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<p>This study examines the historical circumstances surrounding the addition of Ezekiel 16:6 (“Through your blood[s], live! Through your blood[s], live!”) to the medieval Franco-German circumcision liturgy, as first attested in Maḥzor Vitry. It traces the midrashic interpretation of this verse from tannaitic sources through post-talmudic texts, demonstrating how the “bloods” evolved from metonyms for commandments into a symbol of salvific power. The ritual innovation of dripping wine into the baby’s mouth while reciting the verse is analyzed within the context of evolving Jewish-Christian relations in medieval northern Europe, as more virulent forms of anti-Judaism emerged in the twelfth century to take their place alongside the well-developed <i>adversus Judaeos</i> tradition of earlier centuries. This liturgical development, together with the introduction of the liturgy’s closing verses, represents a subtle appropriation and rejection of Christian eucharistic symbolism, affirming Jewish covenant theology against Christian supersessionist claims. Through examination of Jacob haGozer’s thirteenth-century <i>Rules of Circumcision</i>, the study reveals how the meaning of these ritual elements intensified as Jewish-Christian relations worsened.</p>

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In the Merit of the Blood of Circumcision: The Circumcision Liturgy in Medieval Europe

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2026年8月4日

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  • Yedida Eisenstat

摘要

This study examines the historical circumstances surrounding the addition of Ezekiel 16:6 (“Through your blood[s], live! Through your blood[s], live!”) to the medieval Franco-German circumcision liturgy, as first attested in Maḥzor Vitry. It traces the midrashic interpretation of this verse from tannaitic sources through post-talmudic texts, demonstrating how the “bloods” evolved from metonyms for commandments into a symbol of salvific power. The ritual innovation of dripping wine into the baby’s mouth while reciting the verse is analyzed within the context of evolving Jewish-Christian relations in medieval northern Europe, as more virulent forms of anti-Judaism emerged in the twelfth century to take their place alongside the well-developed adversus Judaeos tradition of earlier centuries. This liturgical development, together with the introduction of the liturgy’s closing verses, represents a subtle appropriation and rejection of Christian eucharistic symbolism, affirming Jewish covenant theology against Christian supersessionist claims. Through examination of Jacob haGozer’s thirteenth-century Rules of Circumcision, the study reveals how the meaning of these ritual elements intensified as Jewish-Christian relations worsened.