Pejorative accusations of ritual use of human blood
Name(s):
Blood libel
Incidence
Examples of ritual murder of enemies and consumption of their blood (or other organs) are known from many cultures, and continue to be rumoured amongst some subcultures. For example, in 1840, a rumour spread in Syria that a priest, Father Toma, supposedly went to the Jewish Quarter of Damascus and never returned. The story was that the priest was slaughtered by a group of rabbis and other Jews. Not a drop of blood was spilled. It was collected, so the infamous "blood libel" story went, and used to make Passover matzoh. The "blood libel" story has been told over and over again through the years, with other victims, such as Arab children. The story is still told and continues to influence Arab perceptions of Jews.
Claim
1. In John's Gospel, Jesus had participated in three Passovers during his public ministry. John is careful to include these details because of their significance and impact. It seems that in the first two Passovers Jesus prepares his followers for the true Passover where he will offer his own body and blood as the true sacrifice. Jesus Christ is both priest and victim.
2. Jesus states: Truly, Truly, I tell you, if you do not eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Anyone who does eat my flesh and drink my blood has eternal life, and I shall raise him up on the last day. For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood lives in me and I live in that person. [John 6:53-56].
Counter-claim
1. People readily confuse the metaphor of drinking blood, notably the "Blood of Christ" during the Christian Mass, with the actual consumption of real blood.
2. For the pious Jew, cannibalism is strictly forbidden by the Mosaic Law. Second, if they drink the blood of any living creature, they could be considered as cut off from their people because life(blood) belongs to God.
3. Blood is drunk as food by certain peoples ([eg] Massai) or collected and cooked in preparations such a blood sausage.
Broader
Narrower
Strategy(ies)
Type
(G) Very specific problems