![]() However, in one tale, an 11th-century poet and rabbi named Solomon ibn Gabirol creates a female golem out of wood, to be his servant. It’s said that the body of the Golem of Prague is still interred in the attic of the Old New Synagogue in Prague. ![]() In others, the golem stays obedient to his master, and lies down peacefully when Rabbi Loew ends his life. In some versions of this tale, the golem becomes violent because he is unlucky in love. Rabbi Loew, fearful for his people, is forced to destroy the creature he’d created. At first the golem obeys his master, but eventually he turns murderous, rampaging against the community he was meant to protect. In the tale, Rabbi Judah Loew creates a golem to protect the Jews of Prague against the pogroms, or violent anti-Semitic attacks, common at the time. The most famous golem tale is that of the 16th-century Golem of Prague. It’s said that the prophet Jeremiah used the Sefer Yetzirah (Book of Creation), a powerful Kabbalistic text, to create a golem for himself. The magic that brings life to a golem comes from Kabbalah, a mystical, esoteric branch of Jewish teaching. Golems are usually made from clay, though they can also be made of wood or even ash. According to Jewish law, a golem’s life is valued at less than a human’s, for only God, not Man, can give a creature a soul. ![]() They are powerful but simple-minded, and must obey their masters in all things. In Jewish myth and folklore, a golem is a human-like figure that is brought to life by powerful magic. ![]()
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