Gravestone of Judah Loew and His Wife Pearl

1609 and 1640

Tombstone of lion emblem and Hebrew inscription. — The gravestone of Judah Loew (known as the Maharal) and his wife, Pearl (1528–1610) is located in the Old Jewish Cemetery of the Jewish quarter in Prague. A prominent scholar and kabbalist, the Maharal is remembered for his commentary *Gur Aryeh* and is also known for his association with the legend of the Golem of Prague. The Maharal’s ornate tombstone is an example of the heavily decorated monuments that became more prevalent in this cemetery in the seventeenth century. A lion emblem on the gravestone may refer to the rabbi’s name, Judah, because of its connection with the tribe of Judah, whose symbol was a lion; his second name, Loew, is derived from the Yiddish word for “lion.”

The gravestone of Judah Loew (1520–1609; known as the Maharal) and his wife, Pearl (1528–1610), is located in the Old Jewish Cemetery of the Jewish quarter in Prague. A prominent scholar and kabbalist, the Maharal is remembered for his commentary Gur Aryeh and is also known for his association with the legend of the Golem of Prague. The Maharal’s ornate tombstone is an example of the heavily decorated monuments that became more prevalent in this cemetery in the seventeenth century. A lion emblem on the gravestone may refer to the rabbi’s name, Judah, because of its connection with the tribe of Judah, whose symbol was a lion; his second name, Loew, is Yiddish for “lion.”