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THE JEWISH ENCYCLOPEDIA
Golem Goliath
long to the literature of Gnosticism. For similar
views, after Plato and Pliilo, see Freudentbal,
" Hellenistische Studien," p. 69 (see Adam).
BiBLioORAPHY : G. Brecher, Das Tran/tcendentaU, Magic und Magtsche Reilarteii im TaJniMtl, Vienna, 1850; A.Ko- hut, Die Talmudbich-Midra»cltische Adamssagc in Ihrer BU,ckt)eziehung auf die Persische Yima- und Meshiasaac, in Z. D.M.O. XXV. .">9-9-t ; M. Grilnbaum, JVette Beitrttge zur Semitischen Saiienlmnde.pp. 54 etscg., Leyden, ]89;3; Jew. Encyc. i. 174-175 ; A. Hilgenleld, Die JUdiselte Apokalyplik, Jena, lSo7. E. C. L. B.
In Medieval Times : In the Middle Ages
arose the belief in the possibility of infusing life Into a clay or wooden ligure of a human being, •which figure was termed "golem" by writers of the eighteenth centurj'. The golem grew in size, and could carry any message or obey mechanically any order of its master. It was supposed to be created by the aid of the "Sefer Yezirah," that is, by a combination of letters forming a " Shem " (any one of the names of God). The 8hem was written on a piece of paper and inserted either in the mouth or in the forehead of the golem, thus bringing it into life and action. Solomon ibn Gabirol is said to have created a maid servant by this means. The king. Informed of this, desired to pimish him, but Ibn Gabirol showed that liis creature was not a real being by restoring every one of its parts to its origi- nal form.
Elijah of Chelm, In the middle of the sixteenth century, was the first person credited with having made a golem with a Bhem, for which reason he was known as a "Ba'al Shem." It is said to have grown to be a monster (resembling that of Franken- stein), which the rabbi feared might destroy the world. Finally he extracted the Shem from the forehead of his golem, which returned to dust (Azulai, " Shem ha-Gedolim," i., No. 163). Elijah's grandson, known as the "hakam Zebi," was so con- vinced of the truth of this that he raised the ques- tion as to whether a golem could be counted as one in a "minyan" (quorum; Responsa, No. 93, Amster- dam, 171S; Baer Heteb to Shulhan 'Aruk, Orah Hayyim, 55, 1). The best-lfnown golem was that of Judah Low b. Bezaleel, or the Golem of " hohe Rabbi Low," of Prague (end of Hohe 16th cent.), who used his golem as a Rabbi Low. servant on week-days, and extracted the Shem from the golem's mouth every Friday afternoon, so as to let it rest on Sab- bath. Once the rabbi forgot to extract the Shem, and feared that the golem would desecrate the Sab- bath. He pursued the golem and caught it in front of the synagogue, just before Sabbath began, and hurriedly extracted the Shem, whereupon the golem fell in pieces; its remains are said to be still among the debris in the attic of the synagogue. Rabbi LO w is credited with having performed similar wonders before Rudolph II. ("Sippurim," p. 53; comp. Gans, "Zemah Dawid," p. 46a, Prankfort-on-the-3Iain, 1692). A legend connected with his golem is given in German verse by Gustav Philippson in "Allg. Zeit. des Jud."1841, No. 44 (abridged in "Sulamith," viii. 354; translated into Hebrew in "Kokebe Yiz- hak," No. 38, p. 75, Vienna, 1862). ' It Is sometimes alleged that Elijah of Wilna also made a golem, and the Hasidim claim the same for
Israel Ba'al Shem-Tob, but apparently the claims are based on the similarity in the one case of the name " Elijah " and in the other of the appellation " Ba'al Shem " to the name and appellation of the rabbi of Chelm. The last golem is attributed to R. Davidl .laffe, rabbi in Dorhiczyn, in the government of Grodno, Russia (about 1800). This golem, unlike that of R. L5w, was not supposed to rest on Sab- bath. Indeed, it appears that it was created only for the purpose of replacing the Sabbath goy in heating the ovens of Jews on winter Sabbaths. All orders to make fires were given to the golem on Friday, which he executed promptly but mechanic- ally the next day. In one case a slight error in an order to the golem caused a conflagration that des- troyed the whole town.
From this story it becomes probable that the whole of the golem legend is in some way a reflex of the medieval legends about Vergil, who was cred- ited with the power of making a statue move and speak and do his will. His disciple once gave orders which, strictly carried out, resulted in his destruction. The statue of Vergil saved an adul- teress, just as did the golem of R. LOw in Philipp- son's above-mentioned poem (J. A. Tunison, "Mas- ter Virgil," p. 145, Cincinnati, 1888).
BIBLIOORAPHY: Ha-ikTaffCfM, 1867, Supplement No. 43; Pasche- les, SSippwrlm. pp. 51-5a, PrdKue, 1870: Eubln, Ma'ase Ta'atulm, p. 117, Vienna, 1887; Tendlau, Saaen mid Le- iienden dcr JUdischen Vorzeit. J. J. IJ- E.
GOLGOTHA (literally, "the skull"): Locality mentioned in the New 'Testament as the scene of Jesus' execution (Matt, xxvii. 33 and parallels). The name is an Aramaic emphatic state, and corre- sponds to the Hebrew rhibi- In the Greek trans- literation of the Gospels the " 1 " is elided except in one minuscript (Codex Bezse) ; "Golgotha " is the proper form. It was outside the city wall (John xix. 30), near a tomb, a gate, and a road, and In a promi- nent position (Mark xv. 39, 40; John xix. 20, 41). Two places answer to this description : (1) The Church of the Holy Sepulcher, which is identified hy tradition with Golgotha; it lay beyond the second wall and was near tombs and a road. A temple of Venus was erected on the site ; and from the anal- ogy of the temple of Zeus, which was built on the site of the Second Temple, this seems to imply that it was once a sacred spot. (3) A skull-shaped rock above the grotto of Jeremiah, about which there is a Jewish tradition that it was the place of stoning. The name does not occur in Talmudio literature. See also Adam. Bibliography: A. McGriKor, In EneyclopwdiaBritntinica,
a.v. Sepulchre^ Holy ; Cheyne and Black, Encvc. Bilii. s.v.
E. C. J-
GOLIATH: A Philistine giant of Gath (I Sam. xvii. 4). The name " Goliath " is probably connected with the Assyro-Babylonian " Guzali " = " running, ravaging spirits," "destroyers" (Jastrow, "Religion of Assyria and Babylon," p. 500; Muss-Arnolt, "Concise Dictionary," s.«. "The Throne-Carriers"; Delitzsch, "Assyrisches HandwOrterb." s.v.).
Biblical Data : Goliath was the champion of
the Pliilistines, who had encamped between Shochoh and Azekah against Saul and the men of Israel ar- rayed for battle in the valley of Elah. He is described
