There are many unfortunate versions in European folklore of the story of the “Wandering Jew.” Most prevalent is that of a Jewish shoemaker who taunted Jesus on His way to the crucifixion, and was condemned by Jesus to wander the world forever, until the Second Coming. It is unfortunately the product of medieval European anti-Semitism. Yet it has its origins in Scripture, in the beloved Confession of the Faith of Abraham in Deuteronomy:

A wandering Aramean was my father,
he went down to Egypt and sojourned there,
he and just a handful of his brothers at first, but soon
they became a great nation, mighty and many.
The Egyptians abused and battered us,
in a cruel and savage slavery.
We cried out to God, the God-of-Our-Fathers:
He listened to our voice, he saw
our destitution, our trouble, our cruel plight.
And God took us out of Egypt
with his strong hand and long arm, terrible and great,
with signs and miracle-wonders.
And he brought us to this place,
gave us this land flowing with milk and honey.
So here I am. (Deuteronomy 26)

So it is not strange that one day someone would give the name “Wandering Jew” to various varieties of spreading ground cover plants. We have one such plant growing beautifully in a hanging basket on our front porch at Dayenu Cottage. In the mornings it captures the light of the rising sun in a glorious burst of purple radiance. As we finished our Mist on the Mountain shawl, it seemed a good idea to switch from a silver weft to a purple weft, and change the weaving design to a more “wandering” twill variation. So on the loom now is the completed “Mist on the Mountain,” and the newly begun “Wandering Jew.” Please contact us for pricing, or for other orders.

Above: The changeover from “Mist on the Mooutain” to “Wandering Jew,” and the beginnings of “Wandering Jew.”

~ Will