Medieval Anti-Semitism
1190 – 1290 CE
Honors Major British Writers
Mr. Bariexca

Usury & The Catholic Church
 Definition of usury?
 Catholics: paradoxical relationship with
Jews
Church opposes usury, BUT…
Jewish financial functions heavily support Royal
Exchequer (treasury), including tax collecting

Usury & The Catholic Church
 Money was replacing feudal loyalty as
main indicator of land control
 Jews prospered from “government
contracts” --> Monarchy perpetually in
debt-->Fuels Christian animosity toward
Jews

King Henry I’s Royal Charter
 Granted to Joseph (chief rabbi of London)
 Exemption from taxes & tolls
 Buy and sell goods and property
 Trial by jury of peers
 Swear on Torah instead of Bible
 1 Jew’s oath = 12 Christian oaths

Passover Massacre - 1190
 Richard’s charter to Ysaac
 Confirmation of Joseph’s charter
 1189 - Dispute over admission of Jews to
Richard I’s coronation
 Spring 1190 - 150 Jews massacred at
York; goods and property taken

Over the next hundred years...
 Jewish social standing varies by king
 Papal edicts on both sides
 Increasing restrictions from @1270:
 No moneylending
 No business or social interaction with fellow
citizens

The Expulsion, 1290
 Edward I expels all Jews from England
 Take portable property
 Everything else goes to the King
 1290-1655: No record of Jews in England

Popular Literary Styles
 “Miracle of the Virgin”
 Miraculous occurrence attributed to Virgin
Mary
 “Blood Libel”
 Kidnap, torture, ritual murder
 Passover matzohs - the secret ingredient?

Little St. Hugh
 Popular Blood Libel: Hugh of Lincoln
 Crucified by Jews at age 9
 Earth refused to cover him; thrown in a well
 @ 20 killed for his murder; 90 imprisoned &
sentenced to death in London