King, acting on impulse, cut the fish open, and finding the ring, regained his power over the elements once more. Passing on to the 16th Century of the Christian era we come to one of the great masters of the Quabalah—Rabbi Low Ben Bezalel of Prague. He is spoken of in the ancient capital of Bohemia as the greatest Bal Shem of his time. Many legends concerning him are extant in Bohemia. He made a Golem, an automaton figure to which he gave life by the simple act of placing under the tongue a charm or Kemea which was exactly like the SHEM HAMPHORASCH engraved on King Solomon’s ring. It was the Rabbi’s custom to take the Kemea from under the tongue of the Golem every Friday at sunset. Once he neglected to do this, and the Golem becoming furious and swelling to a gigantic size, rushed to the old synagogue, spreading destruction all around. The hymn welcoming the Bride of the Sabbath had not been sung. The Golem entered the Synagogue, stalked towards the Ark and was about to destroy it when Rabbi Low Ben Bazalel ran to the figure and tore the Kemea from beneath the tongue. The Golem trembled, quivered and fell in atoms to the ground. An automaton similar to that of the Rabbi was made by Albertus and destroyed in terror by his pupil, Thomas Aquinas. It is related that the Roman Emperor, Diocletian, while on a hunting expedition, came upon a young ostrich. He had it put in a glass case and taken to his palace. For three days the mother-bird followed, trying in vain to break the glass and release her young. After many fruitless attempts she went away and returned with what is described as a THUMARE (a name easily identified with SHAMIR) or magical worm. This she dropped on the glass cage which split into fragments in the same way as the glass which covered the nest holding the young of the moor fowl. The belief that the gift of a precious stone brought great good to the receiver was, and still is, a popular Eastern conviction. It echoes from the Book of Proverbs to the great new age into which the world is now entering: “As a precious stone appeareth a prize in the eyes of him that obtaineth it: whithersoever it turneth it prospereth.” (Proverbs XVII. 8.) The blessedness of giving has always been lauded by the masters who constantly enlarge on the magical power gained by the act, for, say they, “God gives.”