Chronology of a libel:
יהודים YEHUDIM attack
Christian images

Christian writers, church councils, poets, legal compilers, artists, printers, and modern church institutions transmitted stories in which יהודים YEHUDIM supposedly attacked images of Jesus or Mary. The alleged attacks are fictional. The dated record is the Christian production, use, and preservation of the accusation.1

AM 4345–4351Precision: range · Basis: not-assessed

AM 4345–4351

AM 4345–4351: Gregory of Tours recorded a story accusing a יהודי YEHUDI of stealing an image of Jesus.

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AM 4534–4536Precision: range · Basis: not-assessed

AM 4534–4536

AM 4534–4536: A Greek theological anthology preserved the Beirut image-desecration legend.

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ט״ו בתשרי ד׳תקמ״ח 15th 𝑜𝑓 Tiŝrei, AM 4548Precision: day · Basis: not-assessed

Peter of Nicomedia presented the Beirut story at the Second Council of Nicaea.

ט״ו בתשרי ד׳תקמ״ח 15th 𝑜𝑓 Tiŝrei, AM 4548: Peter of Nicomedia presented the Beirut story at the Second Council of Nicaea.

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AM 4632–4633Precision: range · Basis: not-assessed

AM 4632–4633

AM 4632–4633: Anastasius Bibliothecarius translated the Beirut story into Latin.

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AM 4660–4761Precision: range · Basis: not-assessed

AM 4660–4761

AM 4660–4761: A Girona martyrology recorded an annual Passio ymaginis observance.

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AM 4869–4871Precision: range · Basis: not-assessed

AM 4869–4871

AM 4869–4871: Christians massacred יהודים YEHUDIM at Toledo. The record does not establish that the victims attacked an image.

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AM 4895–4896Precision: range · Basis: not-assessed

AM 4895–4896

AM 4895–4896: William of Malmesbury transmitted a version that treated killing יהודים YEHUDIM as worthy of heavenly reward.

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AM 4925–4941Precision: range · Basis: not-assessed

AM 4925–4941

AM 4925–4941: Adgar transmitted the Toledo accusation in Anglo-Norman verse.

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AM 5006–5013Precision: range · Basis: not-assessed

AM 5006–5013

AM 5006–5013: Gonzalo de Berceo transmitted the Toledo accusation in Castilian verse.

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AM 5008–5009Precision: range · Basis: not-assessed

AM 5008–5009

AM 5008–5009: John of Garland transmitted the accusation in Latin verse.

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AM 5016–5026Precision: range · Basis: not-assessed

AM 5016–5026

AM 5016–5026: The Siete Partidas made alleged crucifixion of children or wax images by יהודים YEHUDIM a punishable legal possibility.

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AM 5020–5028Precision: range · Basis: not-assessed

AM 5020–5028

AM 5020–5028: The Golden Legend tied the Beirut story to relics, conversion, church dedication, and the conversion of synagogues into churches.

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AM 5020–5045Precision: range · Basis: not-assessed

AM 5020–5045

AM 5020–5045: Cantiga 12 joined the Toledo accusation to song, musical notation, and a six-panel image.

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AM 5020–5045Precision: range · Basis: not-assessed

AM 5020–5045

AM 5020–5045: Cantigas 34 and 46 contrasted an accused יהודי YEHUDI with a Muslim figure who honored an image of Mary.

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AM 5032–5034Precision: range · Basis: not-assessed

AM 5032–5034

AM 5032–5034: Thomas Aquinas used blood said to flow from a maltreated image to distinguish image blood from relics of Jesus.

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AM 5099Precision: year · Basis: not-assessed

AM 5099

AM 5099: Later Christian tradition represented the Deggendorf massacre through a Host-desecration legend.

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AM 5213Precision: year · Basis: not-assessed

AM 5213

AM 5213: Authorities burned forty-one יהודים YEHUDIM after a Host-desecration libel supported by torture-produced confessions.

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AM 5216–5218Precision: range · Basis: not-assessed

AM 5216–5218

AM 5216–5218: Douce 374 illustrated an image of Mary accusing יהודים YEHUDIM.

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AM 5244Precision: year · Basis: not-assessed

AM 5244

AM 5244: William Caxton printed the Golden Legend in English.

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כ״א בכסלו ה׳רמ״ד 21st 𝑜𝑓 Kislev, AM 5244Precision: day · Basis: not-assessed

Caxton’s colophon dated completion of his English work.

כ״א בכסלו ה׳רמ״ד 21st 𝑜𝑓 Kislev, AM 5244: Caxton’s colophon dated completion of his English work.

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ל׳ בתשרי ה׳תשפ״ז 30th 𝑜𝑓 Tiŝrei, AM 5787Precision: day · Basis: not-assessed

The Orthodox Church in America retained the Beirut accusation on its official 2026 calendar page.

ל׳ בתשרי ה׳תשפ״ז 30th 𝑜𝑓 Tiŝrei, AM 5787: The Orthodox Church in America retained the Beirut accusation on its official 2026 calendar page.

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How is this dated?

This chronology is not assigned to one Hebrew date. It follows a libel through many texts, institutions, media, and later acts across more than a millennium. Each entry states what its date belongs to, such as a text, council session, manuscript, printing, massacre, or modern calendar page. No entry date is transferred to the chronology as a whole.2

Footnotes

  1. Aron-Beller, Christian Images and Their Jewish Desecrators, ↩
  2. Aron-Beller, Christian Images and Their Jewish Desecrators, ↩