вЂThe Christian who slays the unbeliever in the Holy War,вЂ™ wrote Bernard to the Templars, in a passage worthy of Mohammed, вЂis sure of his reward more sure if he himself is slain. Bernard drew up a stern rule for them, which was not long obeyed he praised them for being вЂmost learned in the art of war,вЂ™ and bade them вЂwash seldom,вЂ™ and closely crop their hair. About the same time (1119) Hugh de Payens and eight other crusader knights solemnly dedicated themselves to monastic discipline and the martial service of Christianity.вЂќДЇrom Baldwin II, these nine knights acquired a residence near what was believed to be the site of SolomonвЂ™s Temple, thus they were known as the Knights Templar. John, became one of the noblest charitable bodies in the Christian world.

вЂњAbout 1120 the staff of this institution was reorganized by Raymond du Puy as a religious order vowed to chastity, poverty, obedience, and the military protection of Christians in Palestine and these Hospitallers, or Knights of the Hospital of St. Writes Will Durant, in his book, The Age of Faith. вЂњAs far back as 1048 the merchants of Amalfi had obtained Moslem permission to build a hospital at Jerusalem for poor or ailing pilgrims.вЂќ To shore up this weakness, two military orders were established, both made up of murderous monks, truth be told. The city, which was weak in certain areas, would struggle to maintain its independence. The sheiks of Transjordan also submitted, but Jerusalem would be threatened by these hostile and bitter enemies for the next twenty-five years. Eventually, the surrounding enemies-the emirs of Caesarea, Acre, Ascalon, and Arsuf-surrendered to Godfrey, accepting him as overlord. When the Muslims camped at Ascalon, Raymond and his crusade forces ambushed and defeated them. Godfrey barely had the necessary contingent of knights to defend his city. Raymond of Toulouse, who desired to rule Jerusalem but was passed over for Godfrey, left in disgust, but turned back just as a Fatimid Muslim army marched on Jerusalem. They made preparations to return to the west. Now, with the capture of Jerusalem in 1099-and Jerusalem becoming a sovereign state-many of the Crusaders-those who had no intention to settle the new territory-saw no need to remain. Upon the kingвЂ™s death, his cousin Baldwin left Edessa to rule Jerusalem as Baldwin II. Under the original Baldwin, Jerusalem was expanded after several successful battles were fought over the course of eighteen years. That said, when Baldwin became king of Jerusalem, he handed Edessa to a distant cousin, who was also named Baldwin. Samuel, a true representative of Yah, in that he was a prophet and judge, is seen anointing the Benjamite Saul as the first king of Israel by pouring oil on his head in 1 Samuel 10. He managed to do so, and his anointing took place on December 25, 1100, in a Catholic ceremony stolen directly from the Hebrew Scriptures, and of course corrupted. To achieve this elevation, Baldwin needed to reach some form of accommodation with the church.вЂќ It was this act that set a king apart from other men that imbued him with the numinous power of divine sanction. вЂњвЂ¦ such as an archbishop, patriarch, or pope.

That particular honor came in the form of ritual anointment, when what was thought to be вЂњconsecratedвЂќ chrism-usually a mixture of oil and balsam-was poured on a prospective rulerвЂ™s head by a person believed to be a representative of the Most High on earth вЂ¦ вЂњThis centuries-old rite usually involved a crown-wearing, but this was not-as might be imagined-the centerpiece of the ceremony.вЂќ Writes Thomas Asbridge, in his book The Crusades. вЂњFirst, he would have to undergo a coronation.вЂќ A few necessary steps had to be taken in order to secure that title, however. Upon GodfreyвЂ™s death in 1100, his brother Baldwin I succeeded him, but he wanted to be crowned the first Frankish King of Jerusalem and not exist merely as its protector. GodfreyвЂ™s brother Baldwin became GodfreyвЂ™s vassal as Count of Edessa, with the other two vassals being the count Bohemund, who became Prince of Antioch, and Raymond of Toulouse, who became Count of Tripoli. The noble Godfrey of Bouillon was named вЂњProtector of the Holy Sepulcher,вЂќ the most important church in Palestine among Christians, because its grotto was believed to have held the body of the Messiah prior to his resurrection.

New parishes and monasteries were established, with the entire kingdom functioning under Latin rites. He was replaced by an Italian primate, but the papacy had ultimate ecclesiastical rule. The Greek Church was ended and the former patriarch forced to flee to Cyprus. Following their victory, the reconquered lands were organized along the lines of the western European ideal. As seen at the end of our previous podcast, Jerusalem was captured by Christians from the west in the First Crusade on Jafter a long and bloody siege.

Medieval total war crusade