Ensign(banner)

☩Hebrew Terms

Three Hebrew words are translated as ensign, standard, or banner: 'nes' is a signal raised on a hill to rally people; 'degel' is a military standard for a large division; and 'oth' is a smaller tribal banner.[1] Unlike modern flags, Hebrew standards probably resembled Egyptian and Assyrian ones—figures or sacred emblems elevated on poles rather than cloth banners. Each of Israel's four major divisions (comprising three tribes each) had its own standard under which they camped and marched.