Wandering Jew

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This article is about the legendary figure. For other uses, see Wandering Jew (disambiguation).

The Wandering Jew by Gustave Doré

The Wandering Jew is a mythical immortal man whose legend began to spread in Europe in the 13th century.^[1] 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, while sometimes he is the doorman at the estate of Pontius Pilate.