Judaism and Conspiracy Theories

Position of Jews in Medieval Society Lepers, Jews, and Conspiracy in France Dissent Against Jews in Spain

Position of Jews in Medieval Society

Only recently has any attention been paid to non-Christian people in early Europe. The question has arisen, why anti-Semitism in the Middle Ages?

Many Jews were very important personages, with huge achievements. They were educated, successful merchants and major international traders. As scholars, they were the primary translators of Aristotle's works in the 9^th century. Diplomatically, they were mediators between the ever-warring Muslims and Christians.

And there were a lot of Jews. In England, there were approximately 2,500. Even larger communities existed in Southern Italy and in Spain. Castille alone had between 20,000 and 30,000.

However, it did not take long for jealousy to arise. When the new Christian merchant class grew, so did the hatred of Jewish competition. Jews were prohibited from farming or owning any land, limiting their choices in careers drastically. Except in Spain, Jews were not treated well at all. They could never become full members of society unless they became Christians. Some measure was taken to prevent mistreatment of Jews, but it was not sufficient. In AD 598, Pope Gregory I said Jews were not allowed to commit crimes against Christians, and likewise, Christians could not sin against Jews.

Over the years, there came about a sharp increase in religious zeal. In 1096, crusaders saw Muslims and Jews as the enemies of Christ. The Christians said Jews were the murderers of Jesus, and attacks were made. Jews were slaughtered by crusaders and their money apportioned.

In the 12^th century, bizarre stories about Jews began to sprout up. It was said that Jews ritually killed Christian children and used the blood in rituals. This story came from the murders of 8-year-old boys which was blamed on Jews. This may have been when the words sabbat and sabbath gained derogatory connotations, later being applied as terms describing witches' gatherings.

In 1215 another attempt was made to help the Jews. The 4^th Lateran Council dictated that Christians must not disturb Jews in their festivals. It also said that Christians cannot bear witness against Jews unless a Jew corroborates it.

This decree seems to have had the opposite effect, resulting in the expulsion of Jews from England and France.

Lepers, Jews, and Conspiracy in France

A new conspiracy theory began to surface, fueled by the many natural crises of the early 14^th century. The frenzied search for a scapegoat began with the lepers. Bernard Gui, Inquisitor and author of a torture manual, said lepers were diseased in both body and soul. He also claimed they put leprosy-causing powders in the drinking water as part of a conspiracy to take over Christian France. Because of Gui's testimony, lepers were tried in the Inquisition and proven guilty. Lepers were boarded in houses and burned to death, house and all. Almost every leper in France was killed in this scourge.

Soon, a new rumour arose: Jews were the accomplices of the lepers. The ingredients in the leprosy-causing agents were human blood, three different herbs, consecrated Host, and urine. The Jews were also considered in league with the Devil. This was because they were thought to have been influenced by the Sultan of Islam who was in turn influenced by the Devil.

A pogrom against Jews began here, with many being burnt alive or exiled. Once again, the wealth was taken, but this time by government treasuries. In 1320, bands of Pastoureaux (zeal-filled youth) wanted to go to the Holy Lands. They marched barefoot in rags and carried crosses, trying to baptize Jews by force.

In 1321 on Holy Thursday, authorities held new trials and executed both Jews and lepers. By 1325, the innocence of the lepers was publicly acknowledged. Pope Benedict XII (Jacques Fournier) helped the lepers regain the possessions taken from them in the panic.

Jews remained the favourite scapegoats. During the Plague years, the Jewish conspiracy was the reigning theory in Southern France and in many German cities. In Strasburg, 20,000 Jews were slaughtered. Most German cities lost the bulk of their Jewish communities. In the 1340s, the authorities tried to stop this butchery.

Dissent Against Jews in Spain

Until the 12^th century, Spain was predominantly a Muslim nation and a multicultural society. Heresy was primarily seen in terms of cultural dissidence, making Jews and Muslims heretics. In other countries, Jews were not considered heretics because they had never been Christian. A death penalty, however, existed for those who converted to Judaism. In Spain, Jews were urbanites, forming the backbone of the administrative state in Spain.

Tensions between the Muslims, Jews, and Christians began to rise at the advent of the Reconquista. The Reconquista was a crusade against Muslims. Up to this point, the Moors and the Jews lived within the confines of Christian society. There existed a relative tolerance of Jews in Spain. They could farm the land and maintain administrative posts.

In the 1380s, Archdeacon Ferran Martinez began preaching against Jews in Seville for religious reasons. Echoing the rumours in France, he said that on Good Friday, Jews had crucified Christian boys and drank their blood.

In 1391, Martinez stirred a crowd into a frenzy and led it to the Jewish district. The nobility stepped in, seized the mob's ringleaders and whipped them. Hatred simmered until June 6, when a riot began in Seville which spread to other cities. Thousands of Jews were murdered, then mass conversions commenced.

Many Jews became Christian, either forcibly or voluntarily. Others chose to leave Spain. As new Christians, the Jews discovered they were no longer excluded from further success as landowners, members of the Church hierarchy, etcetera. All positions were open to them, and these opportunities were quickly seized.

In 1492, Jews were forbidden to ride horses, shave their beards, or hold public office. As a result, even more Jews were baptized and more abandoned Spain for other countries.

Regardless, there were lingering suspicions that these New Christians, or Marranos or Conversos as they were also called, were still secretly practicing Judaism. Nonetheless, by 1450, most Conversos considered themselves bona fide Christians. Anger began to surface on both sides. The Conversos were isolated from the old Christian community and treated as Jews again. In 1435, Conversos were massacred. These riots were not against Jews, but against Conversos.

In 1480, under pressure from the populace, the Spanish Court on Inquisition was established. The aim of this Inquisition was to discover if the Conversos were really Judaists. In 1492, the Jews were expelled from Spain so they would have no influence over the Conversos. 250,000 Jews left and went to Muslim countries and to the economic merchant centres of Northern Europe.

The Inquisition decided that Jewish ancestry determined secret Jews. If one had a Jewish grandparent, this person had Jewish blood and was therefor a Converso. Although all Conversos had been baptized, washing sin from their souls, it was determined that Jewish blood was so filthy it was impervious to baptism and divine grace (which is in itself a heresy). The Pure Blood Laws were introduced.

In 1484, Grand Inquisitor Thomás de Torquemada declared the Blood Laws official doctrine. Since Torquemada responded only to a council of eight who reported to royalty, there was no possible appeal to the Pope. Since Torquemada had Jewish ancestry (four generations back), he drew the line of the Blood Laws at 1/64 Jewish blood, or three generations back.

In a horrible irony, the Green Books were circulated. The Green Books were lists of all high officials of Jewish ancestry. Although these lists were supposed to have been used as proof of the competency and loyalty of the Conversos, they were reinterpreted as a conspiracy of how the new Christians were conspiring to take political control. These lists were turned into extermination lists. The people therein were hunted down and killed.

In 1485, 8,000 Conversos were burnt at the auto-da-fé. In 1488, three more auto-da-fés were held in Toledo. Over four hundred dead Conversos were exhumed and burnt for their supposed crimes. 107 more Conversos (live this time) were burnt for listening to a man who was possibly a heretic.

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Judaism and Conspiracy Theories copyright 1997-1998 to Shantell Powell.