Editing Judah Loew ben Bezalel (section)

==Legend of the golem==
{{Main|Golem#The classic narrative: The Golem of Prague}}

Loew is the subject of the legend about the creation of a [[golem]], a creature made out of clay to defend the [[Jews]] of the Prague [[Ghetto]] from [[Anti-Semitism|antisemitic]] attacks, particularly the [[blood libel]]. He is said to have used [[Jewish mysticism|mystical powers]] based on the [[esoteric]] knowledge of how [[Names of God in Judaism|God]] created [[Adam and Eve|Adam]].<ref name=newlife>{{cite news |first=Dan |last=Bilefsky |author-link=Dan Bilefsky |title=Hard Times Give New Life to Prague's Golem |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/11/world/europe/11golem.html?hp=&pagewanted=print |work=[[New York Times]] |date=May 11, 2009 |access-date=2009-05-11 }}</ref> The general view of historians and critics is that the legend is a German literary invention of the early 19th century. The earliest known source for the story thus far is the 1834 book ''Der Jüdische Gil Blas'' by Friedrich Korn.<ref>{{cite book|url=http://sammlungen.ub.uni-frankfurt.de/freimann/content/titleinfo/419103|title=Freimann-Sammlung / Der jüdische Gil Blas|website=sammlungen.ub.uni-frankfurt.de|year=1834}}</ref><ref>Kohn, J. S., [https://www.scribd.com/doc/50025868/Der-judische-Gil-Blas-1834 ''Der jüdische Gil Blas''], Leipzig, 1834, p.20</ref> It has been repeated and adapted many times since.