The Old Jewish Cemetary

Visited a destination which is a pilgrimage for many Jews: the Old Jewish Cemetary where Chief Rabbi Judah Loew lays in rest. Loew drew the attention of Rudolf II after earning a reputation as a Zaddick, a man of special owers and wisdom. Many legends grew around him in the Jewish Prague Ghetto over the centuries. One story claims he stopped the Emperor's carriage on Charles Bridge using some kind of kinetic energy. In another story, he is said to be the creator of a "Golem" (Hebrew for "Unformed or imperfect matter") from the mud of the Vltava river. Loew was said to have breathed life into a clay body by tracing the letters "EMETH" (truth) on its forehead. It became a servant and protector of the Jewish community but of course was not allowed to work on the Sabbath. One day, the Rabbi accidentally wiped off the first letter from the Golam's forehead, leaving the word "METH" (death). The Golem went on a killing spree. Only when all the letters were erased did it collapse and return to the mud whence it had come. And here I thought Golam sprang from Lord of the Rings! Apparently, the first mention of the creation of a Golem - the Jewish prototype of Frankenstein's monster - predates its appearance in Prague by many centuries. Typical though of the magical atmosphere in Rudolf's court that they should claim it as their own.