-
In 600 CE, Arabs entered the city and took control.
The Arabs allowed Christians and Jewish pilgrims to visit Jerusalem. in fact, Jews and Christians could live Palestine as long as they paid their taxes like everyone else. -
In 1093, Byzantine Emperor named Alexius Comnenus ask for help against invaders.
-
Around 1095, a new group of Arabs took control of Jerusalem. They closed the city to Jewish and Christian pilgrims.
And…
Began trying to invade the Byzantine empire -
Pope Urban II read the letter in Nov. 1095 asking for help and called for a “holy war” or CRUSADE
He said those who fought and died in the Crusades would be promised a spot in Heaven with all sins forgiven
And about 30,000 men took up his offer and left western Europe to fight in Jerusalem -
Unprepared troops
No strategy
Captured Jerusalem
Carved in up into 4 Crusader states -
Muslim leader Saladin takes control of Jerusalem
Muslim Turks re-conquer the city
Saladin is described to be honest and brave -
Richard the Lion Hearted = English King and two other leaders fail to recapture Jerusalem
He and Saladin respected each other -
Crusades attack Constantinople instead
Stole statues, money, paintings and jewelry
Burned libraries, destroyed churches
Said they needed money to defend Constantinople from the same fate as Jerusalem and to rescue Jerusalem from Muslims
People of Constantinople hated the west for sacking their city -
Thousands of French and German children try to reach Jerusalem
Believed God would help them because they were children
Many died of hunger, some froze to death
When they reached the Mediterranean sea, expected they waters to part for them…. They didn’t
Forced to return home -
The Christians are finally pushed out of Jerusalem
Muslim Turks are the victors and take over the Byzantine in 1453