168Chapter 9
acquired through the observation of Arab models (see
illustration 9.5).
Unfortunately, the nature of the crusading enter-
prise severely limited exchanges at the intellectual
level. The glories of Arab philosophy, mathematics, as-
tronomy, and medicine were viewed with deep suspi-
cion by the average crusader. When they were
eventually introduced—not by crusaders but by schol-
ars working in the free atmosphere of multicultural
Spain—the church reacted defensively. Arab poetry,
mysticism, and religious thought were ignored.DOCUMENT 9.5
Pope Gregory X Denounces
the Blood Libel
A succession of popes inveighed against the blood libel with
varying degrees of success. This letter by Gregory X (served
1271–76) is similar in tone to earlier letters by Innocent III
and Innocent IV. The expulsions reveal that papal good sense
had little impact on some of Europe’s monarchs and their
subjects.Since it happens occasionally that some Chris-
tians lose their Christian children, the Jews are ac-
cused by their enemies of secretly carrying off and
killing these same Christian children and of mak-
ing sacrifices of the heart and blood of these very
children. It happens, too, that parents of these
children or some other Christian enemies of these
Jews, secretly hide these very children in order
that they may be able to injure these Jews, and in
order that they may be able to extort from them a
certain amount of money by redeeming them
from their straits.
And most falsely do these Christians claim
that the Jews have secretly and furtively carried
away these children and killed them, and that the
Jews offer sacrifice from the heart and blood of
these children, since their law in this matter pre-
cisely and expressly forbids Jews to sacrifice, eat,
or drink, the blood, or to eat the flesh of animals
having claws. This has been demonstrated many
times at our court by Jews converted to the Chris-
tian faith; nevertheless very many Jews are often
seized and detained unjustly because of this.
We decree, therefore, that Christians need not
be obeyed against Jews in a case or situation of this
type, and we order that Jews seized under such a
silly pretext be freed from imprisonment, and that
they shall not be arrested henceforth on such a
miserable pretext, unless—which we do not
believe—they be caught in the commission of the
crime. We decree that no Christian shall stir up
anything new against them, but that they should
be maintained in that status and position in which
they were in the time of our predecessors, from an-
tiquity till now.
Marcus, Jacob R. The Jew in the Medieval World,p. 154. New
York: Atheneum, 1972.Illustration 9.5
The Mausoleum of Bohemond, Prince of Taranto.This
mausoleum at Canossa di Puglia illustrates the powerful influence
of Islamic culture on the crusaders. Bohemond eventually became
king of Antioch in Syria but was buried on his ancestral estates in
Italy. His tomb combines Romanesque and Muslim styles and is
meant to resemble a turbeh,the shrine of a Muslim holy man. It
was probably built by Muslim craftsmen.