January 9, 2017
Jews Burned Alive in Basel Switzerland
Blamed for the spread of Black Plague
 
On this date, January 9, 1349, 700 Jews are burned alive in the homes in Basel Switzerland.  “These Jews, nearly the entire Jewish population of Basel were massacred by townspeople because they were blamed for the Black Plague.  Ignorant to the causes of the plague, the people and local leaders of modern Switzerland, France and Germany accused Jews of poisoning wells. Most were burnt alive.  There were many factors that converged to turn the Jews into the perfect scapegoat for a plague now believed to have spread from China. Anti-Semitism had been a problem for Jews in Europe long before the plague worsened their fate. In the centuries leading up to the Basel massacre, the Church enforced laws similar to the Nuremberg laws seen over half-a-millennium later. Jews were barred from working as weavers, shoemakers, carpenters, miners and bakers, among other professions. As a result of these racist laws, Jews often worked as money lenders, a practice that lead to public resentment against them and may have contributed to the events of 1349. Another law, passed in 1215 by Pope Innocent III was particularly similar to those passed by Nazi Germany in the 20th century – Jews were required to wear a yellow badge at all times.

Despite the general anti-Semitism present at the time, the massacre in Basel can be more accurately ascribed to specific accusations against the Jews in relation to the plague; it was alleged that Jews were suffering and dying from the Black Plague at a much lower rate than Christians. It is not clear if this was actually true, but there are several theories explaining the apparent phenomenon. One theory suggests that Jews buried their dead much more quickly than Christians and in separate cemeteries, thus making their deaths less visible. Another theory speculates that Passover was responsible for saving a great portion of the Jewish population. According to Dr. Martin Blaser, as reported by The New York Times, the clearing of hametz (leavened bread) from homes ahead of Passover deprived rats of food and shelter, helping to stymie the disease’s spread. He adds that the plague peaked in the spring, around the time that Passover would have fallen.”  (Michael Ober-man, January 14, 2011, The Jerusalem Post)

Our society is often driven by irrational fear.   Even today, many people live a fearful life.  We can certainly understand how fearful people could be during the medieval times, when fear and superstitions were firmly connected.  However, we ponder the reaction of people today – people who are supposed to be enlightened.  When the AIDS/HIV virus first became evident as a problem in this country, I was working with individuals who were dealing with the disease Hemophilia.  These individuals were often especially prone to contracting the virus because of the need to use blood concentrates to supplement the blood factors their bodies could not produce.  The fear that circulated within this community and the regular community often reached hysterical levels – with suggestions to establish “camps” where individuals with HIV/AIDS should be housed – separate from those without the virus.

We can see how fear can drive us to irrational fears – and often those fears will circulate around people who we consider as “other” – “those people” – people we determine, for usually irrational reasons, we determine to be agents of disease, disorder, and general mayhem.  As Christians, I pray we can move beyond our irrational fears to be people driven by love first, and fear last.  That requires us to trust in our faith – trust in the promise of life with G-d beyond these earthly bonds.

Pastor Dave