Repugnant Bible Motives in the Beilis Trial: What Oskar Gruzenberg Really Thought about Russian Images of Jews

• In Event: The Hebrew Bible/Old Testament in Russian Thought and Literature

Abstract

This paper examines the life and legal work of O. O. Gruzenberg and the Russian liberal tradition by focusing on the Mendel Beilis trial and the perception among some Russian experts that the Jewish Bible (so-called Old Testament) insists that Jews commit murder. In his defense Gruzenberg wanted to exonerate Beilis, but also clean the Jews from blood libel accusations. What did Gruzenberg think about antisemitism and misperceptions of Jews, how did legal categories help him focus on certain evils, but also blind him to others?

Author

• Brian Jay Horowitz, Tulane U