Quote Originally Posted by Ichigo
I would assume the Christian's persecuted to Jews because they blamed them for the death of Jesus. I guess they were just an easy target. I'm sure there are other people with more insight.

Sorry, but I do got to say something here. ;)
First of all, let me just point out that untill Christ's death there were no Christians. All who became Christian were Jews at that time. Secondly, it was not the "Jews" anymore than anyone else who killed Christ. It was EVERYONE in the world's collective sin that neccesitated His killing. The people who acted it out (jewish, pagan roman, etc) were just tools.

Now let me make an important distinction: Jewish Religion --- Jewish Race.
There is a massive difference between the two. While many deny that there is a Jewish Race (I should know that there is, as I am one :P), there actually is. Many of the Jews who were persecuted in Nazi Germany and now claim reperations (including one of my grandparents and her children) were strong Christians, but "Jewish" by race. Also, during the Inquisition, it was race more than religion that was being looked at. If you want more proof that there is a Jewish race, take the insults torward our Kingly noses :P (Which are actually quite attractive. And you English have no room to be talking, as you have notoriously big noses too!! :P lol), they are insulted for a reason. We really do have wider mouths and bigger noses, like many people who originated form the Middle East (including most Arabs). Keeping all that in mind, I think that it is pretty clear that there is a definate Jewish race. (though I am unaware of our origins in the Middle Period)

Now that we make the distinction, let's look at each seperately, then we can look at them collectively.

Let's start with Ancient times, directly after the death of Christ. During that time NO ONE had a thing against the Jews. The Christians really did not blame them for killing Christ (and if you read your Bible you will see this, they attribute it to "us", meaning all people collectively).
What happened though is that Jews (meaning religion, not race. Many of the Jews I am talking about were Middle Eastern, European, African, etc in desent) felt themselves losing power as the Christian religion got more followers, and they thought that Christians were blasphemous. They then start commiting attrocities against the Christians and Romans. The Romans later on eventually started persecuting the Christians as well.
For that part (the ancient history), you need look no further than Edward Gibbon's Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, one of the most trusted sources in the world. (also one of my personal favorites)
In response to the attrocities the Jews were commiting, the Romans made several huge and indiscriminant slaughters.

Jews became "outcasts" in many senses (and this is arguable), and had to form their own societies inside of societies, since there were no longer any solid Jewish societies.
I believe that is one of the reasons that they were viewed as "dark" by many people. Indeed they did "dark" and attrocious things (as peoples of all religions and without religions have), and when they did, it was used as more proof to cement people's view of them.
Another thing that could have attributed to their image (and this has already been touched on) is that many of them were merchants who turned to "usurery" (which is the old way of saying money-lending, in other words what modern banks do).
Why this is I do not know, maybe because of their outcast position in society, maybe just the way things turned out.
Money corrupts though, and some of these lenders became notorious for confinscating everything from, and even torturing the people who could not pay back their loans. Which isn't to say that all Jews did this (or Jewish lenders), or that non-Jewish money-lenders didn't, but the point is that the Jews got an image from it. (as unfair as it may be)
This is one of the reasons that during the Medieval times and up they were looked down on.

As far as the "race" of Jews, it simply is the decendants of the tribe of Judah (or -arguably- the decendants of one who came from Jerusalem).
The actual "race" of Jews were not the subject of persecutions untill the late Medieval period when (to escape persecution) Jews started claiming to be Christians when they were not. The Jewish "race" identified strongly with the Jewish religion and had the same name...lines were blurred and people of the Jewish "race" were from there on also subject to persecution.

That is where the seperation ends and you have to talk about them collectively. From then on if you were not of the Jewish "race", but of the Jewish religion, or if you were not of the Jewish religion, but of the Jewish "race", you were suspect. Given the seperate aspect of Jewish culture (the "dark", "mysterious" aspect), and the rep that Jews had gotten, it is easy to see how people like Hitler could have used them as scapegoats. ("Stab in the Back")

If you had asked why the Irish were the subject of centuries of persecution, the answer would have simply been "They were the small people, and the Giants wanted their land", but with my people (I actually have both Irish and Jewish blood in me:P, but I am referring to Jewish), the answer is more complicated.

Hope this makes sense. It is a very sensitive issue (even to me), so it is hard to really research it, but to understand the present, you gotta go REALLY far back sometimes.


Vuk


P.S. Hope history or my views didn't offend anyone. If you are Jewish, look at the source I suggested and read a bit more about it, if you are Irish...face it, it was a tiny country .