The First Crusade

Bishop Adhemar led the first official crusade in 1096. He was in charge of five different armies, each led by its own noble. In battle, the former barbarian soldiers now were Christian crusaders who were disciplined and steady. They managed to win against incredible odds. At one point, 30,000 crusaders, led by a warrior named Bohemond, held off 360,000 Turks. Some say that had to do with the fact that the Turkish kingdom and armies were in a state of upheaval as they fought among themselves. The Turks were never very cohesive; many rivalries existed. At a particularly low point of battle, the Christian crusaders found what they believed to be the holy lance, the lance that pierced the side of Jesus when he was crucified. This miracle renewed their spirit and they continued their conquests.

Before the crusaders could reach the walls of Jerusalem, the Turks who had overrun it were expelled by another group called the Fatimid Muslims. The Fatimid Muslims had been friendly and accepting of Christian people, but the crusaders had come too far to be calmed. Even though the Fatimid Muslim people offered to share the city that is holy to both religions and give Christians easy access to Jerusalem and Mount Zion, the crusaders decided to change the holy war against the Muslim Turks into a holy war against all Muslims and the entire Islam religion.

The Christian crusaders broke through the walls of Jerusalem using battering rams and siege towers. Once inside, they killed and disgraced the dead bodies of 70,000 Muslims and Jews who were living there. Jerusalem was officially a Christian city. The year was 1099.