Who Built the Golem of Prague?

By Alice Nichols

The Golem of Prague is a creature that has fascinated people for centuries. According to legend, the golem was created by a rabbi in the 16th century to protect the Jewish community of Prague from persecution. But who actually built the golem?

There are several versions of the story, but the most popular one attributes the creation of the golem to Rabbi Judah Loew ben Bezalel, also known as the Maharal of Prague. The Maharal was a prominent rabbi and scholar who lived in Prague during the late 16th century.

According to legend, the Maharal created the golem out of clay from the banks of the Vltava River. He used mystical incantations and prayers to bring it to life and imbue it with incredible strength. The golem was said to be able to perform superhuman feats and was completely obedient to its creator.

The purpose of creating this creature was to protect the Jewish community from anti-Semitic attacks and pogroms that were common in Europe at that time. The golem was able to defend its people against any threat and became a symbol of their resilience and perseverance.

However, there are some who believe that Rabbi Loew did not actually create the golem himself but instead enlisted a famous magician named Avigdor Kara to help him. Kara was known for his ability to bring inanimate objects to life using Kabbalistic magic.

Regardless of who actually built it, there is no doubt that the Golem became an important figure in Jewish folklore and culture. Its story has been retold countless times in literature, art, and even movies.

In popular culture, we see references about this mythical creature time after time – From Michael Chabon’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel “The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay” which features a storyline around this monster; To Marvel Comics’ character Doctor Strange’s “Golems of Prague” storyline.

In conclusion, the true identity of the person who created the Golem of Prague may never be known for sure. But what is certain is that this creature has played an important role in Jewish history and remains a fascinating figure to this day.