Author Archives: Ruth

First Crusaders Sack Jerusalem, 1099

Posted on December 3, 2022 by Ruth

The Crusaders besieged Jerusalem on June 7, 1099, exactly a year after their siege of Antioch. Between Antioch and Jerusalem, they had passed by Fatimid-ruled cities but these governors had permitted them to go without opposition. The Fatimids abandoned Jaffa … Continue reading →

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Moving Toward Jerusalem, 1099

Posted on December 3, 2022 by Ruth

With Armenian Cilician somewhat relieved of Turkish presence, the region of Armenian Edessa established as a Norman-ruled Christian “county”, and Bohemund acting as Prince of Antioch, the next step had to be Jerusalem. Many of the knights had sworn not … Continue reading →

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Two Sieges of Antioch, 1098

Posted on December 3, 2022 by Ruth

Antioch had been the regional capital of Roman Palestine. It was a walled city, with the Orontes River dividing it into two parts connected by bridges. Each bridge had a tower and could be defended; there was also a separate … Continue reading →

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Armenian Governor, Prince and Vizier, 1097

Posted on December 3, 2022 by Ruth

When the Princes’ Crusade arrived in Armenian Cilicia, the Armenian Prince of Cilicia welcomed them with enthusiasm. Until a few decades earlier, Armenia’s capital city was Ani, now a ruin near the borders of Turkey, Georgia and Armenia. Ani was … Continue reading →

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Through the Cilician Gates: Armenia, 1097

Posted on December 3, 2022 by Ruth

Names and borders in the area now known as Turkey have changed so many times that it’s difficult at first to understand the region that the Crusaders were approaching. The few educated priests among them probably knew the New Testament … Continue reading →

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The Princes (1st Crusade) Cross Anatolia, 1097

Posted on December 3, 2022 by Ruth

When the Byzantines and Crusaders besieged Nicaea, the Seljuk Turks saw that they were a serious invasion force. Kilij Arslan was fighting another tribe of invading Turks to the east. He had only just declared independence for “Rum,” that is, … Continue reading →

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First (Princes’) Crusade: Victory at Nicaea, 1097

Posted on December 3, 2022 by Ruth

Around the same time that Peter the Hermit and Walter Sans Avoir were arriving in Constantinople, four official organized armies left Europe. As these armies traveled, the disorganized Peoples’ Crusade met thorough defeat in Anatolia. Only a few weeks after their 3000 … Continue reading →

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Nizaris: Assassins in the 1090s

Posted on December 3, 2022 by Ruth

Muslim regions were no longer unified in any real way, by the time the real Crusaders arrived. I’ve previously explained the three most significant blows to Muslim unity: Fatimid evangelism, North African puritanism, and the rapid conquest of Turks from the east. In … Continue reading →

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End of the People’s Crusade, 1096

Posted on December 3, 2022 by Ruth

About five waves of disorganized pilgrims set out to cross Hungary on foot in 1096. In the first wave, they split up as they reached the Danube, some going by boat, some walking to a better ford. Walter Sans-Avoir was … Continue reading →

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First Crusade Jewish Massacre in Germany

Posted on December 3, 2022 by Ruth

In 1096, many of Germany’s Jews were massacred by the minor knights and paupers gathering for “pilgrimage.” When we look back from the 21st century, the event doesn’t seem surprising because we know the end of the story. But that’s … Continue reading →

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