This week, Isaac and Demetria discuss an infamous blood libel trial: the story of St. Simon of Trent, and the Jews who were tortured and executed after the city authorities blamed them for the boy’s murder.
Content notes for this episode: Discussion of anti-Semitic persecution, child death, torture, the Holocaust, and parallels to current-day events.
Featured Image: A statue depicting the martyrdom of Saint Simon, created in the early 1500s. Note the figure taking blood and the cup on the table. While Simon there is some debate as to whether Simon was ever officially canonized, he remained in the Roman Martyrology until 1965, and a stone medallion depicting his martyrdom can still be seen at the Palazzo Salvadori in Trento. (Image source)
Great, and now I’m craving the blood of Christians.
I read an analysis of Toaff’s book on blood libel, because like wtf, why would someone write that? It turns out that he has a personal grudge against religious Judaism in general and his father in particular, one of the leaders of the Italian Jewish community. He was recycling blood libel as an attack against modern day religious orthodoxy, which as I’m sure you know is a subject that aggrieves many secular Israelis. I bet he thought he was very clever.
By the way, very well said with the political aside at the end. I hope many Gentile listeners hear this podcast.