Does anybody have any information on this legend? Or how about any alleged encounters of this biblical legend? I read some a while ago, one of which where a family had a strange visitor to their house who paced back and forth endlessly, but I can't find them now.

Wondering Jew, not me drunk? Hmmm? That's a tough one!

No, really, the UL got its start as a kind of morality tale in the early middle ages. Supposedly a Jew was at Jesus crusifiction and mocked him saying something ot the effect "You're not the son of G-d, you'll not come back fromthe dead". Jesus was supposed to cursed him and told him that he would have to wonder the earth until Judgement Day so that he could see that Jesus was the true son of G-d.

From time to time there where supposed sightings here and there around Europe during the middle ages and shortly there after. In some stories he was protrade as a wealthy courtison, in others a poor and starving vagabond.

The lions share of "sightings" stopped around the time of the inquisitions though. It seems that they had found a new boogeyman in themselves.

It is interesting to note that in Yiddish folklore, there is a character named "Elijah" who appears in times of need to help Jews out of trouble. Sometimes keeping a child from being beaten up by gentile villagers or saving a Jew from falling off of a building. I remember one tale in which a local priest had condemned the Jews in the parrish to be burned alive for not being Christian. Elijah was supposed to have saved the Jews by out-debating the local priest and proving that Christianity was wrong on several major points. In this tale, the priest converted to Judaism and was promptly executed by the Bishop. No word on why Elijah didn't save him, though!

It originated at a time when there was a lot of anti-semetism in Europe and tales of him often embody a lot of it as well. It's a good idea to remember that some Jews find the "Wondering Jew" tales to be offencive.

I found this mention on a site about Palistinians no less! "According to L Neubaur, the legend was founded on the words of Jesus as reported in Matthew 16:28: " Verily I say unto you, There be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom." Of the many names this figure acquired in his legendary travels over Christendom, including Ahasuerus, Matathias, Buttadeus, Cartophilus, and Uuan Espera, El-Guindi chose to call him in the play Isaac Laquedem (the name attributed to him in France, in popular legend as well as in a novel by Dumas)."

Here's a different link

Some in the Church tried to discourage the tales because they were afraid they might cause some discontent among the faithful. (What, this guy doubted Jesus and is rewarded with long life!?!)

By the way, it's also a type of plant.

What a long strange trip it's been, and the Wondering Jew wasn't even a Deadhead!

Why would Jesus banish someone to that fate just to prove a point?

Also, doesn't the bible say 'respect everyone'? Then why does God not respect those who chose not to follow him?

I dunno, does it?

Edit: One version I heard was it was a soldier at the cross that got the "curse". Have heard at least 5(? I think...) different versions, couple don't even have anything to do with Christianity.

Well, I realy don't know what the Christian answer would be to that one. I do know that one of the explainations for it in Judaism is that the Bible is the law for Israelites to follow, not the dogs, cats, fish, angels or gentiles. One could presume that there are other sets of laws for those beings. G-d does not go out of his way to save every cat that jumps off a ship in the middle of the ocean because that animal is supposed to understand that it can't swim very well. We don't have instinct and so must be told how to survive. Note, in the Old Testement it says "So that you might live long in the land that I give to you..." many times.

Since humans are supposed to have free will, we can not be managed by instinct. Therefore , the laws had to be given to us so that we could choose to follow them or not.

does anybody know any connection between Wandering Jew nad Count St. Germain? Is it the same person?

In some legends he is one and the same. I read a page on the web some time ago that made that assertion. He was supposed to have been seen in several distant locations over a course of several decades and appearently had not aged. I think that it was set in the 1700's. I don't remember much on the details of that story though.

ha ha..I've got some wandering jews in my front yard....they soo pretty...