Xen•o•pho•bi•a n. abnormal fear of strangers or of anything strange or foreign.

Even before the times of Jesus Christ, the Jewish people have been the subject of fierce persecution. In short, the Jews were a minority with separate religious and social lives. Suspicion and intolerance of such differences spawned fear and hatred.

Scholars classify Anti-Semitism into three categories: Classical, Christian, and Modern. Classical dates back to fifth century B.C. Christian Anti-Semitism originated at the time of Jesus Christ. Modern Anti-Semitism can be traced back to the scientific revolution of the late fifteenth century. While all of these differ significantly, the roots of this hate are quite similar.

Classical Anti-Semitism

The Story of Purim (The Book of Esther) is considered the first historical record of an anti-Semitic act. "All Jews in the kingdom were targeted for annihilation because one Jewish official refused to bow to the top aide of the king. Only as a result of the intervention of the queen, a Jew who pleaded for saving her people, were the Jews saved from mass murder." (Grobman) Throughout most of recorded history, the Jews had been the subject of conquers, including the Assyrians, Babylonians, Greeks, and Romans. Most Jews would not convert to their host's religion and maintained their own rituals and customs, often at great personal sacrifice. "...Conflict between observing the Jewish religion and being sensitive to local customs was the basis for much of the anti-Semitism the Jewish people endured." (Grobman) The strict dietary laws of the Jews prevented them from sharing meals with neighbors. Jews were not allows to marry outside their faith, which prevented intergroup marriages that promoted harmony between groups. Jews maintained traditional dress and continued to wear beards and earlocks even when styles changed. As a result, Jews were easily identified and resulted in stereotyping that exceeded religious differences.

Chrisitan Anti-Semitism

This flavor of anti-Semitism much more complicated than can be described here. This particular conflict originated in the first century with the birth and crucifixion of Jesus. Most Jews of the day accepted Jesus as the messiah, who were afterward referred to as "Gentiles," a minority did not. This crucial difference was and still is the source of significant hostility. Jews and Gentiles were initially tolerant of each other but that changed in the latter half of the first century. The earliest conflicts arose over the question of whether or not Gentiles should have to observe all of Jewish law. Church leaders determined that only certain practices would have to be maintained. "To mainstream Jews, this change appeared as a willingness on the part of the early church to be a lawless society They also feared this would allow pagan influences into the Jewish-Christian circles and eventually, Israel." (Grobman) Over the next centuries, hostility and persecution intensified considerably. Gentiles made a major effort to distance and distinguish themselves from Jews, mostly in the eyes of Rome. Following this, the Justinian Code, the Crusade, and the Medieval Inquisition further persecuted, executed, and curtailed the rights of the Jewish people.

Modern Anti-Semitism

Modern Anti-Semitism, as opposed to earlier forms, was not based on Jewish religious practices or beliefs, but rather that the Jews are an inferior race of people. While these particular views had been held for several hundred years, they did not become prevalent until the nineteenth century. In 1852, Arthur de Gobineau (1816-1882) published "Essay on the Inequality of Human Races." "Gobineau argued that he and his fellow French aristocrats were superior to the French masses by virtue of their pure Aryan stock.... Gobineau's essay was translated into German forty years later and had a powerful influence on Germans such as composer Richard Wagner and his son-in-law, Houston Stewart Chamberlain, who, in turn, influenced Nazi racial doctrine." (Grobman) Anti-Semitism proliferated throughout Germany and its government and literature over the next century. In 1878, Adolf Stricter became the first German to use anti-Semitism in a party platform. His Christian Socialist Workers Party blamed the Jews for business failures and being "a foreign drop of blood..." The next year, he founded the League for Anti-Semitism along with Wilhelm Marr, who coined the term "Anti-Semitism."

Adolf Hitler's rise to power in the 1930s made the hatred of the Jews most apparent. He along with the Nazi party perpetrated the Aryan myth, claiming that Jews and other minorities were responsible for Germany's problems of the day and that "non-Aryan" people were genetically inferior. Hitler orchestrated the extermination of over ten million Jews and other minorities. The Holocaust is generally considered the most horrific even in human history. However, this was not the first time Jews had been executed on a large scale. Tens of thousands of Jews were executed during the Crusades and Medieval Inquisition.

In short, anti-Semitism is yet another historical example of people fearing what is different. Such intolerance has been responsible for the darkest chapters in human history. While such prejudice is not as apparent as it once was, it is still a significant problem today.