The Butler County press. [volume] (Hamilton, Ohio) 1900-1946, 1930-08-29
HIsT0RY's
MYSTERIES
Uasolssd Riddles That St1i Puzzle
AntheSitiss Mere and Abroad
The Wandering Jew

II
i of the Wandering Jew" so far as
the parsonage himself Is concerned,
but there Is deep and as yet un-
solved mystery about the origin OF
this legend, dealing, according to the
Jewish encyclopedia, with shoe
maker who, taunting Jesus on the road
to Golgotha, was told by Him to go
on forever till / return"-or. accord
ing to the more popular version, Tar
ry thou till come"
No one seems to know just how
this story started. So far as can be
learned, the legend first appeared In
a pamphlet of four leaves printed at
Leyden In 1902 by Christof Crutzer,
but no printer of that name has ever
been located and the real place and
printer cannot now be ascertained.
The legend spread quickly throughout
Germany, no less than six different
editions of the pamphlet appearing
during the year 1902 and forty were
extant In Germany before the end
of the Eighteenth century, while the
story made its way into England In
1925. and to other European coun-
tries about the same time, eventually
forming the basis of a number or
novels and other imaginative works
based upon the same idea.
According to Bebauer, one OF the
recognized authorities upon subjects
OF this kind, the legend Is founded on
the words given in Matthew 16 :2S,
which are quoted in the earliest Ger
man pamphlets Of 1902. Another ver-
attendant Malchus, whose ear was cut
off by Peter In the garden of Gethss-
name, was condemned to wander over
the face OF the earth until the second
coming Of Christ.
The action of Malchus Is associated
by several biblical commentators with
the scoff1ng at Jesus and an actual
predecessor Of the wandering Jew is
recorded In the "Flores Historiarum,"
by Roger Of Wendover, In 1928. Here
1t is stated that an Armenian bishop,
then visiting In England, was asked
by the monks of st. Albans about
the celebrated Joseph Of Arimathea,
who had spoken to Jesus and who
was popularity supposed still to be
alive. The archbishop declared that
he had himself seen him In Armenia
and that his name was Cartaphilus.
Moncure D. Conway attempts to con-
meet the legend with those Of other
"immortals"-King Arthur, Frederick
Barbarossa. Don Sebastian of Port
ugal, Thomas the Rhymer and even
Rip Van Winkle, claiming that all
are founded on the same belief In the
Immortality of certain prominent per-
sonages, some OF whom are notable
for their praiseworthy exploits and
others for crimes which they must ex-
plate by centuries of bodily suffering.
Numbers Of persons have presented
themselves as the wandering Jew"
and have gathered varying numbers
Of believers in their statements during
the past three centuries-the most
notable Of these being Count Caglio-
stro, the Italian imposter who stopped
at nothing in order to attain his ends.
In 1912 a man appeared In Hamburg,
Germany, who declared that he had
been present during the passion OF
Christ and that since that time he had
wandered through many countries and
over many lands, as penance for
his voluntary participation In the drag
ging Of Jesus before Plate.
Another man, representing himself
to be the same character, appeared In
the Netherlands In 1878, arriving at
Strassburg few years later and, pre-
senting himself before the magistrates,
informed them that he had visited
their city two centuries before, which
Is said to be proved to be true by "ref-
erence to the registers Of the town,
wherein the stranger pointed out an
entry about himself and also called
attention to names which he mentioned
before they were shown to him"
The aWandering Jew" was next
heard of In the West Indies and, In
1904, he made his appearance in
France, where he caused a consider
able sensation. On April n, 1774, the
Wanderer, or an individual who i'm
personated him, appeared In Brussels
under the name Of Isaac Laquedem
and only few years ago another
claimant to the title made himself
known In central Germany-but not
one Of these surrounded himself with
the atmosphere and apparent sincerity
of Cagliostro, a confessed imposter,
who had SO grounded himself In his
tory and languages an to be able to
speak with apparent authority about
every event of Importance which had
taken place since the beginning Of
the Christian era.