The Crusades / The Crusades </p

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• published: 02 Jun 2016
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Don't hesitate to comment below if you have any questions or additional phrases The Crusades ,The Quest for the Holy Land The Crusades were a series of eight Christian military expeditions from western Europe conducted between 1096 and 1270 to recapture Palestine, and the holy city of Jerusalem. The word “crusade” comes from the Latin word crux, meaning cross. “to take up the cross” meant to became a crusader. Christians sewed symbols of the cross onto their clothing before going into battle. ,Jerusalem is the destination of pilgrimages for Judaism, Christianity and Islam, as well as cultural mother-figure and eternal spiritual honor. The Jewish claim to Jerusalem uses the Torah. It was to Jerusalem that King David brought the ark containing the original Torah. It is the site where the Messiah will appear on the Day to End All Days. At this time all dead Jews will crawl through tunnels in the earth and return to Jerusalem. ,For Christians, Jerusalem is the site of Jesus’ life and preaching, as well as his death, reappearance before ascending to heaven and resurrection. The city was home to the original cross and sacred stone of Christ’s tomb. It remains the home of sacred shrines to the Holy Sepulchre. According to the Qur’an, both Jews and Arabs are descendants of Abraham. God’s decree of giving the Holy Land to Abraham is meant equally for the Arabs, who became the first Muslims. In addition, Jerusalem is the site of Muhammad’s ascending into heaven to meet God. ,The First (or Peasants’) Crusade Pope Urban II called for the First Crusade in 1095. His call motivated over 30,000 European Christians to take the cross. One reason was he felt he had the responsibility to protect all Christians from the threat of the increasingly powerful Muslim Turks. Another reason was that he knew if he were able to unite all of Europe’s Christian population in a holy war with himself as leader, Bishop Clement could not challenge his authority. ,France in the late 11th century was too small and poor for so many people. The French ruling class looked for new opportunities in the Holy Land, hoping to add to their fortunes. For both knights and peasants, the Crusade offered the hope of adventure. Knights had no place to perform the activity for which they were trained (fighting and killing). Since the Pope declared Jerusalem to be the fief of God, it became every knight’s duty to defend the holy city. For peasants, the crusade provided a chance to escape from their lords who ruled their existence. All serfs who took the cross were released from their obligations to stay on the land and pay rent to their lord. ,The most popular motivation was to rid Jerusalem of the Seljuk Turks who posed a danger to Christian pilgrims from Europe. All Christians who took the cross and fought for the Holy land were promised forgiveness of past sins. Christians of all classes answered Pope Urban’s call. Women and children went with their husbands and fathers. Peter the Hermit managed to attract peasant followers with his eloquent speaking and religious preaching. The long and difficult journey involved many months of traveling through unfamiliar territory. The knights dressed to fight, wearing coats of chain mail that covered their heads, and carrying long, triangular-shaped shields made of strong wood wrapped in leather. A sword dangled from each one’s belt. Communication was difficult and carrier pigeons were used to pass information along. ,The peasant armies engaged in a lot of fighting and attack