Editing Simon of Trent (section)

==Controversies==
In the 21st century, historian [[Ariel Toaff]], writing about the case of Simon of Trent, hypothesized that the notion that some Jews killed children to use their blood for ritual purposes may have been tenuously based on an actual "ritual of blood" that did not involve infanticide. In the same work, ''[[Passovers of Blood]]'', Toaff theorises that some blood libel cases may be based on actual instances of infanticide where a Jewish perpetrator acted in retaliation for persecutions against the community.<ref>{{Cite news |date=11 February 2007 |title=Historian's study of 'blood libel' angers fellow Jews |work=[[Ynetnews]] |url=https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3363532,00.html |access-date=5 May 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230415140658/https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3363532,00.html |archive-date=15 April 2023}}</ref> After criticism, the book was withdrawn from circulation and redacted by its author.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Palmieri-Billig |first=Lisa |date=7 February 2007 |title=Historian gives credence to blood libel |work=[[The Jerusalem Post]] |url=http://www.jpost.com/International/Historian-gives-credence-to-blood-libel |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230409050340/https://www.jpost.com/International/Historian-gives-credence-to-blood-libel |archive-date=9 April 2023}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Schwartz |first=Adi |date=24 February 2008 |title=Bar-Ilan Scholar Recants Controversial Blood Libel Theory |work=[[Haaretz]] |url=https://www.haaretz.com/1.4995413 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220416144018/https://www.haaretz.com/1.4995413 |archive-date=16 April 2022}}</ref>

In 2020, the Italian artist {{ill|Giovanni Gasparro|it}} painted a depiction of Simon's death. He was later accused of antisemitism for this painting which was sold to a private collector.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Reich |first=Aaron |date=27 March 2020 |title=Italian artist accused of antisemitism for new painting of blood libel |work=[[The Jerusalem Post]] |url=https://www.jpost.com/diaspora/antisemitism/italian-artist-accused-of-antisemitism-for-new-painting-of-blood-libel-622578 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230412025345/https://www.jpost.com///diaspora/antisemitism/italian-artist-accused-of-antisemitism-for-new-painting-of-blood-libel-622578 |archive-date=12 April 2023}}</ref>

In February 2022, a sculpture of Simon of Trent depicting the blood libel was used by [[QAnon]] conspiracy theorists to promote the conspiracy theory that Hollywood elites [[Adrenochrome#In popular culture|are harvesting adrenochrome from children]] through [[Satanic ritual abuse]] in order to become [[immortality|immortal]].<ref>{{Cite news |last=Lee |first=Ella |date=3 February 2022 |title=Fact check: Sculpture is evidence of antisemitic 'blood libel,' not false QAnon theory |work=[[USA Today]] |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/factcheck/2022/02/03/fact-check-qanons-adrenochrome-conspiracy-theory-baseless/9268681002/ |access-date=6 February 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230408180954/https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/factcheck/2022/02/03/fact-check-qanons-adrenochrome-conspiracy-theory-baseless/9268681002/ |archive-date=8 April 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Rothschild |first1=Mike |title=The Storm Is Upon Us: How QAnon Became a Movement, Cult, and Conspiracy Theory of Everything |date=22 June 2021 |publisher=Octopus |isbn=978-1-80096-046-6 |pages=58{{endash}}61 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bicYEAAAQBAJ&pg=PT58}}</ref>