The Black Death: Causes, Misconceptions, and Historical Antisemitism

The Black Death (1347–1351) was caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis, transmitted primarily by fleas on black rats (Rattus rattus). It killed an estimated 30–50% of Europe's population.

Why "Black"?

• Refers to acral necrosis/gangrene (blackening of fingers, toes, nose) in septicemic plague.
• Also describes the dark, hemorrhagic buboes (swollen lymph nodes) in bubonic plague.
• Not related to the skin color of victims or any ethnic group.

Antisemitism During the Black Death

• False accusation: Jews were blamed for "poisoning wells" to spread the plague.
• Violent pogroms: Hundreds of Jewish communities destroyed (e.g., Strasbourg, Basel, Cologne, Mainz); thousands murdered.
• Pope Clement VI issued bulls (1348) condemning the accusations and protecting Jews, but local authorities often ignored them.
• Root causes: Pre-existing religious prejudice, economic resentment (moneylending), scapegoating for inexplicable catastrophe.

Historical Consensus

There is no evidence linking Jews or any group to causing the Black Death. The disease was a natural pandemic driven by ecology, trade routes, and lack of sanitation. The persecution was a tragic manifestation of medieval antisemitism, not a response to actual culpability.