The Golem of Prague
Legend says a rabbi in Prague shaped a giant from river clay and brought it to life to protect his community. Some say it still lies in the synagogue attic.
What was reported
A famous legend of Prague tells that in the 16th century, Rabbi Judah Loew ben Bezalel, a great scholar, made a giant figure from the clay of the Vltava river and brought it to life with sacred words, to protect the Jewish community of the city from attacks.
In most versions, the golem grew too powerful and the rabbi deactivated it, laying its body in the attic of the Old New Synagogue, which visitors are still not allowed to enter.
Explanations offered
Historians note that the legend first appears in writing in the 19th century, long after Rabbi Loew's time. The golem is a figure from older Jewish tradition, and the story has inspired countless books and films about creations that escape their makers' control.
- When
- Legend set in the 1500s
- Where
- Old New Synagogue, Prague, Czech Republic
- Witnesses
- Jewish tradition of Prague
- Status
- Legend
Famous cases are real, widely reported events. Each file sets out what witnesses said and the explanations that have been offered, without taking a side.