Host desecration accusations against Jews

Host desecration involves the mistreatment of the bread used in the Christian ritual of the Eucharist, and the bread is believed in Christianity to be the substance of the body of Jesus Christ. Accusations against Jews of host desecration were a common reason given for massacres and the expulsion of Jews during medieval times. The Jewish deicide charge that Jews as a people hold the responsibility for killing Jesus was a mainstream belief among Christians. Jews have been accused of stealing hosts and abusing them to re-enact the crucifixion of Jesus by stabbing or burning them.