Green’s Dictionary of Slang

one of a variety of phrs. that euphemize the once blasphemous Jesus! excl.

1881		Burnley Exp. 19 Feb. 3/5: [from Hartford Times] He dashed them upon the floor and jumped up and down on them [...] repeating the words, ‘Thunder and gimlets, cool enough’ — ‘Jerusalem crickets, cool enough’ — ‘By the jumping Jehosiphat, cool enough’.
1882		E.S. Ellis Huge Hunter in Beadles Half Dime Library XI:271 2/1: By the Jumping Jehosiphat, naow if that don’t beat all natur’!
1887		Dly Gaz. for Middlesborough 8 June 4/3: Of all the Jubilee jackassdom [...] a piece of Jumping Jubilee Jehosaphatism down at Ealing must take the cake.
1894		Truth (Sydney) 14 Jan. 6/7: If you win, by the ‘jumping jehosaphat’, yer treated everywhere as a gent.
1898		Hartlepool Mail 19 Mar. 2/3: I had almost fallen asleep on my mule, when — jumping Jehosaphat! how that mule did jump!
1901		Monroe & Northup ‘College Words and Phrases’ in DN II:iii 142: jumping Judas, n. Used in an oath. ‘By the jumping Judas.’.
1901		Sydney Sportsman (Surry Hills, NSW) 13 Feb. 1/3: The chestnut mare won; and jumping jerusalem, what a tangle Barney and Co. were in.
1902		Bulletin (Sydney) 11 Oct. 22/1: Jumpin’ Jehosophat, it’s worth it?
1911		S.F. Call 17 Sept. 17/2: ‘Look at him!’ ‘Jumping Jerusalem!’.
1912		A.G. Field Watch Yourself Go By 483: Jumping Jupiter, Holy Moses!
1913		J. London Valley of the Moon (1914) 156: Holy jumping Jehosaphat!
1914		G.A. England ‘Rural Locutions of Maine and Northern New Hampshire’ in DN IV:ii 75: jumpin’ jewsharps! Exclamation, usually of surprise.
1924		C.E. Mulford Hopalong Cassidy Returns 188: ‘Great jumping’ Jehosaphat!’ he yelled.
1928		(con. WWI) Wharton ‘The Squad in Action’ in Mason Fighting American (1945) 507: Holy, jumpin’ Joshua, but it’s awful out there!
1932		Bath Chron. 20 Feb. 13/4: ‘Jumping Jehosaphat!’ cried the poor man.
1939		‘Johnny’s Dead’ in Lingenfelter et al. Songs of the Amer. West (1968) 49: He hollered, ‘Jumping Jewsharps, / They ain’t yet got me beat.’.
1939		Rover 18 Feb. 24: ‘Jumping Jeremiah!’ groaned Bill.
1940		S. Lister Mistral Hotel (1951) 41: ‘Jumpin’ Jehosophat!’ exclaimed Mike [...] ‘that dame sure has hollow legs.’.
1949		R. Park Poor Man’s Orange 13: Jumpin’ joey, we could sneak in to the pitchers at half-time.
1954		J.E. Macdonnell Jim Brady 101: ‘Jumpin’ jewfish!’ Greg ejaculated.
1957		Mad mag. Jul.–Aug. 14: Great jumping Jehosaphat, Mr Science! I can hardly wait to see that!
1968		D. O’Grady A Bottle of Sandwiches 157: Jumpin’ Jee-bloody-hosophat, let’s get going.
1979		E. Torres After Hours 77: Thought you was gonna wash that nigger [...] Jumpin’ Jehoshaphat.
1982		N. Keesing Lily on the Dustbin 24: Women used to let off steam domestically with a fine range of substitute expletives. ‘Holy Moses!’ [...] ‘jumping Jehosaphat’ and ‘muddy great bucket of pitch’.
1991		Desperate Dan Special No. 7 15: Jumpin’ Jeehosaphat! A real live bear! A biggie at that!
2000		B. Wiprud Sleep with the Fishes 150: Jumpin’ Jehovah’s Fat!
2000		Indep. Rev. 20 Mar. 3: Jumping Jehosaphat!
2004		Mad mag. Jan. 18: Jumpin’ Jehosophat! What have we here?!?!