The origins of the term blood libel lie in the Middle Ages when Jews were falsely accused of ritualised murder, particularly of children.
The claims were used to justify violence against Jewish people.
The earliest known example in the UK is from 1144, when an unfounded rumour about the death of a 12-year-old boy,
William of Norwich, suggested he had been kidnapped and murdered by Jews
During the 1930s, Nazi propaganda in Germany periodically explored accusations of Jewish ritual murder
The evolution of the term means it now can refer to any false accusation deemed to be anti-Semitic and/or involving bloody violence
The claims were used to justify violence against Jewish people.
The earliest known example in the UK is from 1144, when an unfounded rumour about the death of a 12-year-old boy,
William of Norwich, suggested he had been kidnapped and murdered by Jews
During the 1930s, Nazi propaganda in Germany periodically explored accusations of Jewish ritual murder
The evolution of the term means it now can refer to any false accusation deemed to be anti-Semitic and/or involving bloody violence
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