Baal edit
"A term meaning "master", "husband" "possessor". In Biblical times it was used to designate local gods of the West Semitic peoples. The baalim {plural of Baal} were gods possessing the power to control nature, such as fertility and the harvest. After the conquest of Canaan many Israelites worshipped the Baal. The Hebrew prophets strogly opposed idol worship, and the prophet Elijah was especially active in fighting Baal worship in the Kingdom of Israel, spread by the Phonecian-born queen of Israel, the infamous Jezebel, the wife of King Ahab."
[Quoted from the entry in The New Jewish Encyclopedia, Edited by James Bridger in association with Samuel Wolk, published by Behrman House {c} 1962 by David Bridger, Library Of Congress #62-17079. In the future I plan to re-write this information, anyone who cares to do this now, or has any information on the copyright status of the volume, is of course welcome to take a crack at it.]
Golem edit
"A term used in Jewish folklore to describe a robot made of clay or wood, given artificial life with the use of magic or the Divine name. As used in the Bible and the Talmud,the term had several connotations: "embryo," "formless substance," and "human body without a soul." The concept of the Golem as an artificially created human being by supernatural means was widely accepted during the Middle Ages. Tradition tells of automations created by Solomon ibn Gabirol, Elijah of Chelm, and others. According to the legend, the most famous Golem was created in the 16th Century by Judah Low of Prague, one of the great rabbis. The express purpose of these living automations was to protect the Jews from menacing dangers. The Golem created by the rabbi of Prague was said to have been made for the purpose of exposing a plot to involve the Jews in a blood accusation. The robots were usually under the spell and control of their creators, and could become destructive if not checked. Jewish folklore has numerous Golem stories, and several modern literary works have been written on this theme, such as the famous Yiddish play "Der Golem" by H. Leivick. In everyday usage, "Golem" describes a stupid person."
[Quoted from the entry in The New Jewish Encyclopedia, Edited by James Bridger in association with Samuel Wolk, published by Behrman House {c} 1962 by David Bridger, Library Of Congress #62-17079. In the future I plan to re-write this information, anyone who cares to do this now, or has any information on the copyright status of the volume, is of course welcome to take a crack at it.]
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