Further, Jews were accused of causing many of the ills that befell the people of this age. They were held responsible for the Black Death, or Black Plague, of 1348, which killed a huge portion of Europe’s population. It was rumored that Jews poisoned the wells. The Jews were also accused of causing many natural disasters, like the Lisbon earthquake. They were even charged with killing “Christian” children to get blood for matzah, the unleavened bread of Passover. The Roman Catholic Church laid the
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