Does anyone have any information about the story of the Wandering Jew. I saw a play called "Under the Lintel" last weekend and it was all about this librarian that just had a book returned that was overdue 125 years. Somehow he surmised that it was the Wandering Jew that returned it and started a world wide search for this mythological figure. Is it a simple story? What culture did it start in? Who is this elusive man that is doomed all his days to walk the earth all his days until he reaches 50 and then he digresses back to 30 where he in turns ages again, back and forth through out eternity.

I know so little about this myth and really had only heard of it the first time while watching this one man play. The only other fact I know is that he signs his name A.

Just Wondering as it could provide a provocative story line to a bizarre tale. Any input is appreciated.

k

Here are a couple links on the subject:
http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/view.jsp?artid=33&letter=W
or
http://www.pitt.edu/~dash/type0777.html .

The links Ms. Merizing provided are good for how the follow-on story developed, but hide the origin deep in the text.

These verses from the Bible (I'm using the NIV Study Bible for the wording here) are the source of the legend, which I understand some believe to be actually true since the Bible is held by some to be inerrant, and Jesus' words are taken literally.

Matthew 16:28
[This is the verse most often cited as the root of the legend. Jesus is telling the disciples that he must die and rise again; the disciples protest]

"I tell you the truth, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom."

John 21:20 - 21:23
[This one is less often cited and refers specifically to one disciple, thought to be John.]

"20 Peter turned and saw that the disciple whom Jesus loved was following them, {This was the one who had leaned back against Jesus at the supper and had said, "Lord, who is going to betray you?"}

21 When Peter saw him, he asked, "Lord, what about him?"

22 Jesus answered, "If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you? You must follow me."

23 Because of this, the rumor spread among the brothers that this disciple would not die. But Jesus did not say that he would not die; he only said, "If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you?"

"The Wandering Jew is a figure from medieval Christian folklore whose legend began to spread in Europe in the 13th century. The original legend concerns a Jew who taunted Jesus on the way to the Crucifixion and was then cursed to walk the earth until the Second Coming. The exact nature of the wanderer's indiscretion varies in different versions of the tale, as do aspects of his character; sometimes he is said to be a shoemaker or other tradesman, sometimes he is the doorman at Pontius Pilate's estate."

Please find more here

Another note: The curse of the Wandering Jew is very similar to the curse supposedly placed on Cain after the murder of Abel (the founder of the Mormon religion claimed to have encountered a large, Middle-Eastern-featured man in North America who claimed to be the original Cain).

I have wandering jew growing all over my back yard...

Sounds a lot like the myth of Sisyphus

There's a novel of the same name, but I've forgotten the details...read it in High School. Modern Library, as I recall, put it out.

"Melmoth the Wanderer" by Charles Robert Maturin is a classic on the subject.

I believe it was Issac Asimov that wrote a story on this line but not sure. Could have been another. Also have heard the legend refers to one of the Apostles who heard Jesus declair that some standing there would not see death until he came into his kingdom. (John 21:20-24)Perhaps John since he didn't fulfil Jesus prophecy of a violent death.(Matthew 20:20-23) The legend places John as one of the two witness to be slain in the streets of Jerusalem in the last days.(Rev 11:3-12)

I did a lot of research on The Wandering Jew myth, many years ago. One of the best resources on the character is the book "The Legend of the Wandering Jew" by George K. Anderson.

One of the more common names that is assigned to the character is Ahasuerus.

Eugene Sue wrote Le Juif errant (The Wandering Jew) in 1844, but this novel has NOTHING to do with the legend of the Wandering Jew. You can find an English translation for free in Project Gutenberg, but be forewarned! It's 800+ pages of 19th century French literature.

Without the rock

The original legend concerns a Jew who taunted Jesus on the way to the Crucifixion and was then cursed to walk the earth until the Second Coming. Seems like quite a harsh punishment to me considering all the other things that have gone on in this world.

There is a pre-WWII trilogy with the Wandering Jew you can find in the used book stores. One book (the first) covers his perambulations around thew world becoming rich - the second is his meeting with Salome also cursed with immortality -- the third with Caine.

GC

Isaac Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine had a story being told by a Roman Centurion who'd seen duty in the Holy Land. He told the story of a woman who came to him for help because her brother had gone crazy. The Centurion fights this crazed guy who doesn't seem to be able to die! The Centurion finally drops the side of a cliff on top of the brother (I don't remember how) and in telling the story, reveals that the woman's brother had been named Lazarus!

(That probably got them some nasty letters!)

You can find the WWII fictional trilogy on the Wandering Jew on Project Gutenberg covering the centurion, Salome and Eternal Adam -- I believe, off the top of my head, the author was Verich.