Question

Based on the information provided in the documents, what did Europeans believe started the plague?

Use reasons and evidence from the documents to support your claims.

Answer 1

They thought the Jewish community had poisoned the water supply.

Answer 2

Europeans had no understanding of the cause of the plague. Some, like those in Geneva, blamed it on poisoning carried out by the Jewish population. Others believed it came as a punishment from God or from a conjunction of planets.