The golem of legend is a manlike being, created by human hands but lacking a soul, which eventually becomes a threat to its creators. It symbolises the dangers of technology running out of control. The golem originates in Jewish lore; the word itself means something without form, and is used to describe Adam’s body before God breathes life into him. Early texts relate it to the Sefer Yezirah (“Book of Creation”) and the Kabbalistic belief in the magical powers of letters – in this view God created the Universe by combinations of 10 numbers and 22 Hebrew letters. If the art of combination is mastered, then adepts can create anything they want – “If the righteous wished, they could create a world,” according to the Talmud.