1144

This is the year in which the first charge of ritual murder--what is also known a "blood libel"--brought against Jews in Norwich.

The case of 1144 involves William of Norwich. Although the illustration above depicts a different case of blood libel, the allegations of blood libel always involve similar elements: the Jews were supposed to have purchased an innocent Christian child just before the Jewish celebration of Pesach (Passover), which commemorates the flight of the Jews, under the direction of Moses, from Egyptian persecution and slavery. During Pesach, the Jews of Norwich were supposed to have tortured the innocent child William with all the barbarities that were visited upon Jesus during the crucifixtion. The torture of William ws supposed to be part of some bizarre and satanic Pesach ritual. The blood of the Christian child, as illustrated above, was supposedly collected for use in the Pesach Seder (ritual meal). The torture was supposed to have culminated in the death of the child and the subsequent burial of the body by the Jews.

As a result of these allegations of "blood libel" Jewish settlements were attacked. Even though Pope Innocent IV protested the absurdity and falsity of the blood libel charge, an image of a murderous Jew who was bent upon spoiling Christian innocence began to develop a firm footing in the social consciousness of the general public.

To read more about the phenomenon of "blood libel" check out Jo Miller's views on this topic, which are informed by her Cambridge M.Phil. and Cornell Ph.D.: Part One and Part Two and Violence and Belief and Book Review

---

Go to Next Date / History of the Jews / Index Page / Geocities