18th century French woodcut of the Wandering Jew
The legend of the Wandering Jew was a popular anti-Semitic myth. The story began in the 13th century, but did not identify with a Jew until the seventeenth. It was popular in the 18th and 19th centuries. According to the legend, the wandering Jew was condemned by Christ to wander the earth until the Second Coming because he mocked Jesus on the way to the crucifixion. The story underwent many changes over the course of the centuries. During the Middle Ages, the Wandering Jew was said to have been seen in numerous areas, and later he was also said to have appeared in the United States.
References
Samuel Hirszenberg, The Wandering Jew.