The world is witnessing a resurgence of antisemitism on a scale not seen since the horrors of the twentieth century. Triggered by the events of October 7 in Israel, antisemitic sentiment has erupted globally, manifesting in rallies, threats, assaults, and hate speech, particularly across social media platforms. While this may seem like a recent phenomenon, the history of antisemitism spans millennia and is deeply rooted in humanity’s rebellion against God and His purposes.
Biblical Foundations of Antisemitism
The origins of antisemitism can be traced back to the Bible, where the Jewish story begins with Abraham. God’s promise to Abraham in Genesis 12:3—to make him a great nation through whom all humanity would be blessed—established the Jewish people as a key player in God’s plan for redemption. From the beginning, this divine selection made them a target of opposition, not just by human antagonists but also by spiritual forces.
In Egypt, Pharaoh enslaved the Israelites, fearing their growing population and strength. His genocidal decree to kill all male Hebrew infants (Exodus 1:8–22) sought to weaken them. However, God intervened, raising Moses to lead His people out of bondage. Through miraculous signs like the ten plagues, God demonstrated His power and His faithfulness to Israel.
After their deliverance, the Israelites faced numerous other threats. Balak, the king of Moab, hired the prophet Balaam to curse Israel (Numbers 22–24). Yet, God turned Balaam’s intended curses into blessings, affirming His protection over His chosen people. Similarly, during the Persian Empire, Haman plotted the annihilation of all Jewish people, but God used Esther to thwart his plans, ensuring the survival of His people (Esther 7–8). These stories highlight how opposition to Israel is not just political or cultural but deeply tied to cosmic forces resisting God’s plan.
Antisemitism in Ancient Times
Throughout history, Israel endured exile and oppression under powerful empires. The Assyrian conquest of the northern kingdom in 722 BCE marked the beginning of widespread displacement. The Babylonians followed, destroying the Temple in Jerusalem and exiling the southern kingdom in 586 BCE. While the Persian Empire later allowed Jewish exiles to return and rebuild, periods of hostility persisted under subsequent empires.
In the third century BCE, Israel came under Greek control, with leaders like Antiochus IV Epiphanes seeking to eradicate Jewish practices. His desecration of the Temple and efforts to enforce Hellenistic worship sparked the Maccabean Revolt. Against all odds, Jewish people, led by Mattathias and his sons, achieved a miraculous victory. Their triumph is commemorated in the celebration of Hanukkah, a testament to God’s faithfulness in preserving His people.
The Roman period brought mixed experiences for Jewish people. Some Romans respected Judaism, with a few upper-class people even converting. Others viewed Jewish people with suspicion and hostility. The historian Tacitus (56–120 CE) accused Jewish people of “feel[ing] only hate and enmity” toward non-Jews.[1]
Christian Theology and Jewish People
As belief in Jesus began to spread to the Gentiles and tensions increased between Jewish and Gentile believers, the Jewish roots of the faith became progressively overshadowed by a Gentile majority. Early church leaders propagated the belief that God had rejected Israel due to the nation’s corporate refusal to recognize Jesus as the Messiah. This doctrine, today known as replacement theology, posited that the church had superseded Israel in God’s plan. While not universally held, it became the dominant perspective in Christian theology, fostering negative attitudes toward Jewish people for centuries.
This theological shift had profound implications throughout history. Jewish people any and everywhere were often blamed for the crucifixion of Jesus, labeled as “Christ-killers,” and subjected to widespread discrimination. Over time, replacement theology provided justification for both social exclusion and violent persecution, shaping Christian-Jewish relations in deeply destructive ways. Replacement theology is still influential today. While rejecting an ongoing role for Jewish people in God’s plan is not inherently antisemitic, it has historically fueled a negative view of the Jewish community.[2]
Medieval Antisemitism
The Middle Ages saw antisemitism institutionalized in Europe. Jewish communities were tolerated conditionally, often relegated to roles as moneylenders due to restrictions for other professions. However, this tenuous coexistence frequently erupted into violence.
The Crusades, launched in the eleventh century, targeted Jewish communities in Europe en route to the Holy Land. Entire Jewish towns were massacred, their inhabitants slaughtered in the name of avenging Jesus’ death. The blood libel myth, accusing Jewish people of kidnapping Christian children for ritual purposes, first emerged in England in 1144 and persisted for centuries, fueling mob violence. Similar accusations still arise today.[3]
The Spanish Inquisition and its subsequent expulsion of Jewish people from Spain in 1492 marked a particularly dark chapter. Jewish converts to Christianity, suspected of secretly practicing Judaism, were subjected to brutal investigations. Those who refused to convert were forced into exile, joining a long history of expulsions from European nations, including England and France.
Modern Antisemitism
The Enlightenment and the Protestant Reformation brought both progress and prejudice. Martin Luther, a central figure of the Reformation, expressed virulent antisemitism in his later writings, calling for the destruction of synagogues and Jewish homes.[4] In the 1500s, many European cities built ghettoes to isolate the Jewish population from the rest of society. While the French Revolution dismantled many of these legal barriers against Jewish people, it did not eliminate societal bias.
In the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, “race-based” hatred of Jewish people emerged as a full-fledged ideology. In an attempt to make this age-old hatred seem more “logical,” some concocted theories about the supposed inherent inferiority of Jewish people. Pogroms in Eastern Europe devastated Jewish communities, eventually culminating in the systematic atrocities of the Holocaust. Nazi ideology, built on pseudo-scientific racism, sought the extermination of Jewish people as part of the so-called “Final Solution” to “the Jewish question.” As German forces invaded many parts of Europe, they systematically slaughtered Europe’s Jewish population. Under Adolf Hitler, six million Jewish people were murdered, alongside millions of others the Nazis deemed unworthy of life.
Contemporary Antisemitism and the Call to Action
The events of October 7, now referred to as Black Saturday, are a stark reminder of the persistence of antisemitism. Those who perpetrated these atrocities join a long line of individuals and movements that have sought to destroy Israel and its people. Yet, God’s promise to preserve the Jewish nation remains steadfast: “If the heavens above can be measured and the foundations of the earth below searched out below, then I will also cast off all the offspring of Israel” (Jeremiah 31:37).
For Christians, this history presents both a challenge and an opportunity. The legacy of antisemitism in the church calls for repentance and proactive efforts to combat hatred. As Mordechai reminded Esther, “If you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place and you and your father’s house will perish” (Esther 4:14).
Today’s headlines will shape tomorrow’s history. By opposing antisemitism and advocating for Jewish people, we demonstrate love for our neighbor and stand against the spiritual forces that have long opposed God’s redemptive plan. In doing so, we affirm the hope and promise embodied in Israel and its role in God’s eternal purposes.
[1] Menahem Stern, Greek and Latin Authors on Jews and Judaism, vols. 1 and 2 (Jerusalem: The Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities), 1974.
[2] R. Kendall Soulen, The God of Israel and Christian Theology (Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 1996).
[3] “ADL Condemns Blood Libel Accusation Posted by Palestinian Activist on Social Media,” Anti-Defamation League, October 16, 2015, https://www.adl.org/resources/press-release/adl-condemns-blood-libel-accusation-posted-palestinian-activist-social.
[4] Jacob Rader Marcus, The Jew in the Medieval World: A Source Book, 315–1791 (Cincinnati: Hebrew Union College Press, 1999), 187–88.