<sod> '''Blood libels''' are untrue allegations that a particular group kill people as a form of [[human sacrifice]], and use their [[blood]] in various [[ritual]]s. Often, the alleged victims of these [[child sacrifice|sacifices are children]]. One famous example of something widely considered to be a blood libel, is the accusation that [[Judaism|Jews]] kill [[Christianity|Christian]] and [[Muslim]] children and use their blood to make [[Passover]] [[matzoh]]s. The story has been circulating since, at least, the [[Middle Ages|medieval period]]. Many groups have been the target of these kinds of accusations, including [[Jew]]s, [[Christian]]s, [[Cathar]]s, [[Knights Templar]], [[Witches]], Christian [[heretic]]s, [[Roman Catholic]]s, [[Gypsies]], [[Wiccan]]s, [[Druid]]s, [[neopagan]]s, [[satanic ritual abuse|Satanic cultists]], and [[evangelical]] [[Protestant]] [[missionaries]].
 
 Some people, particularly those seeking to oppose [[anti-Semitism]], use ''blood libel'' as a [[propaganda]] term to mean any kind of [[anti-Semitic lie]]. This article will not focus on this meaning.
 
 The ancient [[Phoenicia]]n practice of sacrificing infants to [[Molech]] appears well documented enough that we can say it is most likely a fact, and ''not'' a blood libel. It is possible that blood libels against Jews originate from this, as it was the Phoenicians who were largely involved with building the infrastructure of the early [[Hebrew]] [[city|cities]]. 
 
During the first and second centuries, some [[Roman]] commentators misunderstood the ritual of the [[Eucharist]] and related teachings. In this ritual, Christians drink red wine in response to the words "This is the blood of Christ". [[Propaganda]] was written which argued that the Christians literally drank blood, and used this to [[persecution of Christians|persecute Christians]]. They were also highly suspicious of Christian [[adoption]]s of abandoned Roman babies and this was suggested as a possible source of the blood. 
 
 == Blood Libel against the Jews ==
 
 <eod> <sod>'''Blood libels''' are untrue allegations that a particular group kill people as a form of [[human sacrifice]], and use their [[blood]] in various [[ritual]]s. Often, the alleged victims of these [[child sacrifice|sacifices are children]]. One famous example of something widely considered to be a blood libel, is the accusation that [[Judaism|Jews]] kill [[Christianity|Christian]] and [[Muslim]] children and use their blood to make [[Passover]] [[matzoh]]s. The story has been circulating since, at least, the [[1st century]]. Many groups have been the target of these kinds of accusations, including [[Jew]]s, [[Christian]]s, [[Cathar]]s, [[Knights Templar]], [[Witches]], Christian [[heretic]]s, [[Roman Catholic]]s, [[Gypsies]], [[Wiccan]]s, [[Druid]]s, [[neopagan]]s, [[satanic ritual abuse|Satanic cultists]], and [[evangelical]] [[Protestant]] [[missionaries]].
 
 Some people, particularly those seeking to oppose [[anti-Semitism]], use ''blood libel'' as a [[propaganda]] term to mean any kind of [[anti-Semitic lie]]. This article will not focus on this meaning.
 
 The ancient [[Phoenicia]]n practice of sacrificing infants to [[Molech]] appears well documented enough that we can say it is most likely a fact, and ''not'' a blood libel. It is possible that blood libels against Jews originate from this, as it was the Phoenicians who were largely involved with building the infrastructure of the early [[Hebrew]] [[city|cities]]. 
 
During the [[1st century|first]] and [[2nd century|second]] centuries, some [[Roman]] commentators misunderstood the ritual of the [[Eucharist]] and related teachings. In this ritual, Christians drink red wine in response to the words "This is the blood of Christ". [[Propaganda]] was written which argued that the Christians literally drank blood, and used this to [[persecution of Christians|persecute Christians]]. They were also highly suspicious of Christian [[adoption]]s of abandoned Roman babies and this was suggested as a possible source of the blood. 
 
 == Blood Libel against the Jews ==
 
 <eod>