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The Unfortunate Scapegoats of the Black Death Were Mainly Heretics, Jews and Witches

Shaina Lucas November 4, 2018 15 min

A depiction of the 1349 burning of the Jews during the Black Death. Wikipedia.

Christians Burnt Jews Because of The Black Death

The greatest part of the epidemic occurred in 1349 where the Black Death spread from China across Asia and Europe eventually to reach Ireland and England. Jewish people were burnt from the Mediterranean into Germany, but not in Avignon for the Pope protected the Jews who lived there. On February 14^th, 1349 the people of Strasbourg and of many other cities captured and burnt about two thousand Jews. In Basel, the city burnt the Jews then adopted a law that no Jew was to enter the city for the next two hundred years. But this law was eventually lifted and Jews were allowed back in the city in the year of our Lord 1368.

With the burning of the Jews on St. Valentine’s Day, many were offered baptism in order to save their lives. There is no exact number but it is said that about a thousand Jews accepted baptism. Many small children were also taken out of the fire during the burning and baptized against the will of the parents. After the burning, anything that was owed to the Jews was canceled and all cash was taken to be divvied up between the working-men respectively. Some Jews also set fire to their houses and cremated themselves and their families.

Written by

Shaina Lucas

Shaina Lucas is an avid historical buff. She graduated in 2013 from York College of PA with her BA in Professional Writing, Creative Writing, and World History. She then graduated from SNHU in 2015 with her MA, and in 2018 graduated with her MFA in Creative Writing from National University. She is a local actress in York, PA and specializes in Shakespeare, Medieval history, comic history, and the French Revolution. She is also an avid collector of swords and knives from various time periods.