The Prague Golem [antikvár]

How the Jews came to Bohemia According to an old legend, at the time of the Second Temple', there was already a flourishing town in which Jews lived where Prague stands today. However, the town was later destroyed and the inhabitants driven away. Princess Libuse, who founded Prague in 730 AD, was generally known to be a prophetess. On her death-bed she called for her son Nezamysl and told him: "I shall be at rest with my forefathers soon and before 1 go 1 want to reveal the future to you. When your grandson reigns over my people, a small foreign nation, rejected and oppressed, that worships only one God, will seek protection in our forests. May they be well received, may your grandson offer them protection for they will bring prosperity to the common land." When Hostivit^ succeeded to the throne more than 100 years after the Princess had died, Libuk appeared to him in a dream and said: "The time has come for my prophecy to be fulfilled. A small, tormented nation that worships only one God shall come to your throne seeking help. May you receive them affably, hospitably and mercifully, and may you offer them protection and shelter." After the Wends' wreaked havoc upon shelter for ten years; eventually they the Lithuanians and Muscovites, drove reached Bohemia exhausted from their the inhabitants away, conquered the wandering. They asked for an audience land and chose it as their seat, a Jewish with the ruler, the Prmce Hostivit. Their community was evicted from the Mus- request was granted. They were told to covite area. Those miserable, unfortu- send two of their elders to the Prmce. nate people roamed the world without The Prince received them cordially and ' An era of Jewish history (circa 300 BC - 100 AD) which ended with the destruction of the Second Temple of Jerusalem in 70 AD Hostivit (died about 870 AD); legendary Bohemian Prince Wends: earlier general term for the Slavs