The legend has been varied from source to source until it was accepted in its final form. According to a traditional account, El-hanan, or Elhanan, a Jewish boy, the son of
Simeon bar Isaac (), was stolen during a
Jewish Sabbath by a Christian maidservant at night while he was asleep in his bed. When he woke up in an unfamiliar room, he was told his parents were dead. He was held prisoner in a
monastery where he received an ecclesiastical education and rose rapidly in hierarchic circles, until he became pope. The Jewish Encyclopedia writes of the story: His father Simon writes a hymn of gratitude for his son's return: : "God has dealt graciously" ( being an
acrostic of both his son's name and his name). According to other versions, the pope leapt to his death after having addressed the cardinals from the top of a tower. ==Sources==