Radulphe

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For the ornithologist, see Rodolphe Meyer de Schauensee.

Radulphe (also spelled Radulph, Rodolphe, etc.) was a French monk who, without permission from his superiors, left his monastery in France^[1] and travelled to the Rhine Valley during the Second Crusade (1144-1147) where he preached "that the Jews should be slain as the enemies of the Christian religion."^[2] At Cologne Simon "the Pious" was murdered and mutilated; at Speyer a woman was tortured on the rack to persuade her to Christianity. Secular prelates did all they could to protect the Jews. Arnold, the Archbishop of Cologne gave them a fortified castle as refuge, and allowed them to arm themselves; the Crusaders refrained from attacking the castle, but killed any unconverted Jew that fell into their clutches.^[1] Henry I, Archbishop of Mainz admitted into his house some Jews pursued by a mob; the mob forced a way in, and killed them before his eyes.^[1]

The Archbishop appealed to Bernard of Clairvaux, the most influential Christian of his time; Bernard replied with a strong denunciation of Radulphe, and demanded an end to violence against the Jews.^[1] When Radulphe continued his campaign Bernard came in person to Germany,^[1] "protested energetically against the unchristian behavior of Radulph."^[3] and forced the monk to return to his monastery.^[1]

Thereafter in 1147 the mutilated body of a Christian was found at Würzburg; Christians charged Jews with the crime, and, despite the protests of Bishop Emicho (von Leiningen), attacked them, killing 20 and wounding many more; the Bishop buried the dead in his garden.^[1]

From Germany, Rodolphe's idea of "beginning the Crusades at home" passed back to France, and Jews were massacred at Carentan, Rameru, and Sully.^[1] In Bohemia 150 Jews were murdered by Crusaders. After the terror had passed, the local Christian clergy did what it could to help the surviving Jews; and those who had accepted baptism under duress were allowed to return to Judaism without incurring the dire penalties of apostasy.^[1]

This article incorporates text from the 1901–1906 Jewish Encyclopedia, a publication now in the public domain.

[edit] References

1. ^ ^{a b c d e f g h i} Durant, Will (1939). Story of Civilization Vol. IV: The Age of Faith. Simon & Schuster, 391. 
2. ^ Gottheil, Richard; Joseph Jacobs. The Crusades. Jewish Encyclopedia. Retrieved on 2007-02-12.
3. ^ Gottheil, Richard; Joseph Jacobs. The Crusades. Jewish Encyclopedia. Retrieved on 2007-02-12.