Unexpected Images in Medieval Jewish/Christian Relations

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Traditionally, we think medieval Jewish-Christian relations can be summed up simply: Christians constantly attacked, plundered and expelled Jews. And we were always the victims, without allies.

However, a Rice University historian disputes this simple traditional paradigm. Chair of the Rice Art History Department Diane Wolfthal argues that class and religious conflicts in the Christian community often complicated the picture we have of Jewish-Christian relations. And sometimes, Christians produced images that condemned Christian acts of violence against Jews--and even portrayed Christians as treacherous assailants.

Wolfthal will present two of these images as part a lecture, “Complicating Anti-Semitism” on March 15 at 9 A.M. in Farnsworth Pavilion, Rice Student Center. The lecture is part of a program, “The Visual Construction of Jews”. The program is part of “Crossing Borders”,  a two-day symposium of scholarly presentations open to the public, co-sponsored by the Jewish Studies Program at Rice.

The medieval period starts around 500 C.E. and lasts to 1500. The critical year for Jews is the First Crusade in 1095, said Wolfthal. Before then, Jews were better integrated into European society and there was less discrimination. However, starting with the First Crusade, Christian communities launch organized assaults against Jews. Numerous anti-Jewish laws are put into effect that force Jews to wear badges, limit relations with Christians, and forbid Jews to carry arms.

“But the fact that these laws had to be passed again and again shows that there were periods in which Jews and Christians were getting along. If no one engaged in social contact, there would be no need to re-pass these laws,” said Wolfthal.

One image presented by Wolfthal that reverses the common paradigm of the Jews as evil aggressor comes from a 14th French chronicle, the “Fleurs des Chronique”. A chronicle is an illustrated manuscript, part history and part morality story. It was hand written and hand painted.

“We don’t know exactly who ‘Fleurs’ was made for, probably someone in the circle of the French king,” said Wolfthal. “It’s a single copy made for a limited wealthy audience because it cost a lot of money to produce.”

The illumination (illustration) pictures Christian men pillaging a Jewish home. In the right background, two men seize costly garments from a rod. Below, another breaks open a large coffer with an ax.  To the left, a third thief removes expensive vessels while a fourth carries away a small coffer on his shoulders, bending low under its weight.

The visual focus, however, is the center foreground where a woman falls to her knees in an unstable pose, her arms helplessly outstretched before her as a man grasps her hair with both hands.  

In medieval art, noted Wolfthal, disheveled hair was a sign of sexual assault since proper women throughout Europe covered their hair.

“People tend to forget that women of that time were almost totally covered,” said Wolfthal. “You didn’t see their hair. We have a remnant of that today among Orthodox women. I’ve written an earlier book on images of rape from the 12th to the 17th century where I am able to show that the loose hair and the touching of the hair are clear signs about something sexual. In those days, it was a horrible thing to do to a woman because a woman’s modesty was tied to no one seeing or touching the hair except her husband.

“The point is that the Jewish woman is shown as innocent and defenseless. She’s dressed the same way as the elegant Christian ladies. In contrast, the robbers are brutes who have come in and stolen her goods and are assaulting her. Why would the illuminator show the Jewish woman identical to the Christian women in the manuscript? It can only be one answer: these attackers are brutes, who are doing the worst possible deeds.”

In constructing the Christian pillagers in a negative light, the illuminator was expressing the viewpoint of the French monarchy, said Wolfthal. The royal policy of the
time was to safeguard the Jews.  The new king, Charles VI, during whose reign this manuscript was produced, would have viewed the assault as a crime of lèse-majesté; that is, an offense against his authority since Jews were under his royal protection. Thus the chronicle condemns the pillage of the Jewish community because it wishes to make clear that class privilege should trump religious prejudice.  

“It is highly doubtful the manuscript would have ever been seen by a Jewish audience,” said Wolfthal. “There has been much research on who produced illuminations for the Jewish audience. It used to be thought all the artists were Christians. Now we know that was not always the truth. Once manuscript illuminations moved out of the monasteries and into secular workshops in the cities, then the artists could have included Jews. One of the manuscripts I studied in Yiddish was from the 16th century. The scribe was the artist. And since the scribe was writing in Yiddish, we know that he had to be Jewish.”

Another image that reverses the paradigm is a fable book that contains the Fable of the Murdered Jew.  In this 16th century version, a Jew asks a king for safe conduct through a dangerous forest in exchange for gifts.  As a result, the royal cupbearer offers to protect the Jew, but instead robs and kills him.  Before dying, the Jew predicts that a partridge, which witnessed the crime, will denounce the murderer.  When the cupbearer later sees the bird being readied for the king’s dinner, he bursts out in uncontrollable laughter.  The king demands an explanation, whereupon the murderer confesses. As a result he is executed.  Since the cupbearer was a trusted member of the king’s inner circle, this is ultimately a story about betrayal and disobedience to royal authority.

The focus of the fable is on the cupbearer’s treachery. And the Jew is portrayed in a positive light said Wolfthal.

“These fables are printed and are meant for a mass audience. They are produced in every urban center. So a middle class person could easily purchase a book like that.
I think the main thrust of the fable is that we have to obey our lords. In this case, the king told the servant to protect the Jews. He didn’t listen and he’s punished. But it does open up a space that shows the Jew should be protected. The image shows the Christian being hung because he killed the Jew.”

Yet anti-Semitism is still embedded in the fable.  The Jew is victim because he is associated with wealth.

“The text says he’s rich,” said Wolfthal. “The image shows the Jew with the Jewish hat or a purse. These all had negative associations.

“The main point is: if we take into account class issues, the king as opposed to his servants and peasants, we see that sometimes class issues trump religious issues. That’s at the heart of what I’m trying to say. Anti-Semitism wasn’t monolithic. If you want to show the peasant is a murderous villain, then the Jew can come out looking like an innocent victim. These few images open the door that Jews can be seen as innocent victims. Not everybody would come to that conclusion but these images and fables create the possibility that people could see it that way.

“I think many Jews embrace the idea that we were always victims. Yes, we were also victims but we wouldn’t have survived if there weren’t times of peace. Jewish history is filled with violence. But there are also moments when that is not true.”
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The “Crossing Borders” symposium opens on March 14 at 7 P.M. at Congregation Beth Yeshurun, 4225 Beechnut, with a lecture by Sara Lipton, “Becoming Visual: The Emergence of the Visible Jewess in Later Medieval Art”. On March 15, a series of programs will be held at the Rice Student Center, 6100 Main Street, starting with the Wolfthal lecture at 9 A.M. Other day programs include “The Visual Construction of Jews, “Jewish Material Culture”, “Understanding the Expulsion of Jews” and “Egyptian Jews”. The symposium will conclude at 7 P.M. at Congregation Brith Shalom, 4610 Bellaire Blvd., with a lecture by David Nirenberg, “Which Is the Merchant Here and Which Is the Jew: Shakespeare’s Jewish Questions”. For complete program information, visit www.culture.rice.edu/crossingborders.aspx

Jewish Houston