Caricatured Jewish people are accosted by a demon in this antisemitic sketch, which was drawn in the margin of an English revenue record and dated to 1233.Credit: The National Archives (E 401/1565)
Posted on 09/03/2022 5:41:58 PM PDT by SunkenCiv
Analysis identifies the remains in an English well as those of medieval Jews, who were probably the victims of an antisemitic massacre...
Construction workers discovered human bones at the site in 2004, and further investigations found an ancient well that held the remains of 6 adults and 11 children. The burial was situated outside any consecrated ground, raising suspicions that the dead were victims of violence, disease or famine...
Radiocarbon dating established that the bodies had been deposited between 1161 and 1216 — a time frame encompassing a historically documented antisemitic massacre in Norwich in 1190. Analysis of the individuals’ DNA suggests that three were full sisters — one aged 5–10 years, one aged 10–15 years and one young adult. The genetic results also indicate that at least one of the individuals was descended from a recent union between two close relatives.
Researchers compared the DNA of six of the individuals with the genomes of more than a dozen modern western Eurasian groups. The assessment hinted that the six were more closely related to today's Ashkenazi Jewish populations — who have roots in northern and eastern Europe — than to modern non-Jewish ones in England.
Moreover, the ancient DNA showed that the Norwich victims were predisposed to some genetic conditions, such as primary ciliary dyskinesia, that are prevalent in modern Ashkenazi Jews. Using computer simulations, the researchers found that in the six individuals, the number of these genetic-disease variants was consistent with what would be expected if the diseases were as common in the population to which the Norwich individuals belonged, as they are in today's Ashkenazi Jewish populations.
Many scientists have speculated that an event between 500 and 800 years ago caused the Ashkenazi Jewish population to shrink sharply...
(Excerpt) Read more at nature.com ...
Caricatured Jewish people are accosted by a demon in this antisemitic sketch, which was drawn in the margin of an English revenue record and dated to 1233.Credit: The National Archives (E 401/1565)
Since one wouldn’t contaminate one’s own working well it can be assumed the victims were thrown down a well in their own community “to send a message”
This was doing the period of Edward I? He expelled the Jews from England, in part to steal their wealth and void his debts to Jewish moneylenders. I believe he also got clerical blessing for doing this as it did allow Jews who apostasised to remain providing they surrendered almost all their wealth.
The money and other salables stolen from the Jews aided Edward in financing his wars in France and Scotland.
1190? Richard Lionheart.
1215 would be Edward, I think. The Norwich massacre was then,
No, Edward 1 1239 to 1307. His father Henry III ?
That would be John in that case. Edward I was 1272-1307.
More:
ENGLAND’S JEWISH POPULATION
After the Norman Conquest of 1066, a number of Jews came to England from Rouen in France. The early Norman kings needed to borrow money to build castles and secure their kingdom, but money-lending was forbidden to Christians. It was, however, permitted to Jews. These French-speaking Jews were protected by the Crown, and in time established communities in most of the principal cities of England. In the later 12th century, members of the Jewish community in Lincoln settled in York.
However, there was growing hostility towards the Jewish population in England. This was in part due to public disagreements in theology between Jewish scholars and Christian churchmen. In the mid-12th century several vicious stories were spread accusing Jews of murdering Christian children. Such slanders, now known as the ‘Blood Libel’, strengthened anti-Semitic sentiment in England.
Manuscript illustration showing king seated in centre, wearing crown and being attended to on either side by bishops. Onlookers in background.
The coronation of Richard I, from a 13th-century manuscript. A Jewish citizen from York was killed on the way back from the coronation in London© Getty Images/Universal Images Group/Hulton Fine Art
THE CORONATION OF RICHARD I
The events of 1190 are recorded in numerous accounts, though none were eye-witness reports and most show strong prejudice against the Jews. The story recorded by William of Newburgh, an Augustinian canon from Yorkshire, tells of two Jewish citizens from York, called Benedict and Joceus. Together they travelled to London to attend the coronation of Richard I in 1189.
Resentment about the presence of Jews at the coronation was fuelled by anger about taxes to fund the Crusades, leading to riots at the ceremony itself and in Norwich, Stamford, York and Lincoln. A false rumour was even put about that the king had ordered a massacre of the Jews. Benedict was attacked and killed on his way back to York.
Watercolour drawing showing a motte and bailey castle surrounded by large expanse of water
A reconstruction of York Castle with a timber tower on its motte, as it may have looked from the late 11th century until 1190© Historic England (illustration by Terry Ball)
UNDER ROYAL PROTECTION
Some months later, after the Sheriff of York had left for the Third Crusade, a fire broke out in the city. This was during a time of increasing attacks on Jews throughout England and some citizens took advantage of the chaos to break into Benedict’s house in Coney Street. The property was looted and everyone inside killed.
Joceus managed to escape a similar attack and he led the city’s Jews to seek protection from ‘the keeper of the King’s tower’ inside the castle, almost certainly the site of the present Clifford’s Tower. Meanwhile, the looting continued.
Watercolour drawing of a medieval crowd with torches and weapons gathered outside a burning wooden tower on top of motte
TRAPPED IN THE TOWER
Inside the tower, trust between the Jews and the keeper broke down, and when he left the tower on other business, they refused to allow him back in. They had now challenged the king’s authority, and troops joined the mob outside, where they were pelted with stones from the castle walls by the besieged Jews.
Friday 16 March coincided with Shabbat Hagadol, the ‘Great Sabbath’ before the Jewish festival of Pesach or Passover. According to several accounts, the Jews realised that they could not hold out against their attackers, and rather than waiting to be killed or forcibly baptised, decided to meet death together. The father of each family killed his wife and children, before taking his own life.
Just before their deaths, they also set fire to the possessions they had brought with them; this fire consumed the timber tower. It is not clear how many Jews were present – estimates range from 20 to 40 families, and a later account in Hebrew suggests about 150 people.
THE ACTIONS OF THE MOB
One of the mob’s ringleaders, Richard Malebisse, had offered safe passage to any Jews who agreed to convert and leave the tower. A few took this option, only to be murdered as soon as they came out from the burning building. Afterwards, the rioters destroyed the records of debts to the Jews, which had been placed in safe-keeping at York Minster.
The triggers for the massacre were many. The calls to crusade in the Holy Land made many Christians sensitive to the presence of non-Christians in England. These feelings may have been heightened by the approaching celebrations for Easter, when the Church preached that the Jews had connived at the death of Jesus. Some rioters also saw the possibility of clearing themselves of debts to the Jews.
Afterwards fines of up to £66 were imposed on 59 leading families of York – many of whom either knew the ringleaders of the massacre and or were involved themselves.
“History, Stephen said, is a nightmare from which I am trying to awake.” - James Joyce. Ulysses
A mass burial of 17 people over 55 years???
No, the radiocarbon dating yielded a range of 55 years.
Thanks for the clarification. Makes more sense.
Conclusions About Ancient Populations May be Drastically Wrong Due to Dodgy Method
If this person is right we may have to throw out many lovely theories.
80% of the Jewish immigrants to the US are Ashkenazi Jews.
:^) And they’ve use their saykhel to increase professional health care practitioners.
Jewish Word / Sechel - Moment Magazine
https://momentmag.com › jewish-word-sechel
Sechel is both a Hebrew and a Yiddish word, the Hebrew meanings having been absorbed into Yiddish. Pronounced sekhel in Modern/Israeli Hebrew and seykhel in Yiddish, it can mean intelligence, smarts, brains, reason, common sense, cleverness or even wisdom. Sechel is defined in the authoritative Eben Shoshan Hebrew Dictionary as “the spiritual ...
So instead of expelling a few, they threw them down a well. Save time and effort. More fun for the mob, and mobs must have their fun.
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