Blood and Money: The Historical Origins of Antisemitism

Rowan Dorin, Ph.D.

For over two millennia, Jews and Judaism have been the object of sustained fears and fantasies, which have in turn underpinned repeated outbreaks of violence and persecution. As many have pointed out, such fears and fantasies usually stem not from encounters with actual Jews, but rather from anxieties prompted by the spectral, shapeshifting, fictive figures of “the Jew” and “Judaism” – that is, the images of Jews and Judaism as constructed by outside observers. But why did such myths and stereotypes emerge at all? How did these become so widely accepted? What made them so persuasive and so powerful? Did they inspire violence, or merely legitimize it? And what - if any - is the relationship between "anti-Judaism" and "anti-Semitism"? Join Dr. Dorin as he explores these questions, possible answers, and reflections on the continuing importance of history in facing contemporary challenges.

Rowan Dorin joined the Stanford History Department in the winter of 2017, where his research and teaching focus primarily on western Europe and the Mediterranean during the Middle Ages (500-1500 CE). He is currently working on two books and has published numerous scholarly articles. He earned his Ph.D. from Harvard University, as well as an MPhil in Medieval History from the University of Cambridge.

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