The Crusades and the Jews: Some Reflections on the 1096 Massacre

In the year 1096, in the early stages of the First Crusade, Jewish communities, mainly in the Rhineland, were attacked and massacred by bands of crusaders. These events, which have been considered by historians as the first major persecution of the Jews in medieval Europe, aroused a wide-ranging discussion. This study explores the most recent trends in the historiography of the 1096 massacres while examining the different methods and the approaches behind them.