Why Were the Jews Hated in Europe?

Many perhaps are not aware that even before Hitler came on the scene, Europe carried a dark history of persecution of Jews. The Diaspora faced same treatment in every corner of the Europe. They were treated as outcast, many a times, not being allowed to stay within town limits. Many a times they were summarily executed too. What was the reason? What made them the objects of hatred?

There are four prominent reasons.

1. Most of the Europe was under the influence of the catholic popes,during medieval times. These popes had a very wrong understanding of the role of Jews in the death of Jesus. That Jesus was killed by the Jews, was because Jesus took birth in that community. They failed to see that through Jesus' death, God wanted to show the wicked nature of the mankind in general. Even the community in which the popes lived too would have killed Jesus had he been born among them. The protestant reformist Martin Luther was a staunch anti-Semitic, out of this same understanding. They failed to see the ransom through God's eyes rather than human. Nowhere had the bible mentioned that the non-Jews were more preferable to God than the Jews, after the death of Jesus. In fact, had they appreciated that the death of Jesus was divine plan for liberation of whole mankind including the Jews; they never would have propagated this hatred.

2. The Hebrew Scriptures had given the Jews very high quality of hygiene including quarantine, centuries before the germs were discovered. While cities and towns were wiped out in the epidemics in Europe, the Jews were spared in the epidemics because of their strict observance to personnel and public hygiene outlined in the Mosaic Law. In absence of scientific discoveries, the affected communities would attribute this to black magic by the Jews. They were held responsible for casting the epidemics by which they themselves remained unaffected.

3. The Jews would not mind doing businesses like money lending otherwise shunned by medieval Christians out of there misinterpretation of bible [lending money on interest is prohibited]. This traditional business made them subsequently monopolize the business, turning out them to be successful bankers. This made them objects of jealousy.

4. The Jews in general failed to assimilate with the European communities. This too was because of their misinterpretation of biblical command to shun the gentiles. This command was no more applicable after the arrival of the Messiah.However this did contribute to their alienation from the mainstream community.