The Elefant was one of the oldest houses in the Judengasse. It is mentioned in records as early as 1493 and was originally built as a rear building to the hospital at the southern end of the Judengasse. It got the name Elefant later. At the beginning it housed the black dyer. In 1499 the Jewish publican Knebel moved into the house, where he kept an inn until he moved out in 1508. After this it was occupied by a scholar and his family whose books were confiscated by Pfefferkorn. In the 17th century the house was occupied entirely by relatively poor people, such as a butcher and a teacher, who was unable to pay his debts. A teacher and shames, who lived in the house later, was involved in numerous lawsuits. In 1624 he had to pay fines because of his wife's prohibited apple selling and six years later he was flogged for "sexual relations with Christian women" and expelled from Frankfurt. However, he must have returned, since he is buried in Frankfurt. The house was destroyed in the fire of 1711 but soon rebuilt. In 1843 the city took it over for demolition.