How Did The Jewish Affect The Renaissance

Jews and the Renaissance
In the early 16th century, as Jews fled antisemitism in numerous European countries, many landed in the thriving cities of Italy. Jewish merchants, doctors, and scholars grasped the opportunity to be involved in the prosperous Renaissance movement, while at the same time faced the challenges their successes prompted. Although Jews were persecuted during the times of the Italian Renaissance, they also flourished economically, artistically and scientifically which lead to both further isolation and acceptance. The renaissance brought the downfall of the strength of the Church. Galileo, who was a devout Christian, believed in Copernicus and that the earth revolved around the sun. While many Christian beliefs contradicted
One of the most well known accusations in Italy was “Simon of Trent”, or the Blood Libel. A child named Simon had gone missing on Easter Sunday, the rumors pointed to the Jews for his disappearance. According to historian Ronnie Po-chia Hsia the Christian boy’s body was found in the basement of a Jewish family’s home in Trent, Italy. Hsia continued and said that eighteen Jewish men and five Jewish women were arrested for his murder. It was said that Simon was killed in order to use his blood for religious purposes. In actuality the precise place where Simon’s body was found was never determined but under torture many members of the Jewish community were forced to confess . Jews were also forced to confess to the Blood Libel, the accusation that Jews kill Christian children to use for their Passover rituals. Fifteen Jews ended up receiving the death sentence and were burnt at the
There were some figures like the influential Observant Franciscans who would give extremely anti-semitic sermons. However, this horrible behavior was not tolerated by the Italian courts and they “ordered protection to be given to the Jews throughout their territories.”
Although the Jewish people living during the Renaissance era experienced significant anti-semitism like in centuries past, in the the centuries to follow, Renaissance-era Jews were were treated comparatively well, and achieved a degree of gentile respect, owing to their important contributions to the society.

Work Cited

Table of Contents: The Jew in the Art of the Italian Renaissance. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Apr. 2017.
Jewish History. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Apr. 2017.
Authors: Barbara Drake Boehm, Melanie Holcomb. "Jews and the Arts in Medieval Europe | Essay | Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History | The Metropolitan Museum of Art." The Met's Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Apr. 2017.
"Jews and the Renaissance." Jews and the Renaissance | History Today. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Apr. 2017.
"The Jewish Ghetto of Renaissance Venice." OpenLearn. The Open University, 01 Sept. 2005. Web. 23 Apr. 2017.
"The Jews in the Italian Renaissance on Sotheby's Blog." Sotheby's. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Apr.