Abstract
There is a legend that explains the curious name of Prague’s Altneuschul (Old-New Synagogue). The foundations of the new synagogue were laid with old stones from the ancient Temple in Jerusalem, but that is only part of the explanation. The Jews had carried these stones into exile on their backs, or perhaps angels had transported them. Moreover, Altneu can also be traced to the phonetically close Hebrew term al tenai, meaning “on condition.” Whether it was angels or exiles, the condition in question is that the Jews of Prague promised to return the stones, soaked with the blood of martyrs, to the Holy Land upon the messianic rebuilding of the Temple.