Repulsiveness and Dehumanisation

Far from being a purely theoretical construct, anti-Jewish prejudice has also been inscribed into the very materiality of Jewish bodies, through a host of tropes and metaphors drawing on representations of physical corruption and repulsiveness. The pathologisation of the Jewish body predates biological antisemitism and has roots in Medieval antisemitism. Appearance, skin colour, hygiene or alimentation are external manifestations which mark the Jew as “other” or “foreign.” As the demonic Other was the archetype of maleficent alterity in Christian Europe, it was even believed that Jews have devilish horns, which explained the tradition of head-covering. Another bizarre medieval folk belief was that Jewish males menstruated; this allegedly “impure” bleeding was thought to be a punishment for Judas’ treason of Jesus. This also maps onto blood libel accusations, as the monthly loss of blood had to be compensated by consuming the blood of Christians. Such notions later fed into the stereotype of Jewish men being effeminate, weak and anaemic, as opposed to virile and healthy Aryans.