several buildings in my neighborhood, I found myself holding a handful of shrapnel pieces. They were given to me by a neighbour.

Knowing I'm a jeweler, he brought me fragments from the missile's shell. For over two decades, this region has endured tens of thousands of rockets from our so-called friendly neighbors. I've spent countless hours in bomb shelters. And yet, no matter how surreal or dangerous life becomes, I have never stopped creating—and never will.

What's striking is the irony: there's a deep historical bond between the Jewish people and the Iranian people. King Cyrus of Persia is honored in Jewish history for freeing our ancestors from Babylonian captivity and allowing them to rebuild the Temple in Jerusalem—an act recorded in the Bible's books of Ezra and Nehemiah. Ancient Persia was a cradle of poetry, philosophy, art, and science, and its monotheistic faith, Zoroastrianism, profoundly influenced Judaism.

When I examined the shrapnel, I was surprised it was so lightweight. The alloy—a costly mix of aluminum, titanium, magnesium, and other lightweight metals—meant that each missile cost tens of millions of dollars to produce. All that effort, technology, and human ingenuity… for the sole purpose of killing me, my family, and my friends, in the name of a violent ideology.

And so, I decided to respond in my own way.

I have created a new version of the Lion of Judah, inspired by ancient seals from the 8th century BCE, discovered in Megiddo in 1904. The original jasper seal bore the inscription "Shema, servant of Jeroboam" in ancient Hebrew Phoenician script. My design features the same historic "Lion's Cub of Judah" — a symbol from the biblical blessing of Jacob to his son Judah in Genesis:

"Judah, your brothers will praise you… you are a lion's cub."

It stands for courage, faith, grace, and the endurance of an ancient promise.

From the wreckage of destruction, I chose to forge an answer.

 

I've added a biblical phrase taken from the Book of Numbers, "Am Kalavi yakum"- "Behold, the people shall rise up as a great lion," and used ancient Hebrew fonts, and attached a small fragment from the ballistic missile to each pendant.

 

The phrase was taken from the story of, Balak, king of Moab, who fears the Israelites as they approach his land after leaving Egypt. He hires the prophet Balaam to curse them, hoping to weaken them in battle. However, God intervenes, and despite Balak's repeated attempts, Balaam can only bless the Israelites instead of cursing them.

The phrase on the pendant was taken from one of Balaam's blessings.

 

I liked the idea of converting this piece of weaponry, which was made with the intention to kill and destroy, into a symbol of rebirth and courage.

 

Stay safe, and as always, thank you for your support!