Judah Loew ben Belazel's Amulet, also known simply as the Golem Necklace, is a powerful artifact with the ability to animate inanimate objects. The amulet's effect was transmuted to create a computer virus that transforms human DNA into clay.
History
It was first discovered in Salt Lake City after several women died as a result of their bodies completely turning to clay. Also, the victims' DNA was catastrophically rearranged. Their DNA looked silicon based, which is impossible because the DNA of every living thing on Earth is carbon based. Also, there seemed to be a pattern in their genetic code that almost made their gentic code look like binary code, with 1's and 0's, like the kind found in computers. As Artie put it "we're dealing with a diabolical nexus of genetic science and computer engineering run amuck that can destroy our very idea of life as we know it".
It was given to a computer hacker named Tyler Struhl by his great uncle, who believed it protected the wearer from evil spirits. The amulet was made from the clay of the Golem of Prague. The artifact animated a computer virus Tyler wrote to spy on women, which turned the women who were using computers infected with the virus into clay. At first, a person had to be looking at the screen of a computer to be infected with the virus. Only the prompt and unified efforts of one active (Artie) and two former (Vanessa and Hugo) agents prevent a catastrophic outbreak of the virus, which was revealed to be mutating as it became transmittable from human host to host. Hugo was able to create an anti-virus, which was itself animated using the artfact to cure everybody.
Background
Legend of the Golem
The Hebrew word "Emet", meaning "truth/reality", is inscribed in the pendant, and, according to the legend of the golem, is what gave the simulacrum the semblance of life. The Maharal of Prague is the Hebrew acronym of "Moreinu ha-Rav Loew," ("Our Teacher, Rabbi Loew").
He made the golem out of clay from the banks of the Vltava river, and brought it to life through rituals and Hebrew incantations. According to legend, as the golem grew so did its rage, and it went on a rampage.To deactivate the Golem, the rabbi rubbed out the first letter of the word "emet" (truth or reality) from the creature's forehead leaving the Hebrew word "met", meaning dead. According to legend, the body of Rabbi Loew's Golem still lies in the synagogue's attic, but no evidence of the golem was ever found there. One legend says the golem's remains were stolen by Rabbi Judah Loew ben Belazel's father-in-law, Yosef Yitzchok Schneersohn.