Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-02-19
IMMORTAL, YET MORTAL
The Legend of the Wandering Jew as Told
by DR.. Phillipson
Jewish Conception of God - Lecture
Last Evening Before the Young
Mems Hebrew Association.

ture was the legend of THE Wandering
jew. 1t was interesting theme: was
treated eloquently and the larger audience
frequently manifested approval by applause.
The lecturer was introduced pleasantly by
| Mr.. Simon Lyon, president of the associa-
ton DR.. Phillipson said that myths ard
legends are found with all peoples and in
all countries. and that what is more re-
| markable the same myths and the same
legends are found among people widely off
ferent In all respects in language, manners,
institutions. in all the things that 60 to
make up the activities of life.
This similarity Of thought might be ex-
planned in one of three ways. The people
may have originally dwell. in one place,
where they had all learned these traditions
In common: and then carried them into
| their new homes; these traditions may have
travelled from one people to another, or
human nature had underlying II a general
principle which caused widely separated
have the same ideas. One of the most popu-
lar, universal and celebrated Of legends was
that of the undying one, with earthly NOR
tally. This was that great heroes did net
die but that they merely slept till such time
as their services should once more be need
ed by their country. 1t was usually to he
roes Of action to whom immortality was
given in the legends. He thought that kin
the world over accounted for these legends
Of people who had no death.
The Undying Ones.
DR.. Phiiiipson told the story of the Swed-
ish king who did not die. but who on the
eve of every battle appeared to the Morse
men. With the Swedes, Freie was the mon
arch of peace: when he died and peace CON-
tinued. 1t gave rise to the thought that he
did not die. but continued his reign Of peace
and plenty. He cited the tale Of King
Arthur and his knights of the round table
In the vale Of Avalon attended by fairies.
With the Germans, Frederick Barbarossa,
the Red Beard, their typical king, was rot
dead, but slept under Ravens Hill. and
would wake at the call of his country.
Spain, Portugal, ancient Greece and the
North American Indians had their immortal
men. 1t was to this class of legends that
that of the Wandering Jew belonged Ii was
In IDS that this strange story appeared in
Europe.
Mathew Paris, the historian, gives an ac-
count Of 1t as having been told by an Arme-
man bishop, who was visiting in England.
DIR. Phillipson told the story of the original
version of the Wandering Jew In outline
and then read the story of the man who, in
the fifteenth century, claimed that he had
been present at the trial of Christ. The
legend came from the orient and what Is
most likely, 1T originated with the Jews
themselves. Like all other peoples. the Jews
had their immortal men. The lecturer cited
took, and the book OF Enoch, extant only in
the Ethiopian language. The legend Of
Moses having been carried to the skies was
also cited Elijah. the prophet. was the
most nlustrious example of this kind. The
ancient Jewish literature was full of the
story of Enoch. He thought that the legend
of the Wandering Jew might be traced to
this source.
The Sentence of the Jew.
Disputations between Jewish rabbis and
Nhrfo ffoy1 he 1,xl
story had been taken by the fantastic imagi-
nations of the men of the middle ages and
made typical Of the continuous existence of
the Jew. The existence of the Jew. they
thought. was reproach to Christianity and
he was charged with having been condemn
ed to wander on forever as a curse for the
great refusal The time OF the origin Of the
legend was In the opening days Of the
crusades, when the rivers of Europe flowed
with the blood of martyred Jews, when
mothers killed their daughters that they
might not be violated, and then plunged
daggers into their own hearts; when the Bit
terest persecution in all it's most hideous
and horrible forms was being practiced.
Then 1t was that the legend Of the cursed
Jew sprang FORTH 1t did not spring into full
being at once. as did Minerva, 1t was the
result of growth. AS testimony Of this the
legend had been known by two names. II
was first the Eternal Jew. and later 1t came
to be the Wandering Jew. When the Jew
was forced to move on by the police Of
Chrfstendom, when he was expelled from all
participation in the rights of citizenship,
when he was relentlessly and remorselessly
bounded, then IL was that he became a de-
graded being-a being of persecution. What
ever bad traits the Jew of the Ghetto had
were induced by the oppression, the wrongs
and the persecution to which he had been
subjected. The wonder was that with all
the torment through which he had passed
the Jew still had one good and shining quail
lily left. Under the conditions the Jew be-
came the most cosmopolitan of men, and as
he went from land to land, he left the i'm
print of his thought. and wherever per-
mitted, he remained loyal to his fatherland
Patriotism of Jews.
DR.. Phillipson told the touching nara
tive Of how the Spanish Jews after their
expulsion had cherished thoughts of their
homeland, and on the occasion of the feast
of the Tabernacle had imported fruits from
sunny Spain, which they still tenderly
looked upon as home. They had been at |
tached followers of every land in which |
they had been permitted to live. There
were lies against the Jew other than the
lie of the Wandering Jew, and one of these
lies was that the Jew was not q patriot |
The day was coming when a quietus would |
be placed upon that SANDER by the forth |
coming work of Mr.. Simon Wolf of this |
city, in which he would give the names and
history of those Jewish heroes who lad |
offered up their lives on the battlefield of |
liberty.
Dr. Phillipson then spoke Of the great |
services which the Jew had rendered to the !
human race and of the brightness of his
future. The Jew had been preserved ms a
blessing and not as a curse; they had been
the suffering Messiah and had bled and
suffered for the truth as they considered |
II. Historical justice was coming The posi-
ton of the Jew was to be indicated The
world was rapidly coming to ACCEPT the
Jewish conception Of monetheism or the
unity of God. Now was the Jews opnor
tunity. The conditions which prevailed To-
day were but a repetition of the conditions
winch prevailed nineteen hundred wears
ago. The people then were tired of their
Old Idols and needed change.
Jewish Idea of Cod
They could not grasp the Jews concep-
ton of God, but Christian leaders like PauI
blended some Judaism with paganism and
gave the people a God that they could see.
the man-God. Christ The worship of God
had been driven from many Christian
churches by the worship of Christ PeonIe
To-Day were showing signs of WEAKNESS with
stale, worn-out dogmas. Unity, UNIVERSAL
sm monetheism. was coming to the fore
ihese elghteen centuries had been a time of |
preparation Men We're more prepared TO- |
Jay TO accept the Jewish conception of the |
spiritual God. The prophets word was
coming true. that ten men would CRASH |
the Jews skirt and ask to be led 10 bis |
Iod. Unity was the all-pervading idea of |
Inc age, and the unity of God was the hj2b |
est unity. Judaism would live till nations |
bad beaten their swords into ploughshares
Or. PhiiIlpson spoke at some length on tine