Session 20|The “Jerusalem Kingdom” of the Crusades
#79-83

#79. Introduction

This lecture examines the history of the first Christian Crusade to Palestine and the reasons behind the undertaking of this expedition. Additionally, emphasis will be placed upon the social structure that existed within the Christian Kingdom of Jerusalem, which was established on July 15, 1099 CE, when Jerusalem fell to the Crusaders. The readings below concentrate upon the events of July 15 as seen through the eyes of Christians and Muslims and deal with the issue of war conducted under the banner of religion.

#80. Pope Urban II

One of the main catalysts for the First Crusade was the preaching of Pope Urban II, particularly a sermon delivered in Clermont in 1095 CE. Two accounts of his sermonizing are given below, both of which have an accompanying introduction to the source. Consult the introductions, then compare the content of each report.


All sources accessed at: http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/urban2-5vers.html
080Download

Question

List the reasons that Pope Urban provides for the necessity of the Crusade. What is the main goal of the Crusade? What benefits does he promise the Crusaders if they set out for the Holy Land?

#81. William of Tyre

The following account of the conquest of Jerusalem is from a Christian perspective, that of William of Tyre, the Archbishop of Tyre – a city south of Sidon on the northern coast of Palestine. It is believed that this historian was a native of Palestine, born to Europeans who moved to this newly conquered region ca. 1130 CE. The portion given below is from his work entitled A History of Deeds Done Beyond the Sea, which describes the Crusades up to 1184 CE (The Catholic Encyclopedia, online version at: www.newadvent.org/cathen/15639a.htm).


Translated by E. Atwater Babcock and A.C. Krey, A History of Deeds Done Beyond the Sea, New York 1943, pp. 348-372.
081. Babcock&Kreys, 348-372Download

Question

According to William of Tyre, what contaminated Jerusalem and how was the city purified once it was under Christian control?

#82. Ibn al-Qalanisi

This Arab account of the fall of Jerusalem is taken from The Damascus Chronicle of the Crusades by Ibn al-Qalanisi (ca. 1070-1160), a resident of Damascus and two-time mayor of that city. His work is very important since his chronicle is a contemporary Muslim account of the initial Crusade (see attached bibliography, pp. 7-9).

082. Gibb, 46-49Download

Question

List the similarities and dissimilarities between the account of Ibn al-Qalanisi and that of William of Tyre in terms of the conquest of Jerusalem and the acts of the Crusaders.

#83. Carole Hillenbrand

C. Hillenbrand, an Arabic and Islamic studies scholar in Scotland, writes of the Islamic concept of Jihad (Holy War) prior to and during the Crusades in the following reading.

C. Hillenbrand, The Crusades: Islamic Perspectives, Chicago and London 1999, pp. 89-112.

083. Hillenbrand, 89-112Download

Question

How does the fundamental nature of Jihad compare to what Pope Urban was calling for in Christendom? Support your answer with references to the appropriate texts.