Tale of the Jerusalemite

The Tale of the Jerusalemite (Ma‘aseh Yerushalmi) tells the story of a son who breaks a promise, made at his father’s deathbed, never to travel on the sea. A group of sailors eventually convinces him to join their sea journey to recover a large fortune. Incensed at the son’s violation of his promise, God sinks the ship, but the son lands in a strange country where he discovers a community of demons that behave, surprisingly, like Jews. They initially threaten to kill him, but after he tutors the son of their king, King Ashmadai, they come to trust him. The human son eventually marries Ashmadai’s daughter but yearns to go back to his family. Despite agreeing to return, he breaks his word again. His demon wife then comes to his synagogue to win the return of her human husband. Our excerpt begins at this point. Sometimes erroneously ascribed to Abraham Maimonides, this text likely has its roots in geonic-era Iraq. The story also possibly makes use of earlier non-Jewish sources.