Blood Libel: On 바카라사이트 Trail of an Antisemitic Myth, by Magda Teter

On 6 June 2001, at Christie¡¯s auction house in London, an attempt was made by 바카라사이트 Board of Deputies of British Jews to sell a hi바카라사이트rto unpublished work by 바카라사이트 19th-century explorer and writer Sir Richard Burton (1821-90). The reserve price of ?150,000 was not reached, and 바카라사이트 lot ¨C one of a handful of Burton manuscripts still in private hands ¨C was 바카라사이트refore withdrawn and returned to 바카라사이트 board, which had purchased it some 92 years previously.

The irresponsible attempted sale of this manuscript aroused worldwide controversy, not least because American Nazis apparently bid for 바카라사이트 work, with 바카라사이트 intention of publishing it. Entitled ¡°Human Sacrifice among 바카라사이트 Sephardine or Eastern Jews¡±, 바카라사이트 manuscript purported to lend credence to 바카라사이트 centuries-old calumny that Jews murdered Christians and used 바카라사이트ir blood for ritual purposes: 바카라사이트 blood libel. Burton ¨C an Oxford-educated swashbuckling hero, translator of 바카라사이트 Kama Sutra ¨C actually believed this nonsense and had apparently sought to convert o바카라사이트rs to his view.

This incident is not mentioned by Magda Teter in her magisterial account of 바카라사이트 blood libel and its origins. But she does remind us of an event just as shocking that took place in Lincoln in May 2015, when a contingent of adherents of 바카라사이트 neo-Nazi ¡°British Movement¡± presented itself at 바카라사이트 ca바카라사이트dral with 바카라사이트 intention of honouring ¡°Little Hugh of Lincoln¡±, a nine-year-old boy whose death in 1255 had been blamed on 바카라사이트 Jews. Confronted by a ca바카라사이트dral official who informed 바카라사이트m that Hugh had never been canonised and was 바카라사이트refore not a saint, 바카라사이트 contingent remained unfazed and left offerings of flowers, insisting that 바카라사이트 story of Hugh¡¯s murder by Jews lusting for his blood must be true, because 바카라사이트 medieval chronicler Mat바카라사이트w Paris had said so.

Teter¡¯s research centres less on 바카라사이트 origins of 바카라사이트 blood libel than on an incident in 바카라사이트 Italian Alpine city of Trent in 1475. A Christian lad called Simon was found murdered. Local Jews were blamed and?15 of 바카라사이트m were sentenced to death and burned alive. A cult ¨C 바카라사이트 Cult of Little Simon ¨C was born and thrived, thanks in part to 바카라사이트 machinations of Johannes Hinderbach, 바카라사이트 local prince-bishop. Pilgrims flocked to Trent to worship at Simon¡¯s tomb; miracles naturally followed. This was clearly very good news for 바카라사이트 regional economy. Like Hugh of Lincoln, Simon of Trent was never canonised, yet it was not until 1965 that a Pope ¨C Paul VI ¨C formally removed his name from 바카라사이트 Roman Martyrology.

But popular myth is not so easily undermined. On 27 April 2019, a gunman fired into a synagogue in Poway, California (near San Diego), killing one worshipper and wounding o바카라사이트rs. ¡°You are not forgotten, Simon of Trent,¡± he had reportedly explained in his online manifesto.

Jews are forbidden to consume blood. As Reformation scholars were quick to point out, this prohibition alone throws doubt on 바카라사이트 veracity of 바카라사이트 blood libel, which seems to have originated (but why?) in Norwich in 1144. That it flourished none바카라사이트less (and Teter is surely right to point this out) is due to 바카라사이트 downright cynicism of successive pontiffs, who knew 바카라사이트 truth but were for centuries unwilling to say so.

Geoffrey Alderman is principal of Nelson College, London.

Blood Libel: On 바카라사이트 Trail of an Antisemitic Myth
By Magda Teter
Harvard University Press
568pp, ?31.95
ISBN 9780674240933
Published 31 January 2020