The Lion of Judah has its origins in the Book of Genesis of the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament) where the Israelite tribe of Judah had the lion as its symbol.
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Lion of Judah and Judaism
Within Judaism, the Biblical Judah (in Hebrew: Yehuda) is the original name of the Tribe of Judah - traditionally symbolized by a lion. In Genesis, the patriarch Jacob refers to his son Judah as a Gur Aryeh גּוּר אַרְיֵה יְהוּדָה , a "Young Lion" (Genesis 49:9) when blessing him [1]. In Jewish naming tradition the Hebrew name and the substitute name are often combined as a pair, as in this case. As a result of the lion's link to the tribe of Judah, the dominant tribe among the ancient Israelites and the legendary ancestor of the Kingdom of Judah, Judea and the modern Jews, variations or translations of the word "lion" have been used as a substitute name for Judah (Yehuda) among Jews. An example is the name of Rabbi Judah Loew ben Bezalel. Loew is a German/Yiddish word for "lion." The popular modern Hebrew name Ari (also Arieh or Aryeh) translates as "lion". Amongst Turkish Jews and Egyptian Jews, the male first name "Aslan" (Turkish for "lion") is sometimes given as a name for boys born with the Hebrew name "Yehudah".
Lion of Judah in Christianity
In Christian tradition, the lion is often assumed to represent Jesus. Many Christian organizations and ministries use the lion of Judah as their emblem or even their name. The phrase appears in the New Testament Book of Revelation 5:5; "And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof." The use in C. S. Lewis's Chronicles of Narnia of a lion named Aslan as a messianic figure may be a potential reference to this section of Revelation, or simply more generally as an allegorical representation of Jesus.
Lion of Judah in Ethiopia
Ethiopia's traditions, recorded and elaborated in a 13th century treatise, the "Kebre Negest", assert descent from a retinue of Israelites who returned with the Queen of Sheba from her visit to King Solomon in Jerusalem, by whom she had conceived the Solomonic dynasty's founder, Menelik I. Both Christian and Jewish Ethiopian tradition has it that these immigrants were mostly of the Tribes of Dan and Judah; hence the Ge'ez motto Mo`a 'Anbessa Ze'imnegede Yihuda ("The Lion of the Tribe of Judah has conquered"), included among the titles of the Emperor (King of Kings) throughout the Solomonic Dynasty. It is unknown whether John of Patmos was directly aware of this hereditary title when he penned it into the text of his prophecy. 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 Communist Derg in 1990 and the increase of Western-style political freedoms, a minor political party bearing the name Mo'a Anbessa made its appearance.
Lion of Judah in Rastafari
In Rastafari, "The Lion of Judah" represents Haile Selassie I. Rastas hold that Selassie is a direct descendant of the Israelite Tribe of Judah through the lineage of King David and Solomon, and that he is also the Lion of Judah mentioned in the Book of Revelation.
Other meanings
- Lion of Judah is a track on Prince's album Planet Earth.
