The Third Crusade and Anti-Semitism

Here is a grim piece of testimony concerning the horrific ways that anti-Semitism played out in Medieval Europe, especially as the period went on. This is an illustration of the Third Crusade of Pastoureaux, or Shepherds’ Crusade, which happened in northern France in 1320. Trapped in a burning tower, Jews (identified by badges they were forced to wear by Christian authorities) fight a losing battle against a riled-up mob. A doomed baby – obviously signaling an innocent victim – is falling into the crowd. In this year, hundreds of Jewish people were lynched, as rioters who had been ignited by the spirit of the Crusades attacked people they thought were anti-Christian. Jews at this point were protected by the Church and state authorities, but both institutions had participated for centuries in setting up this vulnerable population as a group of inferior and even polluted “thems.” When the rioters struck, even though the Church condemned the bloodshed (leaders were actually executed), the animosity proved too inflamed to prevent the violence.

This illustration from about 1400 is from the Chroniques de France ou de Saint Denis, and was featured in yesterday’s post. Many of the miniatures feature violent scenes.