So my only contribution to this thread is probably to be questions concerning the character The pilgrim (part I)/Benjamin (Part II)/Lazarus(Part III). Who or what was he supposed to represent? When I read this a few months ago it seemed to be that this was the same man (apparition?) throughout the whole book. If a man he has a lifespan to put Methuselah to shame. It also seemed to me that unlike Liebowitz this character was definitely Jewish. Just why he was in the story was never that clear to me though.