among us, but let them suffer and be continually humiliated." (Flannery)During the seventh century, the Jewish religion was hit really hard. The Jews rioted in 608 BCE, because of the repression they have suffered. This created anti-Jewish pogroms from Syria to Asia Minor. Spain prohibited Judaism. Those who weren’t baptized fled. This was the first incidence where a prohibition of Judaism affected an entire Christian country. In Paris, they decided that all Jews who hold military or civil positions must accept baptism, together with their families. By 617 CE, the Persians forbid the Jews to settle within a three mile radius of Jerusalem. Even the people who followed Mohammed rejected the Jews. ‘One by one they were destroyed, between the years 624-7 CE, because they wouldn’t convert to Islam. After Mohammed’s death, the Jewish people were forced to choose between conversion and death. Over 600 Jews spent the night in prayer and were beheaded the next morning. Only 3 or 4 agreed to convert.’ To ensure unity in his kingdom, Emperor Heraclius, forced baptism in his kingdom. Then in 627, he massacred Jews and forbid them to enter Jerusalem. Local priests also convinced him that to kill a Jew was a positive commandment. Hundreds of Jews were massacred and thousands fled to Egypt. ("Jewish History")The scapegoat theory appears to have occurred in 1021. The Jews were blamed for everything bad that happened in the world. One advocate, Pope Benedict VIII, had Jews executed, blaming them for a hurricane and an earthquake. France’s Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153CE) explained the Jews as "a race who had not God for their father, but were of the devil." He had taken the scripture John 8:44 and applied it to the whole Jewish people. This was also applied in World War II by the Nazi leader Julius Sreicher: "the extermination of that people whose father is the devil". (Hay)In the year 1096 extre...
