Witchcraft is defined as the practice of magic, the use of incantations and the invocation of spirits. Throughout the history of the Church, witchcraft has become a prevalent topic since 560 BC, when it is first mentioned in the Old Testament. In those times the persecution of witchcraft was rare because many people practiced it and it was seen as simply another of the many religions of the ancient world. Then, in the 1400s, as the church became dominant, people began turning to the Old Testament for guidance and morals. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Many of these Bible passages have been misinterpreted and people have distorted their true meaning. They believed that what they were doing was right and beneficial to their society. At that time religion was taken very seriously and rumors of witchcraft began to spread. Many have exploited the outbreak of persecution, using the fear of others to their own advantage. Witchcraft was no longer just a rumor, it was a way of manipulating society to put someone to death. Innocent people were tried for witchcraft and were brutally tortured to the point where they made up stories about their magical powers and falsely admitted to practicing them. In the 15th, 16th and 17th centuries the church was divided into Protestants and Catholics. They launched numerous campaigns that led to the deaths of thousands of innocent people persecuted for witchcraft. In the chaos, there were many people who began to spread rumors of witchcraft about people they didn't like or of political competition. Witchcraft became a way for these evil people to eliminate their opponents through false claims against them. Witchcraft has always been a big problem in the history of the church and, although overlooked, is of great importance. The persecuted “witches” were nothing more than scapegoats. Witches were blamed for the failures and miseries of others. For example, a person can be executed for witchcraft because he was accused of cursing a couple who could not have children. Witches can also be blamed for other negative aspects such as bad harvests and bad weather conditions. Many forms of execution had been used for the persecuted, but the most common form was burning them at the stake. The accused people were easily single women because of the way witches are depicted in tales and myths. More than just misunderstandings, society was in great confusion because the fear of witches was strongly promoted. In 1692, a mass hysteria known as the Salem Witch Trials occurred in Salem, Massachusetts. During this event 20 innocent people were tried and hanged accused of witchcraft. After this event most of the world began to realize that the great fear was all in their heads and the accusation of witchcraft began to subside. Although persecution against people who practice witchcraft and the dark arts continues today in some countries, we should be concerned about accusations of witchcraft in church history because it was a massacre of innocence. Society had been misled by confusion and following Old Testament passages to the extreme. In a passage of Leviticus it is stated: "Even a man or a woman who has a familiar spirit or who is a magician, they will surely be put to death; they will stone them with stones: their blood will be on them" (Leviticus 20:27 ). This passage as part of the law of Moses was strictly followed and was the reason why.