Anti-Semitism in the Middle Ages
In the Middle Ages there
were many reasons for prejudice against Jews in Europe. The most obvious
reason is religious persecution. However, this does not explain why
violence increased greatly during the High Middle Ages, so other more
complex reasons have been put forth by scholars.
In the Middle Ages a main source of prejudice against Jews in Europe was
religious. The Catholic Church taught that the Jewish people were
collectively and permanently responsible for killing Jesus (see
Deicide). The power of Christianity was very strong in the Middle Ages,
and Jews were a direct affront to Christian beliefs.
Among socio-economic factors were restrictions by the authorities, local
rulers and frequently church officials who closed many professions to
the Jews, pushing them into marginal occupations considered socially
inferior, such as local tax and rent collecting or moneylending, a
necessary evil due to the increasing population and urbanization during
the High Middle Ages. This provided support for claims that Jews are
insolent, greedy, engaged in usury, and in itself contributed to a
negative image. Natural tensions between creditors (typically Jews) and
debtors (typically Christians) were added to social, political,
religious and economic strains. Peasants who were forced to pay their
taxes to Jews could personify them as the people taking their earnings
while remaining loyal to the lords on whose behalf the Jews worked.
The demonizing of the Jews
From around the 12th century through the 19th there were Christians who
believed that some (or all) Jews possessed magical powers; some believed
that they had gained these magical powers from making a deal with the
devil. See also Judensau, Judeophobia.
Blood libels
On many occasions, Jews were accused of a blood libel, the supposed
drinking of blood of Christian children in mockery of the Christian
Eucharist. According to the authors of these blood libels, the
'procedure' for the alleged sacrifice was something like this: a child
who had not yet reached puberty was kidnapped and taken to a hidden
place. The child would be tortured by Jews, and a crowd would gather at
the place of execution (in some accounts the synagogue itself) and
engage in a mock tribunal to try the child. The child would be presented
to the tribunal naked and tied and eventually be condemned to death. In
the end, the child would be crowned with thorns and tied or nailed to a
wooden cross. The cross would be raised, and the blood dripping from the
child's wounds would be caught in bowls or glasses. Finally, the child
would be killed with a thrust through the heart from a spear, sword, or
dagger. Its dead body would be removed from the cross and concealed or
disposed of, but in some instances rituals of black magic would be
performed on it. This method, with some variations, can be found in all
the alleged descriptions of ritual murder by Jews.
The story of William of Norwich (d. 1144) is the first known case of
ritual murder being alleged by a Christian monk. It does not mention the
collection of William's blood for any purpose. The story of Little Saint
Hugh of Lincoln (d. 1255) said that after the boy was dead, his body was
removed from the cross and laid on a table. His belly was cut open and
his entrails removed for some occult purpose, such as a divination
ritual. The story of Simon of Trent (d. 1475) emphasized how the boy was
held over a large bowl so all his blood could be collected. Simon was
regarded as a saint, and was canonized by Pope Sixtus V in 1588. The
cult of Simon was disbanded in 1965 by Pope Paul VI, and the shrine
erected to him was dismantled. He was removed from the calendar, and his
future veneration was forbidden, though a handful of extremists still
promote the narrative as a fact. In the 20th century, blood libel
stories have appeared a number of times in the state-sponsored media of
a number of Arab nations, in Arab television shows, and on websites.
Badges
The yellow badge Jews were forced to wear can be seen in this marginal
illustration from an English manuscript.
Enlarge
The yellow badge Jews were forced to wear can be seen in this marginal
illustration from an English manuscript.
The Fourth Lateran Council in 1215 was the first to proclaim the
requirement for Jews to wear something that distinguished them as Jews.
It could be a colored piece of cloth in the shape of a star or circle or
square, a hat, or a robe. This practice has its origins in the Islamic
world where it was common for various religions to wear badges of faith.
In many localities, members of the medieval society wore badges to
distinguish their social status. Some badges (such as guild members)
were prestigious, while others ostracized outcasts such as lepers,
reformed heretics and prostitutes. Jews sought to evade the badges by
paying what amounted to bribes in the form of temporary "exemptions" to
kings, which were revoked and re-paid for whenever the king needed to
raise funds.
Host desecration
Jews were falsely accused of torturing consecrated host wafers in a
reenactment of the Crucifixion; this accusation was known as host
desecration.
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