The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-02-24
THE WANDERING jew
Has the "Undying One" Paid a
Visit to This City.
Mysterious Stranger at washing
ton Synngogue-His Extraordinary
Conversation and Written Warm
ing-Whence He Came and whittier
He Went Unknown-The Legend.

Has the Wandering Jew, so generally
| regarded as purely a mythical parsonage,
| been seen in Washington? Certain 1t is
| that a very mysterious individual, undoubt-
| edly Of Hebrew origin, has created some
thing of stir In the minds OF freauenters
OF a synagogue in this city. by reason OF
| his uneXplainable antecedents, brief resi-
dence here. and sudden departure. Few
have had any conversation with the
ed with the purest and most classic He
brew. Those. however. who have talked
with him report facts so strange as to
almost stagger credulity and arouse
even in the mind of the most skeptical.
something akin to a vague sense of the
supernatural.
Without citing any particular account,
the following is a brief description OF the
strangers visit to this city within the
past month and of his departure hence
some few days ago.
He was first observed In attendance at
the Sabbath service at the synagogue,
though his entry into the building had
been. SO far as can be ascertained, unno-
ticed by anyone. Yet his personal ap-
pearance was remarkable and, together
with the fact that he was a stranger. made
him noticeable figure to the congregation
Very tall and of commanding presence. his
hat, somewhat of the Persian pattern, was
worn so low upon his forehead as to reach
to the eyebrows. The expression OF the
face was extremely grave and sad, and
the conduct of the stranger throughout
the service was most devou..
At the conclusion of the religious OBJ
servance, the rabbi who officiated ap-
preached him. and entered into CONVEX
sation. when it was found that the new
worshiper could or would speak only h.
Hebrew tongue. his idiomatic expressions
resembling those found in the Scriptures,
and his accent, according to the rabbi.
who is profound scholar, differing no
uceably from the accepted modern pro-
nunciaton. This conversation, il may BE-
gathered from the description of the
rabbi himself and other present was a
remarkable one. Many subjects relating
to Scriptural Interpretation were dis
cussed, and the assertions rather than
opinions of the stranger were highly
startling and contradicted in many cases.
the accepted versions. These were re-
ceived as mistaken ideas of a positive
man, and are still held as such by those
who heard them. Few have dared even
to hint connection between the strang-
er and the Wandering jew Before leav-
ing the city the former gave out a mys-
FERROUS warning, which he convened 10
the rabbi in the form of a written dccu-
ment. The contents were in the ancient
Hebrew character, and were to the eff
feet that fearful visitation would be
wrought upon the United States within
the next twelve months. II was not
stated what form this calamity would
take, but at TIE conclusion of the ep stie
was cross depicted In red ink Where
the mysterious visitor lived while here
II has been impossible to determine. and
his name and the method of his depart
ure, together with the place of his desti-
nation, are involved in like obscurlty.
1t Will be recalled that the legend of a
Jew doomed to wander until the Day of 1
judgment, for an insult offered to Christ |
is hrst mentioned by an Armenian bishop |
who visited England in the year 1928 AS |
told in Matthew's Historic Major" the
legend runs that the wanderers name was |
Cartiphilus; that he was the doorkee1er
of Pilates palace. and that as Jesus was |
led out to be crucifed he struck him on |
the neck, saying Go, Jesus go on faster
Why dost thou linger?" Jesus replied;
Il go, but thou shalt remain waiting till !
l return. This. however is presumably |
by the light of later evidence, an incorrect |
century man appeared in Germany who |
was popularity believed to be the Wander |
ing Jew. He was first noticed al Ham |
burg in l547, giving his name as Ahasue- !
rus. and stating that he had been a shoe
maker in Jerusalem. who would not suf-
fer Christ to rest at his door when faint
ing under the weight of the cross He !
struck Jesus. he said. and babe him move |
on. Jesus said: Il will stand here and |
rest. but thou shalt go on until the last |
day" This story is related by DR.. Paulus |
Won Eizen. Bishop of Sehleswig whose !
long conversations with Ahasuerus are
given in a work by one Chrysostomus Du- |
dulaeus Westphalus. This was published |
some years after the death Of Paulus ven
Eizen. which occurred in 1898. This earli- /
est known account of the legend in book !
form. published at Leipsic, 1902, processes |
to be derived from previous one, emit
tied Strange Report of Jew born at |