Translations from “Epistola seu Liber Contra Judæos” (Letter or Book Against the Jews)
Context
Amulo (also spelled Amolo or Hamulus) was Archbishop of Lyon from 841 to 852 CE, succeeding the famous Agobard of Lyon who was also known for his anti-Jewish writings. Amulo’s major anti-Jewish work, Epistola seu Liber Contra Judæos ad Carolum Regem (Letter or Book Against the Jews, to King Charles [the Bald]), was written around 846-849 CE. This treatise was addressed to Charles the Bald, King of West Francia (843-877), and represents one of the most systematic and hostile anti-Jewish polemics of the Carolingian period.
The work is significant in the history of medieval Christian-Jewish relations because it:
- Systematically argued for social segregation of Jews from Christians
- Catalogued Jewish “blasphemies” against Christianity
- Called for royal action to restrict Jewish rights and activities
- Built upon and intensified the anti-Jewish arguments of his predecessor Agobard
Amulo wrote during a period when Jews in Francia enjoyed relative prosperity and some degree of royal protection under Louis the Pious and his successors. Amulo’s letter represents clerical opposition to this situation and argues for stricter enforcement of canonical restrictions on Jewish-Christian contact.
Opening: The Danger of Jewish Perfidy
Latin (lines 9779-9804):
AMULONIS EPISTOLA SEU LIBER CONTRA JUDÆOS AD CAROLUM REGEM.
I. Detestanda Judæorum perfidia, et eorum inter Christianos conversatio quantum sit noxia fidelibus, et ecclesiarum doctoribus periculosa, apud multos incognitum est, non solum vulgares et plebeios, sed etiam nobiles et honoratos, doctos pariter vel indoctos: et apud eos maxime, inter quos nulla præfatorum infidelium habitatio aut frequentatio est. Unde necessarium duximus, et quantum religionis damnum ex eorum permistione Christianus populus sentiat, et quid de eis observandum vel divina auctoritas, vel sanctorum Patrum venerabilia instituta, vel antiquorum principum religiosa edicta perceperint, præsentium litterarum scriptis breviter comprehendere; et tam per nos, quam per vestram unanimem fraternitatem et fraternam unanimitatem, ad notitiam omnium qui nobis in Domino regendi commissi sunt, vel cuicunque nosse voluerint, et valuerint pervenire.
English Translation:
AMULO’S LETTER OR BOOK AGAINST THE Jews TO KING CHARLES
I. The detestable perfidy of the Jews, and how harmful their association among Christians is to the faithful, and how dangerous to the teachers of the churches, is unknown to many people—not only the common and plebeian folk, but also the nobles and honored, the learned equally with the unlearned: and especially among those among whom there is no habitation or association of the aforementioned unbelievers. Therefore we have judged it necessary to briefly comprehend in the writings of this present letter both how much damage to religion the Christian people suffers from their mingling [with Jews], and what is to be observed concerning them—whether by divine authority, or by the venerable institutions of the holy Fathers, or by the religious edicts of ancient princes; and [to make this known] both through us and through your unanimous brotherhood and brotherly unanimity, to the knowledge of all who are committed to us in the Lord for governance, or to whomever may wish to know and be able to understand.
Note: Amulo opens by characterizing Jewish presence as a dangerous “perfidy” and calling for comprehensive education about the threat Jews allegedly pose. The letter is explicitly addressed to King Charles the Bald with the aim of securing royal action.
Section II: Pastoral Duty to Protect the Flock
Latin (lines 9806-9823):
II. Ad quam rem sollicite peragendam constringit nos vehementer ipsa pastoralis officii necessitas; et animarum damna, quas, juxta exemplum Apostoli, Dei æmulatione zelare, debemus, et ab insidiis serpentis antiqui, qui veneno malitiæ suæ fidelium mentes semper depravare conatur, Domino auxiliante, custodire: ut Ecclesia Dei vivi, sponsa Agni, in fidei et religionis sinceritate, proprio viro incorrupta et casta servetur. Juxta quod idem Apostolus dicit: « Æmulor enim vos Dei æmulatione: despondi enim vos uni viro virginem castam exhibere Christo. Timeo autem ne sicut serpens Evam seduxit astutia sua, ita corrumpantur sensus vestri, et excidant a simplicitate quæ est in Christo » (II Cor. xi, 2, 3). Quod maxime nobis metuendum esse, qui in his novissimis et periculosis temporibus occulto Dei judicio Ecclesiæ regimen sortiti sumus…
English Translation:
II. The very necessity of our pastoral office vehemently compels us to diligently accomplish this task; and [to protect] the damage to souls, which according to the example of the Apostle we ought to guard with God’s jealousy, and with the Lord’s help to protect from the snares of the ancient serpent, who always strives to corrupt the minds of the faithful with the poison of his malice: so that the Church of the living God, bride of the Lamb, may be preserved uncorrupted and chaste for her proper husband in the sincerity of faith and religion. According to what the same Apostle says: “For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ. But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ” (2 Cor. 11:2-3). Which we especially ought to fear, we who in these last and perilous times by God’s hidden judgment have been allotted the governance of the Church…
Note: Amulo presents his anti-Jewish campaign as a pastoral duty to protect Christians from spiritual corruption, comparing Jews to the serpent that deceived Eve.
Section III: Jews as the Synagogue of Satan
Latin (lines 9865-9881):
III. Primum itaque illud ad memoriam reducimus, ut recogitet et perpendat unusquisque fidelis qui, et quales, et quam cavendi sint de quibus nunc loquimur; id est, perfidi et blasphemi Judæi. De ipsis enim Dominus in Apocalypsi Joannis, angelo, id est sacerdoti Ecclesiæ Smyrnæ loquitur, dicens: « Scio tribulationem tuam, et paupertatem; sed dives es; et blasphemaris ab his qui se dicunt Judæos esse, et non sunt, sed sunt synagoga Satanæ » (Apoc. ii, 9). Et iterum Angelo Ecclesiæ Philadelphiæ scribit: « Ecce dabo de synagoga Satanæ qui se dicunt Judæos esse, et non sunt, sed mentiuntur: ecce faciam illos ut veniant, et adorent ante pedes tuos, et scient quia ego dilexi te » (Apoc. iii, 9). De his ergo non Judæis, ut ipsi mentiuntur, sed synagoga Satanæ…
English Translation:
III. First therefore we bring this to memory, that each faithful person may recognize and consider who and what sort and how much those of whom we now speak are to be avoided; that is, the perfidious and blasphemous Jews. For concerning them the Lord speaks in the Apocalypse of John to the angel, that is to the priest of the Church of Smyrna, saying: “I know your tribulation and your poverty; but you are rich; and you are blasphemed by those who say they are Jews, and are not, but are the Synagogue of Satan” (Rev. 2:9). And again he writes to the Angel of the Church of Philadelphia: “Behold, I will make those of the Synagogue of Satan who say they are Jews, and are not, but lie—behold, I will make them come and worship before your feet, and they shall know that I have loved you” (Rev. 3:9). Concerning these therefore—not Jews, as they falsely claim, but the Synagogue of Satan…
Note: This is a classic use of Revelation 2:9 and 3:9 to delegitimize Judaism itself, claiming that contemporary Jews are not true Jews but rather Satan’s assembly. This interpretive strategy was common in medieval anti-Jewish polemic.
Section III (continued): Jews as Christ-Killers
Latin (lines 9882-9896):
…dicit etiam beatus Paulus apostolus ad Thessalonicenses: « Quia eadem passi estis et vos a contribulibus vestris, quæ et ipsi a Judæis, qui et Dominum occiderunt Jesum, et prophetas: et nos persecuti sunt, et Deo non placent, et omnibus hominibus adversantur; prohibentes nos gentibus loqui ut salvæ fiant, et impleant peccata sua semper: pervenit autem ira Dei super eos usque in finem » (I Thess. ii, 14-16). De talibus et beatus Joannes in Epistola sua, fidelibus præcipit, dicens: « Si quis venit ad vos, et hanc doctrinam non affert, nolite recipere eum in domo, nec ave ei dixeritis: qui enim dicit illi ave, communicat operibus illius malignis » (II Joan. 10-11).
English Translation:
…the blessed Apostle Paul also says to the Thessalonians: “For you suffered the same things from your own countrymen, just as they did from the Jews, who killed both the Lord Jesus and the prophets, and have persecuted us; and they do not please God and are contrary to all men, forbidding us to speak to the Gentiles that they may be saved, so as always to fill up the measure of their sins; but wrath has come upon them to the uttermost” (1 Thess. 2:14-16). And concerning such people, blessed John also commands the faithful in his Epistle, saying: “If anyone comes to you and does not bring this doctrine, do not receive him into your house nor greet him: for he who greets him shares in his evil deeds” (2 John 10-11).
Note: Amulo invokes the deicide charge and argues that 2 John’s prohibition against greeting heretics applies equally to Jews. This was used to justify complete social segregation.
Section X: Jewish Blasphemies Against Christ
Latin (lines 10203-10232):
X. Denique audiat paulisper religiosa sanctitas vestra quam nefandis atque inauditis blasphemiis, et conviciis Dominum nostrum Jesum Christum, et Christianum ejus populum irrideant et subsannent. Sanctos apostolos impie immutato vocabulo appellant apostatas; tanquam non missos a Deo, sed refugas legis suæ. Evangelium, quod nos Græco eloquio intelligimus bonum nuntium, ipsi propria lingua malitiosissime immutantes vocant HAVONGEILION, quod interpretatur Latine iniquitatis revelatio; asserentes fidelicet quod non in eo mysterium salutis humanæ, sed iniquitas qua totus mundus in errorem mitteretur fuerit revelata: nescientes (insani) quod etiam istud ab eis confictum vocabulum, apertissimum iniquitatis eorum sit testimonium: sicut in libro Job (in cap. xx) de impio scriptum est: « Revelabunt cœli iniquitatem ejus, et terra consurget adversus eum. Apertum erit germen domus illius: detrahetur in die furoris ».
English Translation:
X. Therefore let your religious holiness hear for a moment with what unspeakable and unheard-of blasphemies and insults they mock and deride our Lord Jesus Christ and his Christian people. They impiously call the holy Apostles by a changed name, “apostates”; as if they were not sent by God, but fugitives from their law. The Gospel, which we in Greek speech understand as “good news,” they in their own language most maliciously alter and call HAVONGEILION, which is interpreted in Latin as “revelation of iniquity”; asserting forsooth that in it was revealed not the mystery of human salvation, but the iniquity by which the whole world would be sent into error: not knowing (madmen!) that even this name fabricated by them is the clearest testimony of their own iniquity: just as it is written in the book of Job (chapter 20) concerning the impious man: “The heavens will reveal his iniquity, and the earth will rise up against him. The increase of his house will be exposed: it will be dragged away in the day of his wrath.”
Note: Amulo reports (perhaps with exaggeration) Jewish counter-polemics against Christianity, including wordplay on “Gospel” (Evangelion) as “Aven-gilion” (iniquity-revelation). This passage shows the heated polemical environment of 9th-century Francia.
Section X (continued): Censorship of Psalm 20
Latin (lines 10233-10260):
Et in tantum Domini Jesu Christi odium exarserunt, ut ab Oriente usque in Occidentem, per omnes regiones transmarinas et citramarinas, in quibus Judæi habitant, mandata miserint, ne ullatenus in synagogis suis psalmum nonum decimum, qui sub specie orationis totus de manifestissimo Salvatoris adventu scriptus est, decantarent. Videlicet ne forte dicentes, sicut ibi canitur: « Exaudiat te Dominus in die tribulationis, protegat te nomen Dei Jacob » (Psal. xix, 2), et cætera quæ sequuntur; et certissime de eo subjungentes: « Nunc cognovi quoniam salvum fecit Dominus Christum suum. Exaudiet illum de cœlo sancto suo: in potentiatibus salus dexteræ ejus » (vers. 7). Et in fine psalmi: « Domine, salvum fac regem, et exaudi nos in die qua invocaverimus te » (vers. 10): ne ista, inquam, dicentes, tanquam præsenti benedicere et bene optare viderentur. Tulerunt igitur psalmum, qui per tot sæcula in conventu synagogæ quotidie inter cæteros fuerat decantatus, eumque usque in adventu Christi sui omni modo silendum esse decreverunt…
English Translation:
And they have burned with such hatred of the Lord Jesus Christ that from the East to the West, through all the regions beyond the sea and this side of the sea, in which Jews dwell, they have sent orders that they should by no means chant in their Synagogues Psalm 19 [20 in modern numbering], which under the guise of prayer is written entirely about the most manifest coming of the Savior. Namely lest perhaps by saying, as it is sung there: “May the Lord answer you in the day of trouble, may the name of the God of Jacob protect you” (Psalm 20:1), and the rest that follows; and most certainly adding concerning him: “Now I know that the Lord saves his anointed [Christ]. He will answer him from his holy heaven with the saving might of his right hand” (verse 6). And at the end of the psalm: “O Lord, save the king, and answer us when we call upon you” (verse 9): lest by saying these things, they should seem to bless and wish well to one who is present. Therefore they removed the psalm, which for so many centuries had been chanted daily in the assembly of the Synagogue among the others, and they decreed that it should in every way be silenced until the coming of their Christ…
Note: Amulo claims that Jews removed Psalm 20 from liturgical use because Christians interpreted it as messianic. This may reflect actual Jewish liturgical changes in response to Christian polemics, or may be Amulo’s interpretation of changes he had heard about.
Section XXVI: The Curse of the Cross
Latin (lines 11064-11100):
XXVI. Hanc autem tam impio blasphemandi occasionem unde sumant, manifestum est: videlicet quia sicut in Deuteronomio legimus, lex Dei per Moysen dicit: « Quando peccaverit homo quod morte plectendum est, et adjudicatus morti appensus fuerit in patibulo, non permanebit cadaver ejus in ligno, sed in eidem die sepelietur: quia maledictus a Deo est qui pendet in ligno; et nequaquam contaminabis terram tuam, quam Dominus Deus tuus dederit tibi in possessionem » (Deut. xxi, 22-23). Quod capitulum nos de passione Christi esse prophetatum negare non possumus: quia et Apostolus hoc confirmat, dicens: « Christus nos redemit de maledicto legis, factus pro nobis maledictum, sicut scriptum est: Maledictus omnis qui pendet in ligno » (Gal. iii, 13); et Dominus in Evangelio contestatur, loquens ad Judæos: « Si crederetis Moysi, crederetis forsitan et mihi: de me enim scripsit » (Joan. v, 46)… Non ergo nobis erubescenda est ignominia crucis Christi, quam contra omnia humana opprobria, in eminentiori corporis parte, id est, in fronte gestamus: sed pie et sollicite…
English Translation:
XXVI. Moreover, it is manifest from where they take such an impious occasion for blaspheming: namely because, as we read in Deuteronomy, the law of God through Moses says: “When a man has committed a sin worthy of death, and being adjudged to death he is hanged on a gibbet, his body shall not remain on the tree, but shall be buried the same day: for he who hangs on a tree is accursed by God; and you shall not defile your land, which the Lord your God gives you for an inheritance” (Deut. 21:22-23). We cannot deny that this chapter was prophesied concerning the passion of Christ: because the Apostle also confirms this, saying: “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us, for it is written: ‘Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree'” (Gal. 3:13); and the Lord testifies in the Gospel, speaking to the Jews: “If you believed Moses, you would believe me: for he wrote of me” (John 5:46)… Therefore we must not be ashamed of the ignominy of Christ’s cross, which we bear against all human reproaches on the more prominent part of the body, that is, on the forehead: but piously and carefully…
Note: Amulo addresses the Jewish use of Deuteronomy 21:23 to argue that Jesus could not be the Messiah since he died a cursed death. He defends the crucifixion as fulfillment of prophecy, following Pauline theology.
Section XLIII: Amulo’s Segregation Orders
Latin (lines 12143-12180):
XLIII. Unde et ego anno præsenti, detestans eorum impietatem, et Christianum populum qui nobis in Domino commissus est, ab eorum contagione removere desiderans, annuntiavi publice, et semel, et iterum, et tertio, ut juxta ecclesiastica statuta omnes se ab eorum consortio segragarent, ne Christiani eis servirent, vel in civitate, vel in villis; sed ipsi sibi cum servis suis paganis necessaria agerent et procurarent, neque eorum cibo vel potu aliquis contaminaretur. Et aliqua austerius jussi, ut inveteratum malum funditus eradicarem, cupiens, Domino adjuvante, pii pastoris, et institutoris ac decessoris nostri, viri probati et orthodoxi, bonum imitari exemplum: qui pro hujus mali emendatione, dum adhuc regni hujus aliquantula esset tranquillitas, plurimum laboravit, non solum verbis sed etiam scriptis. Sed quia opus ab eo cœptum, perturbatione temporum est impeditum; nunc in quantum Deus facultatem tribuit, si hoc negligenter tractaverimus, non mediocre damnum in reatum nobis reputabitur.
English Translation:
XLIII. Therefore I myself in the present year, detesting their impiety and desiring to remove from their contagion the Christian people who are committed to us in the Lord, publicly announced—once, twice, and a third time—that according to ecclesiastical statutes all should segregate themselves from association with them, that Christians should not serve them, either in the city or in the villages; but that they themselves should conduct and manage their necessities with their own pagan servants, and that no one should be contaminated by their food or drink. And I commanded some things more severely, desiring to uproot this inveterate evil from its foundations, wishing, with the Lord’s help, to imitate the good example of our pious pastor and founder and predecessor, a proven and orthodox man: who labored greatly for the correction of this evil, both in words and also in writings, while there was still some tranquility in this kingdom. But because the work begun by him was hindered by the disturbance of the times; now, insofar as God grants ability, if we deal with this negligently, no small damage will be reckoned to us as guilt.
Note: This passage is crucial historically, as it documents actual discriminatory policies Amulo attempted to enforce in Lyon. He prohibited Christians from serving Jews, eating with them, or having any social contact. He also invokes his predecessor Agobard as inspiration for these measures.
Section LII: Jews as an Accursed and Unclean People
Latin (lines 12748-12786):
LII. Ad istius igitur maledicti et immundi populi consortium atque convictum penitus vitandum juxta auctoritatem Scripturarum Veteris ac Novi Testamenti instituunt nos atque constringunt sanctissimi et beatissimi patres, et rectores Ecclesiarum Dei, suis exemplis et synodalibus decretis, quæ jam breviter adnotanda et sacerdotali studio in omnium notitiam credimus perducenda. Beatus confessor Hilarius, quam attente Judæorum semper et hæreticorum devitaverit profana consortia, vita ejus scripta demonstrat: quod ita scilicet hujusmodi hostes Ecclesiæ fuerit exsecratus, ut non solum convivium, sed ne salutatio quidem ei exstiterit cum his prætereunti communis. Quo facto vir sanctus illud utique apostolicum observabat: « Et ne dixeritis illi ave: qui enim dicit ei ave, communicat operibus suis malignis » (II Joan. i, 11).
English Translation:
LII. Therefore, for completely avoiding association and intercourse with this accursed and unclean people, according to the authority of the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments, the most holy and blessed fathers and rulers of the Churches of God instruct us and bind us, by their examples and synodal decrees, which we believe should now be briefly noted and brought to everyone’s knowledge through priestly diligence. The blessed confessor Hilary [of Poitiers], how attentively he always avoided the profane consortiums of Jews and heretics, his written life demonstrates: namely that he so execrated these enemies of the Church, that not only a meal, but not even a greeting was common to him when passing by them. By which deed the holy man certainly observed that apostolic [command]: “And do not greet him: for he who greets him shares in his evil works” (2 John 11).
Note: Amulo systematically builds a case for total social segregation, citing early Church fathers like Hilary of Poitiers as models. He characterizes Jews as “accursed and unclean,” using ritual purity language to justify discrimination.
Section LII (continued): Contamination from Jewish Food
Latin (lines 12733-12747):
Loquitur Dominus ad Aggaeum prophetam: « Interroga sacerdotes legis, dicens: Si tetigerit immundus in anima ex omnibus his, id est panem, aut vinum, aut oleum, aut pulmentum, aut omnem cibum, nunquid contaminabitur? Et respondent sacerdotes: Contaminabitur. Et ait Dominus: Sic gens ista, et sic populus iste ante faciem meam » (Agg. ii, 12-15). Unde et Apostolus confirmat, dicens: « Omnia munda mundis; coinquinatis autem et infidelibus nihil est mundum: sed inquinata sunt eorum et mens et conscientia » (Tit. i, 15); ut videlicet immundorum immundas esse noverimus mensas. Quomodo enim immundæ non erunt mensæ, quorum maledicta sunt horrea et apothecæ?
English Translation:
The Lord speaks to the prophet Haggai: “Ask the priests of the law, saying: If an unclean person touches any of these things, that is bread, or wine, or oil, or cooked food, or any food, will it be contaminated? And the priests answer: It will be contaminated. And the Lord says: So is this nation, and so is this people before my face” (Haggai 2:12-14). And the Apostle confirms this, saying: “To the pure all things are pure; but to the defiled and unbelieving nothing is pure: but their mind and conscience are defiled” (Titus 1:15); so that we may know that the tables of the unclean are unclean. For how will the tables not be unclean, whose storehouses and cellars are accursed?
Note: This passage uses ritual impurity arguments to forbid Christians from eating with Jews. By characterizing Jews as inherently “unclean,” Amulo provides theological justification for social segregation.
Pope Gregory I’s Letter (cited by Amulo)
Latin (lines 12680-12702):
« Mirati sumus quod in regno vestro Judæos Christiana mancipia possidere permittitis. Quid enim sunt Christiani omnes nisi membra Christi? quorum fidelicet membrorum caput cuncti novimus quia ipse Christus est. Excellentiam vestram autem Christum honorare cognoscimus. Sed quam diversum sit, excellentia vestra perpendat, caput honorare, et membra illius hostibus calcanda permittere. Atque ideo petimus, ut excellentiæ vestræ constitutio de regno suo hujus pravitatis mala removeat, ut in hoc vos amplius dignos cultores omnipotenti Domino denotemus, quod fideles illius ab inimicis ejus absolvitis. »
English Translation:
“We are amazed that in your kingdom you permit Jews to possess Christian slaves. For what are all Christians except members of Christ? Of which members we all know that Christ himself is the head. Moreover, we know that your Excellency honors Christ. But let your Excellency consider how different it is to honor the head, and to permit his members to be trampled by enemies. And therefore we ask that the constitution of your Excellency remove these evils of depravity from your kingdom, so that in this we may show you as more worthy worshipers to the almighty Lord, because you free his faithful from his enemies.”
Note: Amulo quotes Pope Gregory I’s letter to argue that allowing Jews to employ Christian servants is tantamount to allowing Christ’s body (the Church) to be trampled by enemies. This was a standard argument used to restrict Jewish economic activity.
Section on Jewish Blindness
Latin (lines 12714-12746):
Verbum Domini, id est Dei Filium, Dominum Jesum Christum. Et cum ejus notitia in universo orbe, velut sol meridianus de cœlestibus refulgeat, illi tanquam cæci in tenebris palpant, sicut eis in ipsis maledictionibus legis dictum est: « Percutiat te Dominus amentia, et cæcitate, ac furore mentis: et palpes in meridie, sicut palpare solet cæcus in tenebris: et non dirigas vias tuas » (Deut. xxviii, 28-29). Per hanc enim cæcitatem, etiam illam maledictionem incurrunt quæ istarum omnium causa est, et inter cæteras, ut in Hebraico proprie scriptum est, sic ponitur: « Et erit vita tua suspensa ante te; timebis nocte et die, et non credes vitæ tuæ » (Deut. xxviii, 66). Quæ est enim hæc vita populi Dei, nisi ille qui in Evangelio loquitur: « Ego sum resurrectio et vita » (Joan. xi, 25)?… Hanc vitam suam viderunt Judæi in ligno crucis suspensam ante se, et in ejus præsentia dubitantes credere, timuerunt nocte et die… Quæ maledictio utique usque hodie in eis permanet…
English Translation:
The Word of the Lord, that is the Son of God, the Lord Jesus Christ. And although knowledge of him shines forth in the whole world like the noonday sun from the heavens, they [the Jews] grope like blind men in darkness, just as it was said to them in those curses of the law: “May the Lord strike you with madness and blindness and confusion of mind: and you shall grope at noonday, as the blind gropes in darkness: and you shall not direct your ways” (Deut. 28:28-29). For through this blindness, they also incur that curse which is the cause of all these things, and among the others, as it is properly written in Hebrew, it is put thus: “And your life shall hang before you; you shall fear night and day, and shall not believe in your life” (Deut. 28:66). For what is this life of the people of God, except he who speaks in the Gospel: “I am the resurrection and the life” (John 11:25)?… The Jews saw this their life hanging on the wood of the cross before them, and doubting to believe in his presence, they feared night and day… This curse certainly remains in them until today…
Note: This passage interprets Deuteronomy 28’s curses as applying permanently to Jews for rejecting Christ. The “life hanging before you” is interpreted as Christ on the cross, whom Jews saw but refused to believe in. This reflects the supersessionist view that Jews are under permanent divine curse.
The Seduction of Bodo (Section XLII-XLIII)
Latin (lines 12103-12142):
…seductus est ab eis diaconus palatinus, nobiliter natus, nobiliter nutritus et in Ecclesiæ officiis exercitatus, et apud principem bene habitus, ita ut eorum diabolicis persuasionibus abstractus et illectus, desereret palatium, desereret patriam et parentes, desereret penitus Christianorum regnum: et nunc apud Hispaniam inter Saracenos Judæis sociatus, persuasus sit ab impiis Christum Dei Filium negare, baptismi gratiam profanare, circumcisionem carnalem accipere, nomen sibi mutare, ut qui antea Bodo, nunc Eleazar appelletur. Ita ut et superstitione et habitu totus Judæus effectus, quotidie in synagogis Satanæ barbatus et conjugatus, cum cæteris blasphemet Christum et Ecclesiam ejus.
English Translation:
…a palatine deacon was seduced by them [the Jews], nobly born, nobly raised and trained in the offices of the Church, and well regarded by the prince, so that, drawn away and enticed by their diabolical persuasions, he abandoned the palace, abandoned his fatherland and parents, completely abandoned the Christian kingdom: and now in Spain among the Saracens, associated with Jews, he has been persuaded by the impious to deny Christ the Son of God, to profane the grace of baptism, to receive carnal circumcision, to change his name, so that he who was formerly Bodo, is now called Eleazar. So that having been made entirely a Jew both in superstition and in appearance, he daily blasphemes Christ and his Church in the Synagogues of Satan, bearded and married, along with the others.
Note: This passage refers to the famous case of Bodo-Eleazar, a Frankish deacon and courtier of Louis the Pious who converted to Judaism around 838-839 and fled to Muslim Spain. This conversion caused enormous scandal and was used by Amulo as proof of the dangerous seductive power of Jews. The case is one of the most well-documented medieval conversions to Judaism.
Conclusion: Call for Royal Action
Latin (lines 12160-12185):
XLV. Sed quanta in Christianis principibus, non solum Romanis, sed etiam Francis, et aliarum gentium, fuerit contra impugnatores et blasphematores veritatis, in quibus et ipsi Judæi præcipue deputandi sunt, cura, et quantam pro illis vel coercendis, vel corrigendis, propter amorem Christi et tutelam Ecclesiæ Dei, exercuerint disciplinam, melius suggerimus si de hac re ex sanctorum Patrum dictis, et eorum gestis sive edictis breviter aliqua proponamus…
English Translation:
XLV. But how great was the care among Christian princes, not only Romans but also Franks and other nations, against the attackers and blasphemers of truth, among whom the Jews themselves especially are to be counted, and how much discipline they exercised for either restraining or correcting them, on account of love of Christ and protection of God’s Church, we better suggest if concerning this matter we briefly propose some things from the sayings of the holy Fathers, and from their deeds or edicts…
Note: Having catalogued Jewish “crimes,” Amulo concludes by calling for royal intervention, citing historical precedents of Christian rulers who restricted Jewish rights. This was the practical goal of the treatise: to persuade Charles the Bald to enforce stricter anti-Jewish measures.
Analysis
Amulo’s Liber Contra Judæos represents one of the most systematic and hostile anti-Jewish polemics of the early medieval period. The work demonstrates several key features of medieval Christian anti-Judaism:
Theological Supersessionism
Jews are characterized as permanently cursed for rejecting Christ, their covenant superseded, and they remain under divine judgment (“wrath has come upon them to the uttermost”).
Dehumanization and Demonization
Jews are repeatedly called the “Synagogue of Satan,” “perfidious,” “blasphemous,” “accursed and unclean,” likened to serpents and demons, and accused of seeking to corrupt Christians.
Ritual Impurity Arguments
Drawing on Levitical purity concepts, Amulo argues Jews are inherently “unclean” and contaminate Christians through contact, food, or even greeting.
Social Segregation
The treatise systematically advocates for complete separation: no Christian should serve Jews, eat with them, greet them, or have any social interaction.
Political Advocacy
Unlike purely theological polemic, Amulo directly petitions royal authority to enforce discriminatory policies, making this a political intervention as well as a religious text.
The Deicide Charge
Jews are repeatedly blamed for killing Christ and the prophets, with this used to justify their degraded status.
Economic Restrictions
By citing Gregory I’s prohibition on Jews owning Christian slaves, Amulo sought to restrict Jewish economic opportunities.
Historical Context
Amulo wrote during a period when Carolingian Jews enjoyed some prosperity and royal protection. His letter represents clerical resistance to this situation and builds on his predecessor Agobard’s similar efforts. The Bodo-Eleazar conversion scandal provided contemporary “evidence” of alleged Jewish danger.
Historical Impact
While we cannot measure the direct impact of Amulo’s letter on royal policy, works like this contributed to the intellectual climate that eventually led to:
- Increasingly restrictive canonical legislation against Jews
- Royal edicts limiting Jewish rights and activities
- Social marginalization and ghettoization
- Periodic expulsions and violence
Amulo’s work is thus a significant document in the tragic history of Christian-Jewish relations, showing how theological supersessionism translated into advocacy for discrimination and segregation.
Source. Patrologia Latina – Amulo of Lyons. Epistola seu Liber Contra Judæos ad Carolum Regem. In Patrologia Latina, vol. 116, cols. 9773-13000. Ed. Jacques-Paul Migne. Paris, 1852.
Translated by: Claude (Anthropic)
Date: February 2026
Research Purpose: Medieval Adversus Judæos literature study