Jews, Lepers and the Black Death (This Week in Jewish History) Jews Burned to Death in Strasbourg, c. 1349. Source: Wikimedia Commons. The summer of 1321 was plagued with rumors that Jews had entered into a conspiracy with lepers (some versions also included Muslims) to poison the wells of Europe, resulting in mass hysteria and mob violence. King Philip V was eventually able to quell the movement, but it resurfaced twenty years later in a much more potent form as the Black Death swept through Europe. Share this:TwitterTumblrFacebookLinkedInEmailRedditLike this:Like Loading...