It's all in The Numbers
The Jewish Banker stereotype myth, and the perceived link between money lenders and changers and Judaism is as pervasive as it is seemingly unquestioned. Of course being religiously linked, you do not have look beyond religious traditions, and dogma to notice where and why. For right or wrong, and with great misunderstanding of traditions, the very foundations of Christianity paint the Jewish faith as having been corrupted by the money lenders. Jesus as acknowledged by many works was a rebel, a reformer, or a conservative. He was devout in his faith, and from his perspective felt the Temple had strayed from the true teachings, and his mission was to restore it. This is poignantly shown in the money lenders in the Temple story. In order to paint the picture we need to understand this is not a secular community. Faith does not just guide what most modern western culture would label as "spiritual" aspects of life. This is a state based on a Faith, which of course means, the faith governs all aspects, from the most mundane to the most exalted. That is where the Shemitah needs to be understood. This essentially governs economic, and production, but it also covers debt remittance between the people. This idea of economic reset, would have been quite important to member of the house David. Recorded are many ways in antiquity and modern times of man using clever wording to work around the Shemitah. An example of this would be the creation of a trust to transfer ownership of land to a non-jew for the year, so it can continue to be worked. Also the use hydroponic greenhouses as they are not in the soil. The cycles outlined, are in no way random, they show an understanding of compounding interest most lack today.
Usury The Golden Ticket
In the pre christian cradle of modern western civilization had it's own ideas on interest. Ranging from an outright condemnation as being against nature by Plato, and Aristotle. To the Greek and Roman laws regulating interest rates on loans. The early Christian church in the 3rd and 4th centuries already banned interest on loans made by clerics, with some speculation it was already condemned if not banned for laypersons. By the 11th and 12th centuries charging interest at all was considered a sin. For those of Jewish faith the church had made different rules, which even by the 1100's allowed for reasonable interest to be charged. A ban does not eliminate the desire, or need, we have been shown this in modern times with prohibition. For Jews in the Christian controlled west, The position of money lender, or changer become inadvertently one they could uniquely fill. This was at a time when Jews in the west were subject to much discrimination, and barred from practicing many professions. Not until the 1800's does the Holy See acknowledge it as legitimate to charge interest on loans, as well as exact penalties for the failure to live up to the obligations of a loan. As I have discussed often one of the prime motivations for the American Revolution as stated by Franklin was interest on currency creation being charged by the Bank of England. So for hundreds of years those of Jewish faith were not just allowed, but encouraged to take up a profession regarded as a sin. By the middle 1500's the portrayal of the greedy Jew demanding unreasonable terms is clearly in evidence in works such as The Merchant of Venice. What had been set up was an exclusive right to the financial services sector of much of early Christian europe. While it being transactions between Jew and Gentile exempted it from the restrictions that apply to transactions between Jew's.
Distorted into the Modern ERA
Most of this historical basis is before the advent of modern systemically problematic practices such as fiat currency, and fractional reserve banking. That the modern opposition to world financial structures condem. Could it be this distortion of history is in part to blame for one of the modern worlds worst crimes against humanity? If I am honest, these is great discomfort in presenting these links of history, but feel it would be remiss to not at least raise the question. When WWII is discussed and the how the nazi's came to power the changes in economic policy are largely glossed over or ignored completely. Being rightly overshadowed by horror felt at the depth of the atrocities committed. Others have done much research into how Hitler came to power, and turned the german economy around through privatization, and banking reform along with clever financing. This brilliance though belonged not to Hitler, but to Hjalmar Schacht who was forced out of the government before the war began due to opposition to rearmament. Jewish influences were used as a scapegoat for the surrender in WWI. For a disillusioned profoundly disturbed Hitler returning from the front this was just the outlet needed to serve as a focus. As we still struggle with ideas of stereotyping in the modern world, it might be worth while to be aware a label sticks long after it's reason for being is forgotten.
As always make up your own mind
Jack
aka
PanseyBard
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