This page is a history of some of the Jewish persecutions. It is not Christian bashing but an acknowledgement of some of the harm that has been done over the years.
BCE
– 14th century persecution under pharaoh.
– 12th century Israel is a small nation surrounded by powerful and aggressive neighbors.
– 922 Israel is divided into two kingdoms: north, Israel and south, Judah
– 722 Shalmaneser V destroyed the kingdom of the north. Assyrian captivity under Sennacherib began
– 587 Nebuchadnezzar conquers Jerusalem and exiles Jews to Babylon.
– 537 King Cyrus of Persian conquers Jerusalem and allows the Jews return
– 460 Story of Esther
– 332 Alexander the Great conquered Jerusalem; Greek rule established.
– 169 King Antiochus
– 167-141 Maccabean war of liberation.
– 63 Under Roman rule General Pompey conquered Jerusalem and reduced Judea to a puppet state.
After the death of Jesus Christ
– 66-70 First Jewish Revolt against Rome. The Christians saw this as a time for Messiah’s return so did not aid their Jewish brethren. 70: Destruction of the temple.
– 115 Ignatius of Antioch instructed the Magnesians to no longer live for the Sabbath but for the L-rd’s day. Sabbath is no longer recognized. This was done purely to gain favor with Rome and to allow for claiming favored status as the new chosen people of G-d.
– 132-135 Second Jewish revolt against Rome. Believed Bar Kokhba as the Messiah. This caused further split between Jews and Jewish Christians.
– 135 Emperor Hadrian destroyed Jerusalem and rebuilt a new Roman city, Aelia Capitolina. Christian leadership moved to Antioch, Alexandria, and Rome. The theory that the Church replaced the Jews as G-d’s chosen people developed.
– 165 Justin Martyr said, in speaking to a Jew, “The scriptures are not yours but ours.”
– 177 Bishop of Lyon, Irenaeus, “Jews are disinherited from the grace of G-d.”
– 185 Origen of Alexandria promoted allegorical interpretation of scripture and de-emphasized Israel’s covenant.
– 230 The false teaching of Deicide was introduced by Hippolytus of Rome. “G-d killers” and “C– 313 Edict of Milan Permitted Religious tolerance for Christians by intolerance for Jews.
– 325 Council of Nicea; Changed the calendar effectively disconnecting Easter from Passover and establishing Sunday as the official day of worship.
– 330 Constantine and Queen Helena, his mother, started to build churches over holy sites.
– St. John Chrysostom “Jews are inveterate murders, possessed by the devil.”
– 546 Jews were forbidden to celebrate Passover if it fell before the Christian Easter; guards were posted at synagogues to prevent the saying of the Shema
– 590 Pope Gregory forbid Christians from eating with Jews or observing Sabbath.
– 692 Intermarriage between Christians and Jews was punishable by death.
– 897 Jews stripped of property rights by the church.
– 10th Century custom began of hitting a Jew in the face on Good Friday and stoning Jewish homes on Palm Sunday.
– 1096-1300 The Crusades…
– 1099 Christians burned Jews alive in the synagogue in Jerusalem upon its capture.
– 1146 False claim that Jews killed Christian children to use their blood to make matzah resulted in the death of the entire Bloise France population being burned at the stake. (The false claim is still heard in parts of the world today)hrist killers” became the charge.
– 1215 Jews forced by the church, Pope Innocent III, to wear distinctive dress such as the yellow star of David. Jews were forced to live in restricted areas.
– 1290 England under King Edward I expelled Jews from England until 1656.
– 1306 Expulsion from France.
– 1320 Bubonic Plague blamed on the Jews. The reasoning was that they didn’t get the plague so they must cause it.
– 1347 Black Death, Jews were blamed again.
– 1349 Expulsion from Hungary
– 1387 Chaucer wrote the Prioress’s Tale, a story based upon a blood libel report.
