- Where does the idea of Solomon’s seal come from if it’s not in the Bible?
- What does the seal actually look like?
- What does the seal mean?
- How was the seal actually used in practice?
- How does the Seal of Solomon relate to the Star of David and the pentagram?
- What do people commonly get wrong about Solomon’s seal?
Solomon’s seal is a symbol (most often a hexagram or pentagram) associated with the magical ring of King Solomon, which according to later tradition gave him power over demons and animals. The Bible does not mention this seal by name, but the idea draws from biblical accounts of Solomon’s wisdom, his ring, and his ability to command spirits. The seal is a product of post-biblical imagination, not scripture itself.
A 14th-century manuscript of the Sefer Raziel displays a six-pointed star labeled “Seal of Solomon.” The scribe believed he was copying a diagram from King Solomon’s own hand, a direct link to the wisest king of Israel. The Bible says nothing about such a seal. That silence is the starting point for everything that follows.
Where does the idea of Solomon’s seal come from if it’s not in the Bible?
The biblical foundation is thin but real. In 1 Kings 4:29–34, Solomon receives wisdom “greater than the sand of the sea shore.” He speaks of trees, beasts, birds, reptiles, and fish. This mastery over nature laid the groundwork for later claims that he could command spirits. The Song of Solomon mentions a “seal upon your arm” (Song 8:6), but the context is romantic, not magical.
The first explicit link between Solomon and a ring used to control demons appears in the Jewish historian Flavius Josephus. In his Antiquities of the Jews (written c. 94 CE), Josephus describes a ring given to Solomon by God, inscribed with a seal. He recounts how a man named Eleazar used the ring to exorcise demons before the Roman emperor Vespasian. The method: holding the ring to the possessed person’s nose, drawing the demon out through the nostrils. Josephus claims this practice was still known in his day.
The key text is the Testament of Solomon, a pseudepigraphical work composed between the 1st and 3rd centuries CE. In this narrative, the archangel Michael delivers a ring to Solomon, engraved with a “pentagram” (the text uses the Greek word pentalpha). The ring allows Solomon to summon demons, question them, and seal them in vessels or force them to build the Temple. The Testament names specific demons and their powers, including Beelzebub, Asmodeus, and Ornias. Here the seal becomes a concrete tool for binding spirits.
Medieval grimoires took this tradition and codified it. The Key of Solomon (14th–15th century) and the Lemegeton (17th century) present detailed diagrams of the seal, often a hexagram with specific Hebrew letters, divine names, and angelic sigils. The Key of Solomon instructs the magician to draw the seal on parchment made from the skin of a pure animal, at a specific planetary hour, to control spirits. The seal is no longer just a ring but a talisman, a design traced on the floor or carried on the body.
In Islamic tradition, the seal of Solomon (Khatam Sulayman) is a six-pointed star set in a ring. The Qur’an mentions Solomon’s power over the wind and the jinn (Surah 21:79–82, 34:12–14) but not the seal. Islamic folklore fills the gap: the ring was given by Allah, engraved with the name of God, and Solomon used it to command the jinn. When the ring was lost to a demon named Sakhr, Solomon’s authority lapsed until he recovered it. This story is preserved in the Tafsir and the Thousand and One Nights.
What does the seal actually look like?
The shape is not fixed. Two main designs dominate.
The hexagram (six-pointed star formed by two interlocking triangles) is the most common. The Key of Solomon depicts it with the divine name Tetragrammaton in the center, sometimes surrounded by a circle. The upper triangle points upward, symbolizing the ascent of the soul; the lower points downward, representing the descent of spirit into matter. The hexagram is also the symbol we now call the Star of David, but the two are not the same. The Star of David as a distinct Jewish emblem appears only in the 17th century. Before that, the hexagram was called the Seal of Solomon and used by Jews, Christians, and Muslims for magical and alchemical purposes.
The pentagram (five-pointed star) appears in the Testament of Solomon as the first form of the seal. The word pentalpha means five alphas, because the star can be drawn with five overlapping A’s. The Testament says the ring was engraved with a pentagram, not a hexagram. Some later grimoires use the pentagram as the seal for commanding spirits, especially in the Lemegeton.
Other variations exist: a circle enclosing a five-pointed star with Hebrew letters at the points, a six-pointed star with petals, or a complex geometric figure with the names of the archangels. The design changed depending on the intended purpose. The Key of Solomon gives multiple versions for different planetary spirits.
What does the seal mean?
The seal embodies Solomon’s wisdom turned into a weapon. Its primary meaning is authority over the spirit world. The ring is a delegation of divine power. In the Testament of Solomon, the ring is given by the archangel Michael, not forged by Solomon. The power comes from the name of God engraved on it. The seal is a signature of divine permission.
The hexagram also carries a cosmic meaning. The two triangles represent the union of opposites: fire and water, heaven and earth, male and female. In alchemy, the seal symbolizes the conjunction of sulfur and mercury, the fixed and the volatile. The Seal of Solomon is therefore not only a tool for exorcism but a model of balance. The magician who wears it stands at the center of creation.
In the Key of Solomon, the seal is used to bind spirits. The operator draws the seal on the floor of the circle, then summons the spirit. The spirit cannot cross the seal. The seal is a prison line. The same idea appears in the Testament of Solomon: after questioning a demon, Solomon seals it in a bronze vessel with the ring. The seal is a cap, a lock.
How was the seal actually used in practice?
The Testament of Solomon gives a concrete procedure. Solomon receives the ring, then calls a demon named Ornias. He presses the seal against the demon’s chest, and the demon is forced to obey. The seal is applied directly to the spirit’s body. Later, the ring is used to seal demons in jars, one per vessel. The text describes the materials: the ring is made of “electrum” (a gold-silver alloy), and the seal is engraved with a “pentalpha.”
Medieval grimoires prescribe more elaborate rituals. The Key of Solomon requires the magician to make the seal on a day of Mercury, during the hour of a favorable planet, using virgin parchment, a new pen, and ink made from the gall of a fish. The seal is consecrated by prayer and fumigation. It is then worn on the person for protection or laid on the ground for summoning. The Key also includes a “Seal of the Master” used for commanding all spirits.
In the Lemegeton, the seals of the seventy-two spirits of the Ars Goetia are distinct from the general Seal of Solomon, but the general seal is used to draw the protective circle. The Goetia circle includes the inner hexagram and the names of God. Without the seal, the circle is incomplete.
In Islamic folk magic, the seal is commonly found on talismans for protection, love, or wealth. The Khatam Sulayman is engraved on amulets, often with the names of the seven archangels or the “greatest name of God.” The seal is considered a baraka (blessing) in itself.
How does the Seal of Solomon relate to the Star of David and the pentagram?
The Seal of Solomon and the Star of David are often conflated, but they belong to different traditions. The Star of David (Magen David) became a symbol of Jewish identity in the 17th century, first appearing on the flag of the Jewish community of Prague. The Seal of Solomon is older, magical, and cross-cultural. The two symbols share the same six-pointed star but carry different meanings. The Star of David represents the six days of creation and the shield of the Messianic King. The Seal of Solomon represents the king’s power to bind the demonic.
The pentagram is sometimes called the “Seal of Solomon” in early texts. The Testament of Solomon uses the pentagram. The Key of Solomon uses the hexagram. The confusion runs deep. We can say that the pentagram is the earlier form, the hexagram the later and more popular one. Both are considered seals of Solomon by different traditions.
What do people commonly get wrong about Solomon’s seal?
That it is a biblical object. The Bible never names a seal of Solomon. The tradition is extra-biblical, built on Josephus, the Testament of Solomon, and medieval grimoires. Readers who expect the Bible to contain a diagram will not find one.
That it is exclusively Jewish. Jewish, Christian, and Islamic magical texts all used the seal. The Key of Solomon is a Christian grimoire. The Khatam Sulayman is a standard talisman in Islamic folk magic. The seal is a shared symbol of the three Abrahamic traditions.
That there is one correct design. The Testament of Solomon gives a pentagram. The Key of Solomon gives a hexagram. The Lemegeton gives a different hexagram. Every grimoire has its own version. The seal is a concept, not a fixed logo.
That it is only a protective symbol. The seal is also used for binding, summoning, and commanding. In the Testament of Solomon, it is used to imprison demons. In the Key of Solomon, it is used to force spirits to appear. Protection is one function, but not the only one.
FAQ
Is Solomon’s seal mentioned in the Bible?
No. The Bible does not mention a seal of Solomon. The closest references are Solomon’s wisdom (1 Kings 4) and a seal in Song of Solomon 8:6, but neither is a magical device. The tradition emerges from later texts like the Testament of Solomon and the writings of Flavius Josephus.
What does the Seal of Solomon look like?
It is most often a six-pointed star (hexagram), but also appears as a five-pointed star (pentagram). The exact design varies by manuscript. The Testament of Solomon describes a pentagram, while the Key of Solomon favors the hexagram with Hebrew letters.
Was Solomon’s seal used to control demons?
Yes, according to the Testament of Solomon and later grimoires, the ring and its seal gave Solomon power to summon, question, and imprison demons. The practice was adopted by medieval ceremonial magicians working with the demons of the Goetia.
How is the Seal of Solomon used in magic today?
Modern ceremonial magicians draw the seal on the floor of the magic circle or on parchment. It is used for protection, summoning spirits from the Ars Goetia, and sealing talismans. The design is often combined with divine names and angelic sigils from the Key of Solomon.
The Seal of Solomon is not a biblical artifact, but a living symbol that has been reshaped by every tradition that touched it. For a deeper look at the grimoires that codified its use, see our guide to the Key of Solomon. And for the broader context of demonological seals, explore the hierarchy of the Ars Goetia. The seal itself is a key that opens many doors, but its meaning is never fixed. It remains what the magician makes of it.