Judaism forbids the making of images of God. Therefore, many images were discouraged and their use avoided for a long period of time. Despite this prohibition, images have been used on items of religious importance such as the Torah and other parts of the Tanakh, and decorations hung on the eastern wall to indicate the direction of prayers. The Star of David poetically refers to God. This six-sided figure, often worn as Star of David jewelry symbolizes that God rules over the universe and protects us from all six directions: North, South, East, West, Up and Down with the middle of the hexagram providing the spiritual dimension.