golem

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golem

golem [Heb.,=an undeveloped lump], in medieval Jewish legend, an automatonlike servant made of clay and given life by means of a charm, or shem [Heb.,=name, or the name of God]. Golems were attributed in Jewish legend to several rabbis in different European countries. The most famous legend centered around Rabbi Löw, of 16th-century Prague. After molding the golem and endowing it with life, Rabbi Löw was forced to destroy the clay creature after it ran amok.

Bibliography: See J. Trachtenberg, Jewish Magic and Superstition (1939, repr. 1961); M. Idel, Golem (1989).

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golem

The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable | 2006 | | Â© The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable 2006, originally published by Oxford University Press 2006. (Hide copyright information) Copyright

golem in Jewish legend, a clay figure brought to life by magic; an automaton or robot. The word is recorded from the late 19th century, and comes via Yiddish from Hebrew gōlem ‘shapeless mass’.

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ELIZABETH KNOWLES. "golem." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. Oxford University Press. 2006. Encyclopedia.com. 25 Dec. 2009 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

ELIZABETH KNOWLES. "golem." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. Oxford University Press. 2006. Encyclopedia.com. (December 25, 2009). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O214-golem.html

ELIZABETH KNOWLES. "golem." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. Oxford University Press. 2006. Retrieved December 25, 2009 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O214-golem.html

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