Jerusalem, the City of Herod and Saladin

In Short

Co-authored by historian Walter Besant and Arabic scholar E. H. Palmer, Jerusalem, the City of Herod and Saladin offers a comprehensive chronicle of Jerusalem's history from around 30 A.D. through the Roman siege, the rise of Islam, and the Crusades, up to the modern era. Drawing upon both Western Latin chronicles and original Arabic sources, the narrative details the city's falls, rebuildings, religious transformations, and economic realities. It balances military campaigns with cultural and architectural shifts, explaining how Jerusalem evolved through three distinct iterations under Roman, Byzantine, and Islamic rule. The book remains an enduring historical account due to its rigorous reliance on primary records and its pioneering effort to present Muslim perspectives alongside European Christian history to English readers.

The Story

The narrative begins following the death of Herod, leading into the decisive siege and destruction of Jerusalem by the Roman general Titus in 70 A.D. The authors detail the desperate defense mounted by Jewish factions, the catastrophic famine within the walls, and the ultimate slaughter that accompanies the breaching of the inner fortifications. With the city burned and its complex subterranean chambers searched for hidden survivors and treasure, the remaining Jewish population faces execution, gladiatorial spectacle, or lifelong servitude in the mines.

Following this devastation, Jerusalem undergoes a transformation into a Byzantine Christian city under emperors like Justinian, marked by the construction of grand churches and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre over ancient foundations. This era of Christian dominance is interrupted by the rise of Islam and the Mohammedan conquest in the seventh century. Caliph 'Omar and subsequent rulers, such as 'Abd el Melik, establish a new architectural and religious footprint by constructing the Dome of the Rock and the El Aksa mosque upon the site of the Jewish Temple.

Despite religious friction and occasional rule by eccentric figures—such as the Fatemite Caliph Hakem, who claims divinity before his assassination—Jerusalem experiences periods of commercial exchange. An annual September trade fair brings Italian and French merchants together with Eastern traders, establishing the city as an economic bridge between Europe and Asia.

This relative stability shatters with the arrival of the Crusades. Driven by religious enthusiasm and papal calls, armies of European knights and peasants march eastward. Early undisciplined waves led by figures like Walter the Penniless suffer severe casualties in Balkan lands long before encountering Turkish forces. However, the main Crusader host captures Antioch after a grueling siege characterized by winter rains, starvation, and desertion, eventually carving a path to Syria.

Upon capturing Jerusalem, the Crusaders establish a Latin Kingdom. The narrative follows its monarchs, starting with Godfrey of Bouillon—chosen for his personal piety—and his brother Baldwin I, who expands the kingdom's borders while navigating treacherous coastal passes and internal ecclesiastical disputes. Successive Latin kings grapple with internal factionalism, territorial defense, and the rise of secret societies like the Assassins, an esoteric sect operating out of Persia and Syria.

The balance of power tilts dramatically with the rise of the Ayyubid leader Saladin. Internal strife, such as the contentious coronation of King Guy de Lusignan, leaves the Christian kingdom vulnerable. Saladin inflicts decisive defeats on the Crusaders, capturing the city of Jerusalem in 1187. Saladin restores the Haram area to Islamic worship, removing Christian altars and drag-ging the gold cross from the rock, while displaying military pragmatism and occasional leniency toward captives. Subsequent Crusades, including the campaigns of King Richard the Lionheart and later disastrous expeditions like the siege of Damietta, fail to re-establish permanent Christian control. The city settles into a long period of Muslim rule, visited primarily by international pilgrims.

How It Unfolds

The fall to Rome Titus surrounds Jerusalem, breaching its defenses after an eighteen-day siege that ends in widespread fire, the slaughter of its defenders, and the enslavement of survivors in mines and arenas.

Rebuilding on the ruins Over the buried debris of Roman destruction, Byzantine Christians erect churches over sacred sites, establishing a newly physical and monumental Christian landscape.

The Islamic conquest Caliph 'Omar and his successors take the city, laying the foundations for the Dome of the Rock and establishing the sacred Muslim precinct on the ancient Temple grounds.

A hub of holy trade Jerusalem turns into an economic crossroads during its annual September fair, where Western merchants exchange silver and European goods for Eastern spices, silks, and dyes.

The First Crusade sets forth Fired by religious zeal, European armies march toward the Holy Land, suffering disastrous losses to hunger and disease before storming the strategic fortress of Antioch.

Crown of the Latin Kingdom Godfrey of Bouillon and his successor Baldwin I consolidate Christian rule over the region, defending narrow coastal passes and establishing a newly formed feudal monarchy.

The rise of Saladin Divided by political infighting under King Guy, the Latin forces falter against Saladin, who recaptures Jerusalem, cleanses its holy sites, and replaces the Christian cross with Islamic worship.

Futile campaigns and peace Richard the Lionheart and Muslim leaders attempt negotiations and military thrusts, but later Crusades dissolve into failure, leaving Jerusalem under quiet Muslim administration.

The People

Titus The Roman commander who seeks the complete subjugation of Judea. Wanting a decisive military victory, he deploys battering rams, circumvallation walls, and siege engines, ultimately destroying Jerusalem's structures and forcing its surviving population into captivity or the arena.

Godfrey of Bouillon The first ruler of the Latin Kingdom of Jerusalem. Known for his personal piety and humility, he spends prolonged periods in churches inquiring about religious art, earning the respect of his peers while perplexing his hungry retinue with his indifference to material display.

Baldwin I Brother and successor to Godfrey, he seeks territorial expansion and consolidated monarchical power. Willing to fight through dangerous mountain passes and resist the overreaching demands of Church patriarchs, he transforms the precarious Crusader foothold into an organized kingdom.

Caliph Hakem The Fatemite ruler of Egypt whose erratic and draconian governance includes walling up women in public baths and eventually claiming divine status, an act that incites outrage and leads to his assassination in Jebel Mokattem.

Saladin The Muslim sultan who aims to unite Islamic factions and reclaim Jerusalem from Crusader control. Demonstrating strategic patience, military strength, and diplomatic firmness, he successfully recaptures the city, restores its mosques, and manages delicate peace negotiations with European monarchs like Richard the Lionheart.

Guy de Lusignan The ambitious King of Jerusalem whose controversial succession triggers division among the Christian barons. Freed by Saladin on an oath never to bear arms against him, Guy immediately gets the oath annulled to resume military operations, illustrating the political desperation of the kingdom's final days.

In Its Own Voice

When describing the horrific aftermath of the Roman entry into the city, the text notes the sheer scale of the carnage inside private homes:

"The Romans, pouring into the town, began by slaying all indiscriminately."

Reflecting on the unique architectural layering that resulted from centuries of conflict and rebuilding, the authors observe:

"Jerusalem presents in history three totally distinct and utterly unlike appearances."

Regarding the tragic early missteps of the Crusader armies before they ever reached their intended battlegrounds in the East, the narrative highlights:

"These misfortunes fell upon them, it will be observed, in Christian lands, and long before they saw the Saracens."

What It's Really About

At its core, the book examines the intersection of religious conviction, political ambition, and the physical reality of a city contested across centuries. It explores how sacred geography is constructed, destroyed, and reinterpreted by successive empires, each leaving physical and cultural strata upon the same narrow piece of land.

The text addresses the gap between holy ideals and practical human conduct. Whether detailing Christian Crusaders who loot Christian Balkan towns or Muslim leaders driven by internal dynastic feuds, the narrative demonstrates how elevated religious missions frequently yield to greed, factionalism, and tactical compromise.

Furthermore, the work highlights the hidden continuity of trade and human interaction beneath the surface of total war. Even during centuries defined by holy wars, commercial incentives and shared urban spaces force rival civilizations into pragmatic coexistence. The book argues that Jerusalem's history is not merely a string of military conquests, but an ongoing process of urban adaptation where foundations survive even when empires crumble.

Why Read It Today

This book serves as an excellent resource for readers seeking a detailed, unvarnished narrative history of Jerusalem that incorporates both Western and Eastern historical records. The writing avoids flowery idealization, delivering direct historical prose grounded in primary sources, contemporary chronicles, and early Arabic texts.

Readers will appreciate the authors' commitment to balanced perspective. Rather than presenting the Crusades purely through a European lens, the text incorporates the scholarship of E. H. Palmer to bring Arabic histories, Islamic legal rulings, and native accounts into full focus. This dual approach provides a clearer, multi-dimensional view of figures like Saladin and events like the construction of the Dome of the Rock.

The reader must navigate certain historical difficulties, including detailed military maneuvers, lengthy descriptions of medieval lineages, and Victorian transliterations of Arabic names. Additionally, the text reflects nineteenth-century historical frameworks in its categorization of various Eastern sects and regional populations. Yet, what stays with the reader is the vivid realization of Jerusalem as an enduring city shaped by waves of human ambition—where beneath modern streets lie the silent foundations of ancient temples, Byzantine basilicas, and medieval fortresses.