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MANAHEM, THE ESSENIAN. by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

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This poem places us at the foot of the cross during Jesus' crucifixion, viewed through the perspective of Manahem, an Essene — a member of a Jewish sect recognized for its mysticism and prophecy.

Poet
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Themes
death, faith, justice
The PoemFull text

MANAHEM, THE ESSENIAN.

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Three crosses in this noonday night uplifted, Three human figures that in mortal pain Gleam white against the supernatural darkness; Two thieves, that writhe in torture, and between them The Suffering Messiah, the Son of Joseph, Ay, the Messiah Triumphant, Son of David! A crown of thorns on that dishonored head! Those hands that healed the sick now pierced with nails, Those feet that wandered homeless through the world Now crossed and bleeding, and at rest forever! And the three faithful Maries, overwhelmed By this great sorrow, kneeling, praying weeping! O Joseph Caiaphas, thou great High-Priest How wilt thou answer for this deed of blood? SCRIBES and ELDERS. Thou that destroyest the Temple, and dost build it In three days, save thyself; and if thou be The Son of God, come down now from the cross.

Public domain

Sourced from Project Gutenberg

§01Quick summary

What this poem is about

This poem places us at the foot of the cross during Jesus' crucifixion, viewed through the perspective of Manahem, an Essene — a member of a Jewish sect recognized for its mysticism and prophecy. Manahem observes the scene with a mix of grief and anger, referring to the suffering figure as both the "Son of Joseph" (the humble carpenter's son) and the "Messiah Triumphant, Son of David" (the long-awaited king). The poem concludes with the mocking voices of the Scribes and Elders, challenging Jesus to save himself — a stark contrast to Manahem's deep reverence and anguish.

§02Themes

Recurring themes

§03Line by line

Stanza by stanza, with notes

  1. Three crosses in this noonday night uplifted, / Three human figures that in mortal pain

    Editor's note

    Manahem begins by depicting the scene at Golgotha. The term **"noonday night"** alludes to the eerie darkness that the Gospels describe as enveloping the land during the crucifixion — the day turned to night. Three crosses bear three dying men, and Longfellow quickly presents this as an event that is both physical and cosmic in nature.

  2. Two thieves, that writhe in torture, and between them / The Suffering Messiah, the Son of Joseph,

    Editor's note

    Manahem identifies the central figure with two contrasting titles: **"Son of Joseph"** (the everyday man, the carpenter's child) and **"Messiah Triumphant, Son of David"** (the royal, prophesied savior). Balancing both perspectives creates the theological tension that lies at the core of the poem — and of Christian belief itself.

  3. A crown of thorns on that dishonored head! / Those hands that healed the sick now pierced with nails,

    Editor's note

    These lines navigate through stark contrasts: hands that once healed are now nailed; feet that roamed freely are now **"crossed and bleeding, and at rest forever."** The word *forever* holds a heavy dual meaning — the wandering has ended, but it seems everything else has too. Manahem is documenting what has been lost.

  4. And the three faithful Maries, overwhelmed / By this great sorrow, kneeling, praying weeping!

    Editor's note

    The three women named Mary in the Gospel accounts — Mary the mother of Jesus, Mary Magdalene, and Mary of Clopas — stand out as witnesses here. Their kneeling and weeping reflect Manahem's own sorrow, adding a shared, human aspect to the scene. The lack of punctuation between "praying weeping" creates a sense of grief that feels both breathless and overwhelming.

  5. O Joseph Caiaphas, thou great High-Priest / How wilt thou answer for this deed of blood?

    Editor's note

    Manahem channels his grief into accusation, confronting Caiaphas — the High Priest who oversaw Jesus's trial — directly. The rhetorical question **"How wilt thou answer?"** serves less as an inquiry and more as a condemnation. Manahem places the blame squarely on Caiaphas's shoulders, and the phrase **"deed of blood"** resonates with Old Testament language, referring to a killing that demands justice.

  6. Thou that destroyest the Temple, and dost build it / In three days, save thyself;

    Editor's note

    This final section brings in the perspectives of the Scribes and Elders, quoting the taunt found in the Gospels of Matthew and Mark. They mock Jesus by throwing his own prophecy back at him — that he would rebuild the Temple in three days. Their chilling, derisive challenge ("if you're really the Son of God, prove it") sharply contrasts with Manahem's faith, filled with grief. Longfellow allows that contrast to convey the moral weight of the scene.

§04Tone & mood

How this poem feels

The dominant tone is **grief sharpened into outrage**. Manahem speaks like a witness who can’t look away and can’t stay silent—his lines shift seamlessly from sorrowful description to direct accusation. There’s also a sense of awe, even reverence, in how he refers to Jesus with various titles. The closing voices of the Scribes and Elders bring in a cold, contemptuous tone that highlights Manahem's anguish, making it feel all the more raw by comparison.

§05Symbols & metaphors

Symbols & metaphors

The three crosses
The three crosses surround the central figure, flanked by two criminals, highlighting the humiliation of the execution and the irony of a king dying like an ordinary thief. The number three also connects to the three days before the resurrection—a detail echoed in the Scribes' taunt at the end.
The crown of thorns
A crown represents kingship, while thorns signify pain and curse (as seen in Genesis, where thorns are part of humanity's punishment). When combined, the crown of thorns merges royalty and suffering into one powerful image — reflecting the tension that Manahem grapples with throughout the poem.
The hands and feet
Longfellow highlights the hands that healed and the feet that wandered, representing Jesus's active ministry and his work in the world. Nailing them is a way of indicating that this ministry has been brutally interrupted, which is what makes the scene so unbearable for Manahem.
The noonday darkness
Light at noon turning to darkness reflects a disturbance in the cosmos—the natural world responding to unfolding events. This indicates that this isn’t just a political execution; it’s an occurrence that shakes the very foundations of creation.
The three Maries
The women kneeling at the cross symbolize faithfulness and shared sorrow. In a scene overshadowed by male brutality—represented by the soldiers, the Scribes, and Caiaphas—their presence offers a powerful contrast of loyalty and love.

§06Historical context

Historical context

Longfellow published this poem in his dramatic sequence *Christus: A Mystery* (1872), a trilogy he spent nearly thirty years perfecting. It explores the history of Christianity, beginning with Jesus' birth and moving through the medieval period to the Puritan era in America. "Manahem, the Essenian" is featured in the first part, *The Divine Tragedy*, which brings to life scenes from the Gospels. The Essenes were an actual Jewish sect during the Second Temple period, recognized for their ascetic lifestyles and apocalyptic writings; they are linked to the Dead Sea Scrolls. By selecting an Essene as his narrator, Longfellow highlights a Jewish perspective — one that stands apart from the official Temple authorities — in the crucifixion scene, offering a viewpoint that is both familiar and distant from the unfolding events.

§07FAQ

Questions readers ask

Manahem is a character that Longfellow created (or adapted from historical legend) for his dramatic poem *Christus: A Mystery*. He appears as a member of the Essenes, a Jewish sect from the time of Jesus. Some ancient texts mention a man named Manahem (or Menahem) as an Essene prophet who foresaw Herod the Great's ascent to power. Longfellow uses this character as a witness to the crucifixion — someone with profound Jewish heritage who identifies Jesus as the Messiah.

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