The Jewish Deicide: Unraveling the Myth
Anti-Semitism has taken many forms over the centuries, but no accusation has had as devastating consequences as that of the Jewish suicide, also known as the Murder of God. This harmful myth states that Jews would be collectively responsible for the death of Jesus Christ. Historians point out that this theological anti-Judaism in the form of the Murder of God provided a breeding ground for modern forms of anti-Semitism, both racially and politically motivated. This article explores the origins of this myth, the historical context, and the devastating impact this accusation has had on the Jewish community over the centuries.
Origin and historical context
The first explicit accusation of the Murder of God comes from Melito of Sardis, a bishop who lived in Asia Minor between 120 and 185 AD. Melito, who was born a Jew, used emerging Christianity to reinterpret Jewish rituals and to profile herself as a separate religion during holidays, separate from Judaism. In his Easter family, called Peri Passover, he introduced the idea that Jews were responsible for Jesus' death.
It is characteristic of this generation of early Christians that Melito turns Jewish self-criticism, rooted in the prophets, into a condemnation. In doing so, they wanted to profile themselves as non-Jews and make Jews and Judaism the “other”. Musicology and Comparative Liturgy Professor Eric Werner shows that the structure and form of another text by Melito, called Improperia, very similar to those of Dayenu from the Hagaddah, suggesting that it is an early form of anti-Jewish parody. For example, verse 9 equates Jesus with Moses with the statement: “I split open the sea for you, and in return, you pierced my body with a lance.” Verse 14 reads: “I defeated the kings of Canaan, and in return, you beat my head with a stick.”
Matthew 27: The crux of the accusation
A few decades before Melito wrote his work, a similar accusation was made in the Gospel of Matthew (around 85-95), one of the canonical books of the New Testament. In Matthew 27, the events surrounding the crucifixion of Jesus Christ are described in detail. This verse contains the crucial passage that is often cited for the accusation of the Jewish Murder of God.
According to Matthew 27, Jesus is denounced by Jewish religious leaders and handed over to the Roman governor Pontius Pilate. Pilate, doubting Jesus' guilt, tried to get rid of the responsibility for the condemnation by offering the usual Easter tradition: the release of a prisoner. However, the crowd chose to release Barabbas, a notorious prisoner, and demanded Jesus' crucifixion.
The crucial passage comes in Matthew 27:25. After Pilate washed his hands to show his innocence and declared that he was not responsible for Jesus' death, the crowd shouted, “His blood be on us and our children!” This statement is often interpreted as a collective self-curse by the Jews who had turned against Jesus. Later interpreters used this statement to claim that the Jews would forever take the blame for Jesus' death, providing a basis for later anti-Semitic beliefs.
Impact on the Jewish community
The early Church Fathers contributed significantly to the spread of these harmful views. For example, Origines (185-253) claimed that Jesus' blood “would fall on all generations of Jews until the end of time.” Jerome (c. 347-420) declared that the Lord's blood would not depart from the Jews, while Chrysostom (c. 345-407) described them as “God-killers.” These qualifications laid the foundation for later centuries of anti-Semitism.
In 1208, Pope Innocent III declared that the Jews should roam the Earth like Cain because the blood of Christ spoke to them. This statement was based on the commentaries on Genesis by Augustine of Hippo (354—430). The image of the Jews as the antitypos of Cain, doomed to a lifetime of wandering (exile) with the Cain spirit, was also adopted by the Reformed tradition and Protestantism. Martin Luther's publication About the Jews and Their Lies is an infamous example of religious anti-Semitism. Although John Calvin emphasized God's loyalty to His covenant with Abraham, his vision also failed to break the prevailing anti-Semitic beliefs.
Accusations of God's murder have caused considerable suffering and injustice to the Jewish community over the centuries. This false conviction has not only led to physical and social persecution, but also to long-term exclusion and discrimination. During the Crusades, Jewish communities in Europe were often victims of mass murders and looting, with the accusation of God's murder playing an important role in justifying these acts. During the Spanish Inquisition and other anti-Semitic campaigns, Jews were persecuted and forced to convert or emigrate because they were held responsible for Christ's death.
Modern debunking
In the modern era, the charge of God's murder is widely frowned upon by religious and academic institutions. The Second Vatican Council (1962-1965) published Nostra Aetate, a conciliar declaration on the relationship to non-Christian religions, paragraph 4 of which is dedicated to Judaism and states that God's loyalty to His Covenant People is irrevocable, and that neither the Jews of the past nor the Jews living today are collectively responsible for Christ's death. In other words, this statement highlights that Jews are not collectively responsible for Jesus' death and condemns anti-Semitism as incompatible with a respectful and tolerant society.
In addition, historians and biblical scholars have contributed to the debunking of the Murder by critically examining and reinterpreting historical and textual sources. These studies show that the allegations against Jews are often based on misunderstanding and prejudice, and that the texts supporting this accusation are often taken out of their historical and cultural context and are misinterpreted.
Conclusion
The accusation of Jewish suicide — the idea that Jews are collectively responsible for Jesus Christ's death — has caused immense damage over the centuries. This myth led to widespread persecution, exclusion, and discrimination against the Jewish community. From the early false accusations in texts such as the Gospel of Nicodemus to the convictions by church fathers, the myth has been used time and again to justify anti-Semitic campaigns, with a devastating impact. Christian Europe, where religious anti-Semitism was deeply rooted, became one of the most violent regions for the Jewish population after the Roman expulsion of Jews from Israel.
It is crucial that we continue to strive to better understand this history and ensure that such destructive myths do not take root again. By deepening our knowledge and critically reflecting on the origins and consequences of these allegations, we can contribute to an inclusive and equitable society. Only by fighting together against these harmful myths can we build a future where mutual understanding and respect prevail over anti-Semitism and false accusations.