2/14/11
What was Jewish life like after the Crusades?
v Economic life
¨ Unlike the period before the crusades, Jews were not often international merchants
Ø Pirenne Thesis
Crusades stimulated [Christian] trade and the growth of cities
Ø As Christians became more involved in trade and established guilds, Jews were driven out of those occupations
Ø Some Jews became moneylenders- the Church opposed lending money at interest (“usury” at any rate of interest)
Ø Some Jews were petty traders
They were town merchants
Small scale business- don’t make as much money
Some Jews were doctors and government administrators (over the Church’s objections)
2/15/11
v Political
¨ Rulers tended to both exploit and protect “their” Jews
¨ “Serfs of the treasury”- their role was to be tied to the king’s treasury as a source of revenue. The Jews make money and build up a certain amount of money, then the ruler “squeezes the sponge” and takes their money through taxes. Once the king couldn’t take any more money from the Jews, he would expel them (but sometimes they were invited back)
Ø Philip Augustus of France expelled the Jews in 1182, and invited them back in 1198
Ø Edward I of England expelled the Jews in 1290, and never invited them back
¨ Lowering of Jews’ status and freedom
Ø R. Meir of Rothenburg
Rudolf of Hapsburg overtaxed the Jews, so R. Meir decided to leave, but he was arrested a few miles out and charged and imprisoned as an escaped serf (serfs were not allowed to leave without permission)
Jews decided to pay ransom for R. Meir, but Rabbi Meir didn’t let the Jews do that because it will encourage rulers to capture other Jews knowing that the community would pay for them to be released
2/16/11
¨ Pope Innocent III
Ø Constitution for the Jews
No forced baptism, because you cannot be a true Christian if you were forced into it
No killing or wounding of Jews
No disturbing Jewish festivals
No desecrating cemeteries
Ø Negative side
Accused the Jews of secretly killing Christians and dealing with thieves (buying stolen property)
Albigensian crusade targeted Jews
¶ Pope Innocent called a crusade to wipe out the Albigensians, who were heretic Christians. The Albigensians lived along with Jews and were nice to them, and the Pope blamed their heresy on the Jews. Many Jews were killed during this crusade
Responsible for the Fourth Lateran Council
¶ Jews badges
¶ Efforts to stop Jews using usury
¶ Prohibit Jewish officials from having authority over Christians
2/17/11
Why did the Jews suffer from religious problems?
v False Accusations
¨ Blood libels
Ø Attempt to stop the libels- called in converted Christians who were Jews and asked them if it was true that Jews had a thirst for blood. These Jews said no, and the emperor published the statement that the accusations were false. But no one believed it, the emperor’s efforts failed
Ø Jews then appealed to Pope Innocent IV, who issued an official Papal Bull that the accusations were false, but the rumors did not stop
¨ Desecration of the “host” libel
Ø Jews were accused of torturing Jesus by stabbing pins into the wafer (host) used during the Eucharist
à Massive massacres of many Jews in the HRE
How do we know this is just a rumor?
¶ No Jew would think stabbing wafers would torture Jesus
¨ Other popular beliefs about Jews
Ø Children of the devil (horns and tails)
Ø Jews smell different (sulfur)
Ø Condemned to wander
Ø Polluted Jewish blood makes Jews sickly à desire to marry Christians to be genetically better
Ø Poison wells
Ø Jewish world conspiracy
Ø Stubborn
Ø Lazy, which is why Jews were moneylenders because they took advantage of hardworking craftsmen
¨ Result
Ø Jews were constantly pressured to convert to Christianity
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