Cloves, both in everyday life and in the occult, have strong symbolism. The invention of the nail dates back more than 2,000 years, in the Roman Empire it emerged and was decisive for the improvement in construction, since wooden boards could be held in a better way by joining them with nails.
FORM AND SIGNIFICANCE IN HISTORY
The oldest nails were made of bronze, while in later times the larger ones were made of iron. Decorative nails made of bronze covered with beaten gold have been found, dating from 1300-1200 BC
In ancient times, they symbolically marked the end of one event and the beginning of another, predicting fortune and profit for the new stage. They were used with the desire to avoid evil and, therefore, nails were driven into the foundations of houses to ward off evil spirits, or they were nailed to tombs to drive away demons that could live in darkness. Likewise, nails were used as atonement for bad acts committed, hence the atoning sacrifice of the Romans. Ancient nails were very similar to the larger nails used today, although they had a four-sided body and a long point.
Within any archaeological excavation, nails are among the most frequently found elements. Archeology has confirmed the existence of crucifixion as a form of execution since ancient times. In 1968, a group of archaeologists found in Giv`at Ha-Mitvar (northwest of Jerusalem), the tomb of a man who had died by crucifixion. Subsequent studies revealed that an 11.5-inch iron nail was still stuck through his right heel. cm. of length. This nail may be similar to those used by Roman soldiers to fix Jesus to the stake.
Pliny the Elder (Latin writer, scientist, naturalist and military man, born in the year 23 of the 1st century) describes how those who died from illness were nailed, since this was believed to prevent its contagion and spread. However, the nail is also a key (this word in Latin is "clavis"). The nail opens and closes spirits, real or abstract.
THE NAIL AND THE KABBALA
The clove symbol is closely related to the Kabbalah (mystical and allegorical interpretation of the Torah, sacred text of Judaism) and to the Hebrew alphabet, which is made up of 22 letters and each of them has a deep symbolic meaning. There is one of these 22 letters that symbolizes the nail, the letter "vav". The shape of the letter itself represents a nail, as a clear example of union.
In Kabbalah the letter vav has the power to interrelate the elements of creation. It is said that this letter has the power to change the past from the future, in such a way that in the present, it is possible to change the meaning of what will come and what was.
In biblical Hebrew, the letter vav has the function of reversing the apparent tense of a verb, to its opposite, from past to future or from future to past. As an example, in the Torah it is written: "And God said (the verb 'said' is inverted from the future tense to the past by the vav at the beginning of the word 'And'): 'Let there be light' and there was light." .
Nails have accompanied man since the smelting of metals allowed the invention of this element so closely related to the hammer and the verb "nail." The function of a nail is to unite or join two objects, historically becoming an essential element to build wooden houses and ships, and, on the other hand, small nails have been widely used throughout history. history by shoemakers, carpenters and craftsmen.