The Hidden Jew of Jerusalem: The Legend of the Eternal Jew in Medieval and Early Modern Pilgrimage Narratives

A number of medieval and early modern accounts by western pilgrims report an encounter with the Eternal Jew in Jerusalem. In examining these hitherto unexplored accounts, this paper adds a new angle to the well-documented literary and artistic presence of the eternally wandering Jew in European history. The paper presents evidence for the eastern Mediterranean origins of the legend of the Wandering Jew and suggests that the Jerusalemite context of the legend adds unique attributes that produce a rich and ambiguous cultural construct. To the Christian map of Jerusalem, a space laden with scriptural memories and symbolic paradoxes of presence and absence, the Jew's figure adds yet another layer to the enduring symbolism of the physical existence of Christ in Jerusalem and a tangible promise for his Second Coming at the End of Days.