Since time immemorial, flags have served as markers of identity, unity, and purpose. At the opening of the second chapter of Bemidbar (Numbers), God commands the children of Israel to organize themselves by tribe around the Ohel Moed (Tent of Meeting), each tribe under its designated flag:

The Lord spoke to Moshe and Aharon, saying: The Israelites shall camp each with his standard (degel), under the banners of their ancestral house; they shall camp around the Tent of Meeting at a distance. (Numbers 2:1–2)

The obvious purpose of these flags was organizational, while also fostering a sense of tribal identity. Since the Torah itself does not describe the appearance of the flags, later tradition was given wide latitude to speculate about their nature. A few examples illustrate this diversity of interpretation: Rashi, basing himself on a midrash, explains that each........

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