Blood Libels History

For thousands of years Jews have been accused of blood libels. Blood libels are false accusation against Jews use human blood in certain aspect of their religious rituals and holidays.

In General, the libel alleged something like this:
A child, normally a boy who had not yet reached puberty was kidnapped or sometimes bought and taken to a hidden place (the house of a prominent member of the Jewish community, a synagogue, a cellar, etc.) where he would be kept hidden until the time of his death.

The description of torture and human sacrifice in the antisemitic blood libels run contrary to many of the teaching of Judaism.

* The Ten Commandments in the Torah forbid murder!!!

* The use of blood (human or otherwise) in cooking is prohibited by the kosher dietary law.

* Blood from slaughtered animals may not be consumed, and must be drained out of the animal and covered with earth. (Lev 17:12-13)

* Blood from sacrificed animals may only be placed on the altar of the Great Temple in Jerusalem.(which no longer existed)

* Furthermore, consumption of human flesh violate kashrut.

While animals sucrifice was part of the practice of ancient Judaism, the Tanakh (old testament) and Jewish teaching portray human sacrifice as one of the most evils that separated the pagans of Canaan from the Hebrews. ( Deut' 12:31, 2 Kings 16:3)

Jews were prohibited from engaging in these rituals and were punished for doing so. (Ex' 34:15, Lev' 20:2, Deut' 18:12, Jer' 7:31)

* The first recorded blood libel against Jews was by the Graeco-Egyptian author Apion, who claimed that Jews sacrificed Greek victim in their temple. This blood libel from ancient Greek time pre dates Christianity and is usually thought of as an act of antisemitism.

This resulted in an attack on Jews in Alexandria in 38 CE in which thousands of Jews were did.

* The last recorded blood libel against Jews was on August 2009, a Swedish Newspaper, "Aftonbladet" published an editorial:

"They plunder the organs of our sons".

Claiming that Israeli soldiers are abducting Palestinians to steal their organs prompting furious condemnation and accusation of an anti-Semitic blood libel from a rival Swedish publication.