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The Bible and Archaeology

Is it only images from the New Testament that people see?

Maybe images from the Old Testament are seen, but images from the New Testament are more often reported. One notable example of an Old Testament image (or an image related to the Old Testament) being seen in an everyday item became popular thanks to an e-mail that went viral in 2008. The author of the e-mail explained how the dollar bill came to have several Jewish symbols on it. On the back of the dollar bill, the Great Seal of the United States is shown. The starry circle on the right hand side is in the shape of the Star of David. If the bill is turned upside down, a menorah can be seen near the feet of the eagle. The author explained that the symbols were placed there to honor Hayim Solomon, one of George Washington’s aides. According to the e-mail, Solomon gave a significant portion of his wealth to shore up the bedraggled Continental army, thus changing the course of the war in favor of the Continentals. Critics of this theory agree that Hayim Solomon was a major player in the events of the Revolutionary War, but that his financial assistance was in the form of brokering bills of exchange (although he is thought to have made personal loans to indigent veterans). Also, the government website about official seals and documents (www.ourdocuments.gov) makes no mention of the symbols having a Jewish association.



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