The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1874-04-18
The Wandering Jew.
What he Represents.

observing congregation at u cathedral ii
Hamburg noticed. during the preaching, d
man of striking appearance, who stood be
fore the chanCcl. In spite OF the extreme
winter weather. he was barefoot and for
clothing, wore simply pair OF battered pants
frock reaching to the knees and bound by
a string about his waist, and over this a gray
thread.bare cloak, which reached to his knees
The gray hair of his uncovered head waved
| in long locks upon his shoulders His tall
powerful form lowered far above the bystand
ers. He listened with such attention TO the
preacher that his body seemed immOvabe
Only when the name OF Christ sounded from
the chancel, he bowed, crossed his arms over
his breast, and heaved deep sigh
His appearance excited attention, ard in
ouiries were made 1t was learned that the
mysterious stranger had been in Hamburg
for some time; that he was born in Jerusa
lem, was shoemaker by trade, and called
Ahasucrus He had been, SO it was said, an
eyewitness to the crucifiXon of Christ, and
had lived ever since that time. In confirma.
ton of this remarkable story, he related the
circumstances under which the sutferings and
crucltixion passed before him, much more
infinitely than the cvangelists and sacred
writings have done. With like minuteness,
he was acquainted with the events which had
lowing Chrsts death knew the fate, the
teachings and sufferings of the apostles He
led quiet, retired life, was medtative and
IctiCent spoke only when an inquiSitlve one
urged him, and none ever saw him laugh.
Furthermore, he spoke the tongues of almost
all lands Many curious people came to
Hamburg from afar in order to see and hear
him. Many invited him to their homes He
showed great moderation in eating and drink
ing. He willingly received bits OF money,
but Immediately divided it among the poor,
while he maintained that he himself needed
nothing.
Some, and among them Paulus Won Fifteen,
succeeded in penetrating still farther into
his mystery. To Fifteen he related that at
the time of Chrisrs appearance, he was car
rylng on the shOcmaker's trade in Jerusalem,
but at the same time he had much intercourse
with the Scribes and Pharisees. Together
with them and the high priests he had perSc-
cutcd Jesus, whom he deemed an impOster;
that he had consplrcd for His capture, and
had joined in the Cruelty Him" AS Jesus,
on His way to death, was passing his house,
he had called his family that they might all
enjoy the sight of the condemned man He
had taken his little boy on his arm, in order
10 show him the passer by. Jesus was bent
under the burden of His cross and leaned ON
he door-post of Ahasuerus' house to rest a
little; but he (Aha'uerus) stepped out, threat
enng Him. and ordered Him to 20 along
Jesus stood up, looked upon him, and said {:
Il will stand and rest, but you shall go and
wander about forevermorc" and from that
hour on he was never again permitted to en-
ter his house. He set his child down, follow
cd the throng to Golgotha, witnessed the cru
,itixion, but had not power to return Into the
city of Jerusalem. Without greeting again
lis wife and child, he had wandered restless
y from land TO land. As he returned to Pales-
Inc after a hundred years, Jerusalem was Il
leap of ruins. From his nmost soul he long
ed for rest and deliverancc.
All this is narrated in the book concerning
the Eternal jew" which was printed in
1868, and appeared at the same time In Ley
den and Brautzcn II was founded on re-
port of Dadalus, u pupil of the above Paulus
Won Fifteen, who, in 1854 had allowed this
to be printed according to an oral statement
made by his theological teacher.
Yet this was not the first writteA notice OF
the wonderful wandGrer. Already, in the thir-
tecnth. century, an English chronicler, the
monk Paris, narratcs, in his "1istoria Ma
jor," that an Armenian bishop had brought
news to England that a man was still living
in Armenia who had seen Jesus; that, under
the name CartaphiluS, he had been dOorkcep-
er at the palace Of Pontius Plate that with
his fist he had struck Jesus on the neck rs He
passed through the palace door, and scorn-
fully said to Him, 60 along, Jesus, 20 right
along quickly. Why do you ingers" Where
upon Jesus said, II go, and you shall wait
till | come again"
Every hundred years, an irremediablo weak
ness Frustrated this Armenian. He would
lie long time in "a swOon, then recover, and
appear again at the same age at which our
Lord suffered death. Later, he became
Christian, and received in baptism the name
Joseph He waited the second coming of
Jesus. and with it his redemption. The quiet
life in his home did not suit the Armenian.
He started, and at the commencement of the
sixteenth century, began his wanderlngs
through Europe. In the Netherlands he bore
the name Isaac Laquedem; in Spain, they
noticed him with black band on his fore
head, with which he concealed flaming
cross, and which consumed his brain SO zap
idly as it grew again.
Such then was the mysterious figure OF the
Eternal jew, who acquired at once in the
world the name Ahasuerus. Was the story
earlier than the person concerning it? Did
they first apply it TO HIM, or was the story in
vented by the person himself, either from ego
tism or mental delusion? Who knows: The
mystery of all creation depends chiefly Oh the
Interpretation of legends. This story doe.
not come from the Bible. The name Alias
ucrus to say nothing OF his history, is not
found in the New Testament, and in the Old
Testament at least his history is not given
The attempt to apply to him the passage in
the 2lst chapter of John, where Jesus limited
that His beloved disciple should not die but
larry till He came, is so farfetched that al
all events, the application was made when
the legend was already current
The probability is that the figure and Its
pretended fate was at first religious sacri
flee, gotten up for the purpose of opposing
the here and there increasing disbelief in the
actual existence of Jesus at any time by pro
ducing living witness. Besides, the curse
which follows Ahasuerus belongs, in q Ger
tain sense, under the head of original sin A
all events, the legend soon outgrew Its relig
ious clothing. Ii took possession of the pop
ular mind. and especially the minds of tn,
| Germans. 1t became, as Julius Mosen said
/ a national German myth, side by side will
the legend of Faust, as formerly Its kindred
| legend of Promethcus was with the Greeks