Description
By Thomas of Monmouth. A complete copy of the 12th-century hagiography that chronicles the life, supposed martyrdom, and posthumous miracles of a young boy named William.
Written by a monk at Norwich Cathedral, the text is most famous for its promotion of one of the earliest known accusations of “ritual murder” against Jews. Thomas portrays William as a saintly figure, murdered in a gruesome and ritualistic fashion by Jews during Passover, echoing a parallel to the Passion of Christ.
Thomas claimed William, a 12-year-old tanner’s apprentice, had been ritually murdered by Jews in contempt of the Christian faith. It’s the first such account, specifically that of Jewish ritual murder of a child, in the historical record.
This edition is complete and unabridged as translated by Cambridge academicians Jessopp & James in 1896.
Softcover, 170 pages, indexed, #939, $20.
