Ben S. Pierre, age 14, of Dodge City, Kan., for his question:

HOW OLD IS THE STAR OF DAVID?

The Star of David is the universal symbol of Judaism. It is made if two triangles that interlace to form a six pointed star.

"The figure, also sometimes called the Shield of David, is an ancient

scholars do not know when it became widespread as a Jewish symbol. as is known, it first appeared on a Jewish holy seal in Sidon  in the 600s B.C.

The star of David appears on the flag of the State of Israel, in synagogues, on Jewish ritual objects and on emblems of organizations.

David lived about 1000 B.C. and was the second king of Israel and the successor of Saul. As a boy, armed only with five stones and a sling, he killed Goliath, the giant Philistine warrior. He built an empire for his son, Solomon, and founded a famous line of kings. They ruled the Kingdom of Judah for more than 400 years, until Jerusalem was destroyed in 587 B.C.