Inside the Franciscan Monastery ...
Hand Rail Symbols
(Gallery Has Two Pictures)
All the handrails in the Franciscan Monastery included this logo. On the right is a close-up of the logo. The center of the logo is the Jerusalem or Crusader's cross surrounded by a leaf pattern. Surprisingly, that is then surrounded by a six-sided shield, sometimes called a Star of David, which was actually found in some churches long before it became a Jewish symbol; perhaps it's origin reflects the Franciscan's responsibilities in the "Holy Land." In spite of its name, this symbol never had anything to do with the Jewish House of David. No connection between Jews and any six-sided star has ever been found before the eleventh century.
