The flag of the State of Israel was adopted on 28 October 1948, five months after the Israeli Declaration of Independence.
The blue stripes are intended to symbolize the stripes on a tallit, the traditional Jewish prayer shawl. The Star of David is a widely acknowledged symbol of the Jewish people and Judaism. In Judaism, the colour blue symbolises God's glory, purity and gevurah (God's severity). The White field represents Chesed (Divine Benevolence).
The Israelites used a blue-coloured dye called tekhelet; this dye may have been made from the marine snail Murex trunculus. This dye was very important in both Jewish and non-Jewish cultures of this time and was used by royalty and the upper class in dyeing their clothing, sheets, curtains, etc.
