The Identity Theft
- Gareth Speaks
- Nov 15
- 2 min read
The Identity Theft
Some Fruit of Christian Anti-Semitism
The following are historical Christian events of hatred and anti-Semitism. Christian history is so bloody that it is impossible to be exhaustive about it. I could write volumes with too many true cruel stories to print. But this is only a partial synopsis for your information.
Jews were subject to a wide range of legal disabilities and restrictions in medieval Europe. They were excluded from many trades, the occupations varying with place and time, and determined by the influence of various non-Jewish competing interests. Often Jews were barred from all occupations except moneylending and peddling, with even these at times being forbidden. Jews’ association to moneylending would carry on throughout history in the stereotype of Jews being greedy and perpetuating capitalism.
In the later medieval period, the number of Jews permitted to reside in certain places was limited; they were concentrated in ghettos, and were not allowed to own land; they were subject to discriminatory taxes upon entering cities or districts other than their own. The Oath More Judaicus, the form of oath required from Jewish witnesses, in some places developed bizarre or humiliating forms (e.g. in Swabian law of the 13th century, where the Jew would be required to stand on the hide of a sow or a bloody lamb).
The Fourth Lateran Council in 1215 was the first to proclaim the requirements for Jews to wear something that distinguished them as Jews (and Muslims the same). On many occasions, Jews were accused of a blood libel, the supposed drinking of blood of Christian children in mockery of the Christian Eucharist.
Anti-Semitism in popular European Christian culture escalated beginning in the 13th century. Blood libels and host desecration drew popular attention and led to many cases of persecution against Jews. Many believed Jews poisoned wells to cause plagues. In the case of blood libel, it was widely believed that the Jews would kill a child before Easter and needed Christian blood to make matzo. Throughout history, if a Christian child was murdered, accusations of blood libel would arise, no matter how small the Jewish population. The Church often added to the fire by portraying the dead child as a martyr who had been tortured and the child had powers like Jesus was believed to have. Sometimes the children were even made into Saints.
Anti-Semitic imagery such as Judensau (Jewish pig) and Ecclesia et Synagoga (statues of church triumphant vs vanquished synagogue) recurred in Christian art and architecture.
Anti-Jewish Easter holiday customs such as the Burning of Judas continue to the present time. (Bachner, Polish crows beats, burns Judas effigy with hat, sidelocks of ultra-Orthodox Jew).
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