According to Daniel Jütte, he was born Jacob Meyer probably in
Wulfen in 1734, although he claimed to have been born in Philadelphia, though other sources report that he was in fact, American-born. Dr Christopher Witt, the associate of
Johannes Kelpius, was chiefly responsible for his education. Meyer's patron in
England was
Prince Henry, Duke of Cumberland and Strathearn, for whom he performed
astrology,
magic, and
alchemy. He was of Jewish descent, whose family immigrated from South America. When he converted to
Christianity, Jacob Meyer took the name of Jacob Philadelphia in homage to the home city of the
American scientist and
statesman Benjamin Franklin. He was also known by the names
Meyer Philadelphia and
Philadelphus Philadelphia. Meyer became a member of the
occult Rosicrucian order. After the death of his patron in 1756, Meyer began to perform in public. He exhibited his skills in
Ireland,
Portugal, and
Spain. In 1771, he performed in
St. Petersburg for
Catherine II of Russia. Also, in
Constantinople, he had Sultan
Mustapha III as an audience. The year 1773 found him chasing away ghosts for
Kaiser Joseph II, Holy Roman Emperor in
Vienna at a charge of 300
Thalers. In
Potsdam and
Berlin, he had difficulty with
Frederick the Great, who was alarmed after Meyer read his mind. While at Frederick's court he made proposals for Prussia to open trade relations with the United States, but Frederick had several concerns about engaging with American agents, including prevailing anti-Jewish sentiment. He was an early pioneer of
phantasmagoria, a performance magic show with a focus on the appearance of ghostly figures. His shows involved "magic lantern, mirror effects, and various magnetic and electrical (usually high-voltage) demonstrations" His final lecture was given in 1781 in
Switzerland. In 1783, made a business proposition involving the use of occult powers to
Frederick the Great, who declined the offer. Meyer retired in
Köthen, Germany, and died at the turn of the century ==Biographical novel==