Unknown

“ When the righteous man saw them, he trusted his Creator, and called to them, saying, "What sons of adultery you are! And you believe in one born of adultery. But I believe in the God who lives forever, who dwells in the highest heavens. ”

“ Background It was in the 1028th year since the destruction of the Temple that this evil occurred among the Jews, that noblemen, officials, and peasants of France first rose, took counsel, and plotted to ascend, to soar like an eagle, to fight, clearing a way to go to Jerusalem, the holy city, and to arrive at the grave of the crucified, the trodden corpse who can neither affect nor save, for he is naught. Each said to his fellow, "Lo, we are going to a distant land to fight its kings. We are endangering ourselves to kill and subdue all the kingdoms that don't believe in the hung one. ”

“ They call came with swords and spears to destroy us, but some of the burghers came and did not allow them to. They thereupon rose as one and killed one another around the Rhine River, until one of the Crusaders was killed. Then they said, "This is all the Jews' doing!" Nearly all of them gathered together — when the holy men saw all that had happened, their hearts melted — and they spoke harshly against the Jews, framing and blaming them. When the Jews heard their words, they, young and old, said, "What would we give that we should die by God's hand rather than by the hands of His enemies? ”

“ All the men of the city gathered against her and told her, "Lo, you're an industrious woman. Know and realize that God no longer wants to save you, for the murdered are lying naked at the head of every street with no one to bury them. ”

“ David (son of Nethaniel) was there with his wife, children, and the entire household, in the courtyard of a priest. The priest told him, "See, no remnant remains from the bishop's and pacha's courtyards; they are all dead, thrown and trodden in the streets, except a few whom they sullied. You, too, should do so, that you may be saved — yourself along with your money and your entire household — from the Crusaders." The man, in awe of God, answered, "Lo, you go to the Crusaders and burghers, and tell them that they should all come to me." ”

“ The enemies are quickly approaching! Let us act, offering ourselves to our Father in heaven. Whoever has a knife, come kill us for the honor of the unique eternal God, and then pierce himself with his sword in his neck or belly, or slaughter himself. ”

“ By the king's [order] , Bishop John locked the remaining members of the community of Speyer in his fortified towns: God heeded them, for His great name's sake, and the bishop hid them until the enemies of God had passed. They were there, fasting, crying, and eulogizing, greatly disgusted with their lives, for the Crusaders, the Gentile Emicho [von Leiningen] (of ground bones) , and the peasants gathered against them daily to grab them and destroy them. Through Rabbi Moses the philanthropist, Bishop John saved the Jews, for God had given him the idea to sustain them without having been bribed. ”

“ Look, see, has there ever been such a thing — that people should push one another, [each] saying, "I'll be the first to honor [by death] the name of the King, the king over kings"? And the pure women were throwing money out [the windows] , to delay the enemies a bit, until the women could slaughter their own children; the hands of merciful women were strangling their children, to do the will of their Creator, and were turning their children's tender faces to the Gentiles.
When the enemies came to the rooms, they broke the doors and found the Jews still twitching and rolling in their own blood. ”

“ The righteous women would toss rocks to the enemies outside the windows, so the enemies could stone them, and they accepted all the stones [thrown back] , until their entire flesh and face had become strips. They were abusing and insulting the Crusaders regarding the name of the hung one, the disgraced, disgusting son of adultery: "In whom do you trust, a trodden corpse?" And the Crusaders approached the door to break it.
An important woman, Mrs. Rachel, a choice woman (daughter of Rabbi Isaac, the son of Rabbi Asher) , was there, and she told her friends, "I have four children. ”

“ They adopted their ancestors' profession, writing letters and sending messengers to all the Rhineland communities, that they should fast, sit in abstinence, and beg for mercy from He who dwells on high, that He save the French Jews from the Christians' hands. When the letters reached those holy ones, the distinguished pillars of the world, the people of Mainz, they wrote a letter back to France as follows: "All the communities declared fasts: we have done what is ours to do. ”

“ God is one!" And they all approached the gate to fight against the Crusaders and burghers. The two sides fought one another until the sins had their effect and the enemies won, capturing the gate. And the bishop's men, who had promised to help the Jews, had previously fled, allowing them to be taken by the enemies, for the bishop's men were crushed reeds. Thus, the enemies entered the courtyard. ”

“ When the holy ones saw that the enemies were stronger than they, they stood up, men and women, and slaughtered the children, and then one another; some fell on their swords and died, some were killed by their own swords or knives. ”