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Golems
In Jewish folklore a golem is an artificial humanlike creature made from clay or mud. It appears to be alive, but it has no soul. It is created by forming clay or mud into the shape of a human, and then performing a secret ritual to animate it. A Jewish legend says that the prophet Jeremiah made a golem, but this isn't mentioned in the bible.
Actually, very few golems have been made, because only a very holy person has enough spiritual power to animate a clay figure. But even a very holy person can't make a golem that has the personality and independent mind of a human being. Golems are always inferior to humans because they are made by men rather than by God. They can't think or talk like a human, and they are slow and clumsy in their movements. Some descriptions say that their bodies are animated by a demon or a nature spirit instead of a human soul.
This photo shows a statue of a golem.
The best-known story about a golem describes some events that supposedly took place in the European city of Prague during the 16th century, at a time when the Jews in the city were being persecuted by the Christians. To help defend the Jews, the chief Rabbi of the city created a golem out of clay dug from a river bank. Eventually this golem helped bring the persecution to an end, but then it began to run amok. To stop it,
