Timeline: The History of Antisemitism

33

Death of Jesus Christ

Christianity emerged from Judaism and the first
Christians were Jews. Jesus was crucified by Romans, but all Jews were blamed for Christ’s death.

70

Romans destroyed the Jewish temple in Jerusalem

130

Roman disperse the Jews of Palestine

500

Christianity became dominant religion of the Roman empire

Some early church leaders condemned Jews as agents of the devil and murderers of God. Jews were excluded from Christian society, but maintained religious and social customs.

1095

The Crusades

Pope Urban II called for the liberation of Jerusalem. Crusaders
set off to free Jerusalem from Muslims. On the way they slaughtered thousands of Jews.

1348

The Black Death

Jews blamed for causing the Black Death.

1492

Jews expelled from the Iberian Peninsula

1517

The Protestant Reformation

Martin Luther attacked the Pope and corruption
within his own Catholic church. He hoped tolerance would persuade Jews to convert to Protestantism. Jews refused to convert and in retribution Martin Luther encouraged the burning of Jewish synagogues and homes.

1542

Against the Jews and their Lies written by Martin Luther

1881

Assassination of Czar Alexander II

To maintain control of the government and divert popular discontent over appalling living conditions, Russian authorities
encouraged violence against Jews. Jews were blamed for the assassination of Czar Alexander. Murderous rampages against Jews erupted in Russia for the next 30 years.

1894

Dreyfus Affair

In France, Captain Alfred Dreyfus, the only Jewish member of
the French army’s general staff was convicted of passing military secrets to Germany. He was proven innocent, but was used as a cover up for army corruption. Frenzied mobs in the streets of Paris chanted death to the Jews.

1900

Protocol of the Elders of Zion

Russian secret police created a fake document to
support the story of a world take over plot supposedly authored by a conference of Jewish leaders called the Protocol of the Elders of Zion. This lie promoted the idea that Jews conspired to dominate the world using their money and intelligence to manipulate trusting Christians. The document was proven a fake, but was translated into many different languages and distributed worldwide.

1900

Emergence of Antisemitism

Theory emerged that Jews were not just a religious
group, but a separate race called Semites. Anti-Semites believed racial characteristics could not be overcome by assimilation or even conversion. Jews were said to be dangerous because of their “Jewish blood.”