The Golem of Prague
Josef, also known as Yossele and more famously as the Golem of Prague, is a golem made out of pure mud and clay whose remains are said to be in the attic of the Old New Synagogue in Prague, one who will be brought back to defend the Jewish people.
Summary[]
Judah Loew ben Bezalel, the late 16th century rabbi of Prague, created the golem out of clay from the banks of the Vltava River and brought it to life through rituals and Hebrew incantations to defend the Prague ghetto from anti-Semitic attacks and pogroms. The Jews in Prague were to be expelled and killed under the rule of Rudolf II, the Holy Roman Emperor. It was said that he could make himself invisible and summon spirits from the dead. Rabbi Loew deactivated the Golem on Friday evenings by removing the shem before the Sabbath began on Saturday, so as to let it rest on Sabbath. One Friday evening Rabbi Loew forgot to remove the shem, and feared that the Golem would desecrate the Sabbath. The golem escaped and fell in love, and when rejected, he became a violent monster, going on a murderous rampage.
The rabbi then managed to pull the shem from his mouth and immobilize him in front of the synagogue, whereupon the golem fell in pieces. The Golem's body was stored in the attic genizah of the Old New Synagogue, where it would be restored to life again if needed. The body of Rabbi Loew's Golem still lies in the synagogue's attic.
Trivia[]
- A recent legend tells of a Nazi agent ascending to the synagogue attic during World War II and trying to stab the Golem, but he died instead. The attic is not open to the general public.