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Badchen Badge

THE JEWISH ENCYCLOPEDIA

ducted by the "Synagogenrath," which consists of from three to seven members. Several local synagogues constitute a synagogal district with its rabbi and elders. The district synagogues again are responsible to a so-called " Israelitischen Oberrath " (Jewish council) and this is directly responsible to the ministry of the interior, its expenses being defrayed out of the national treasury. Since 1860 the Jews of Baden have enjoyed equal rights with the other inhabitants. In 1901 they numbered 25,903

increasing degradation of the position of Jews in Christendom was due in a large measure to this outward sign of separation, which gave the official stamp of both Church and state to the discrimination



souls, distributed

among

fifteen rabbinical districts

Rabbinatsbezirke "). Bibliography: Breslau, in Hchr. BiU.

("

1870, p. 130;

Stern,

Urkundllche Nachricftten cms Ueherliiwen, p. 12; Weecta, Badinehe Gesch.; Zehnter, in Zeilschrift fllr die Gfesch. etes Oherrhein.% vols, xi., xv.; LOwenstein, Gesch. der Juden in der Kurpfalz, passim. G. A. F.

BADGE

Mark placed on the dress of Jews to distinguish them from others. This was made a general order of Christendom at the fourth Lateran Council of 1215. At the instigation of Innocent III., the decision of the Council ordered the Jews, in the following terms, to bear a Badge " Contingit interdum quod per errorem christiani Judseorum seu Saracenorum et Juda?i seu Saraceni ehristianorum mulieribus commisceantur. Ne igitur tarn damnatse commixtionis excessus per velameutum erroris hujusmodi, excusationis ulte:

rius possint habere dilTugium, statuimus ut tales utriusque sexus in omni ehristianorum provincia, et omni tempore qnalitate habitus publice ab aliis populis distinguantur."

From

would appear

that the motive of the order was to prevent illicit intercourse between Jews and Christian women but it is scarcety doubtful that this was little more than a pretext, the evidence of such intercourse being only of the slightest (see this it



Abrahams, "Jewish Life in the Middle Ages," pp. 93-95). It was no doubt the general policy of the Church to make a sharp line of demarcation between the true believer and the heretic; and the Badge

From the " Bible Historiale de Pierre Comestor," 14th Century.

Badges and Hats Worn by Jevs.

(From " Revue des Etudes Juives.")

of social status against the Jew. The idea of such a discrimination seems to have been derived from Islam, in which the dress of the Jews was distin-

guished by a different color from that of the true believer as early as the Pact of Omar (640), by which Jews were ordered to wear a yellow seam on their upper garments (D'Ohsson, "Histoire des Mogols," 1854, iii. 274). This was a distinct anticipation of the Badge. In 1005 the Jews of Egypt were ordered to wear bells on their garments and a wooden calf to remind them of the golden one (S. Lane-Poole, " History of Egypt," 1901, vi. 126). Later on, in 1301, they were obliged to wear yellow turbans (ib. pp. It may have been some sort of retaliation 300, 301). for a similar restriction placed upon the Christians in Islam, since the order of the Council applied to Saracens as well as to Jews. The most usual form in which the Badge appeared was that of a ring sewn on the upper garment and of a different color to it. This was called In France, "the wheel " (Latin, "rota " French, r



"roue, rouelle"), and was the distinguishing mark used in the Romance countries, France, Italy, and Spain. This form seems to have existed in the diocese of Paris even before the Lateran Council for it is mentioned among the synodal statutes of Bishop Eudes de Sully, who died July After the Lateran Council it was ordered 18, 1208. in the whole of ecclesiastical France at the Council of Narbonneinl227("deferantsignum rota'," Mansi, This was repeated by local "Concilia," xiii., 1186). councils at Aries 1234 and 1260, Beziers 1246, Albi 1254, Nimes 1284 and 1365, Avignon 1326 and 1337,

Badges on Garments of Jewish Priests According to the " Bible Historiale de Pierre Comestor," 14th Century.

(From " Revue-des Etudes Juives.")

as the last stage in a series of enactments in the twelfth century, intended to prevent social relations between Jews and Christians, the chief of these being the prohibition of Christians becoming servThe Badge had a most deleteants of the Jews. rious effect upon their social relations; and the

came

Rodez

1386,

and Vanves

1368.

the Church in imposing the Saint Louis pubin France. lished an ordinance to that effect (June 19, 1269) and his example was followed by the kings of France

The state followed Badge upon the Jews