[Vision2020] Eyewitness Account of the Fall of Jerusalem, 1099

[nickgier at adelphia.net]

Greetings:

The Muslim armies, especially those under Saladin, acted far more honorably than any of the savage Christian Crusaders.

When Saladin conquered Jerusalem, the Christians were spared.  Some paid a ransom in order to leave, others were allowed to go without a ransom, and the rest were sold into slavery.  See story of Saladin saving a Christian baby below.

"On the 15th [of July], Crusaders breached a lightly defended wall, then tore through the city, killing every man, woman and child in sight. Al-Aqsa Mosque was invaded and its occupants butchered. The Dome of the Rock was assaulted and its inhabitants, who had been promised sanctuary, were slaughtered. The city's main synagogue was burned to the ground, killing many Jews who had taken refuge inside. Those who were not massacred were forced to cart dead bodies out of the city."

http://www.ronaldbrucemeyer.com/rants/0715almanac.htm

"One of our knights, Letholdus by name, climbed on to the wall of the city. When he reached the top, all the defenders of the city quickly fled along the walls and through the city. Our men followed and pursued them, killing and hacking, as far as the temple of Solomon, and there there was such a slaughter that our men were up to their ankles in the enemy's blood. . . .

"The emir who commanded the tower of David surrendered to the Count [of St. Gilles] and opened the gate where pilgrims used to pay tribute. Entering the city, our pilgrims pursued and killed the Saracens up to the temple of Solomon. There the Saracens assembled and resisted fiercely all day, so that the whole temple flowed with their blood. At last the pagans were overcome and our men seized many men and women in the temple, killing them or keeping them alive as they saw fit."

http://www.eyewitnesstohistory.com/crusades.htm

Raymond d'Aguilers: "But these were small matters [initial slaughter in the streets]compared with what happened in the Temple of Solomon, a place where religious services are normally chanted. What happened there? If I tell the truth, you would not believe it. Suffice to say that, in the Temple and Porch of Solomon, men rode in blood up to their knees and bridle reins. Indeed, it was a just and splendid judgment of God that this place should be filled with the blood of the unbelievers, since it had suffered so long from their blasphemies. The city was filled with corpses and blood."

Fulk of Chartres (Foucher de Chartres):

"Many fled to the roof of the temple of Solomon, and were shot with arrows, so that they fell to the ground dead. In this temple almost ten thousand were killed. ... In the morning, some of our men cautiously ascended to the roof of the Temple and attacked the Muslims, both men and women, beheading them with naked swords; the remainder sought death by jumping down into the temple."

http://www.ronaldbrucemeyer.com/rants/0715almanac.htm

Saladin's Mercy: In April 1191, a Frankish woman's three month old baby had been stolen from her camp and had been sold on the market. The Franks urged her to approach Saladin herself with her grievance. After Saladin paid for the child himself to regain the child for the mother with his own money, "he gave it to the mother and she took it; with tears streaming down her face, and hugged it to her breast. The people were watching her and weeping and I (Ibn Shaddad) was standing amongst them. She suckled it for some time and then Saladin ordered a horse to be fetched for her and she went back to camp".

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saladin