The persecuted Jews of the Middle Ages

Sometimes a little knowledge can be a dangerous thing. For example, it would be entirely possible to go through school thinking that Hitler was the only person to ever persecute the Jewish people. Indeed it's sometimes easier to believe that antisemitism is limited to a handful of insane Nazis in the 1940s. However, history at its best can make you feel uncomfortable and question many of your underlying assumptions about such issues.

Take a look at the picture above. It's taken from a medieval tax record of all the Jews paying tax in Norwich in 1233. Most tax records have very little that's interesting about them (as any accountant will no doubt tell you) but this is definitely an exception. For me, the most engaging aspect of this Middle Ages doddle is that we know who many of the characters in the picture are meant to be and once you have figured out the characters there's a sinister message lying underneath. Before you read on perhaps look at the picture and try and figure it out.