The Siege of Jerusalem During the First Crusade

The Siege of Jerusalem During the First Crusade The Siege of Jerusalem was conducted from June 7 to July 15, 1099, during the First Crusade (1096-1099). Crusaders Raymond of ToulouseGodfrey of BouillonApproximately 13,500 troops Fatimids Iftikhar ad-DaulaApproximately 1,000-3,000 troops Background Having captured Antioch in June 1098, the Crusaders remained in the area debating their course of action. While some were content to establish themselves on the already captured lands, others began conducting their own small campaigns or calling for a march on Jerusalem. On January 13, 1099, having concluded the Siege of Maarat, Raymond of Toulouse began moving south towards Jerusalem assisted by Tancred and Robert of Normandy. This group was followed the next month by forces led by Godfrey of Bouillon. Advancing down the Mediterranean coast, the Crusaders met little resistance from local leaders. Recently conquered by the Fatimids, these leaders had limited love for their new overlords and were willing to grant free passage through their lands as well as trade openly with the Crusaders. Arriving at Arqa, Raymond laid siege to the city. Joined by Godfreys forces in March, the combined army continued the siege though tensions among the commanders ran high. Breaking off the siege on May 13, the Crusaders moved south. As the Fatimids were still attempting to consolidate their hold on the region, they approached the Crusader leaders with offers of peace in exchange for halting their advance. These were rebuffed, and the Christian army moved through Beirut and Tyre before turning inland at Jaffa. Reaching Ramallah on June 3, they found the village abandoned. Aware of the Crusaders intentions, the Fatimid governor of Jerusalem, Iftikhar ad-Daula, began preparing for a siege. Though the citys walls were still damaged from the Fatimid capture of the city a year earlier, he expelled Jerusalems Christians and poisoned several of the areas wells. While Tancred was dispatched to capture Bethlehem (taken on June 6), the Crusader army arrived before Jerusalem on June 7. The Siege of Jerusalem Lacking sufficient men to invest the entire city, the Crusaders deployed opposite Jerusalems northern and western walls. While Godfrey, Robert of Normandy, and Robert of Flanders covered the walls of the north as far south as the Tower of David, Raymond took responsibility for attacking from the tower to Mount Zion. Though food was not an immediate issue, the Crusaders had problems obtaining water. This, combined with reports that a relief force was departing Egypt forced them to move quickly. Attempting a frontal assault on June 13, the Crusaders were turned back by the Fatimid garrison. Four days later the Crusader hopes were boosted when Genoese ships arrived at Jaffa with supplies. The ships were quickly dismantled, and the timber rushed to Jerusalem for building siege equipment. This work began under the eye of the Genoese commander, Guglielmo Embriaco. As preparations progressed, the Crusaders made a penitential procession around the city walls on July 8 which culminated with sermons on the Mount of Olives. In the following days, two siege towers were completed. Aware of the Crusaders activities, ad-Daula worked to strengthen the defenses opposite where the towers were being built. The Final Assault The Crusaders attack plan called for Godfrey and Raymond to attack at opposite ends of the city. Though this worked to split the defenders, the plan was most likely the result of animosity between the two men. On July 13, Godfreys forces began their attack on the northern walls. In doing so, they caught the defenders by surprise by shifting the siege tower further east during the night. Breaking through the outer wall on July 14, they pressed on and attacked the inner wall the next day. On the morning of July 15, Raymonds men began their assault from the southwest. Facing prepared defenders, Raymonds attack struggled, and his siege tower was damaged. As the battle raged on his front, Godfreys men had succeeded in gaining the inner wall. Spreading out, his troops were able to open a nearby gate to the city allowing the Crusaders to swarm into Jerusalem. When word of this success reached Raymonds troops, they redoubled their efforts and were able to breach the Fatimid defenses. With the Crusaders entering the city at two points, ad-Daulas men began fleeing back towards the Citadel. Seeing further resistance as hopeless, ad-Daula surrendered when Raymond offered protection. The Aftermath In the wake of the victory, the Crusader forces began a widespread massacre of the defeated garrison and the citys Muslim and Jewish populations. This was sanctioned mainly as a method for cleansing the city while also removing a threat to the Crusader rear as they would soon need to march out against the Egyptian relief troops. Having taken the objective of the Crusade, the leaders began dividing the spoils. Godfrey of Bouillon was named Defender of the Holy Sepulchre on July 22 while Arnulf of Chocques became the Patriarch of Jerusalem on August 1. Four days later, Arnulf discovered a relic of the True Cross. These appointments created some strife within the crusader camp as Raymond and Robert of Normandy were angered by Godfreys election. With word that the enemy was approaching, the Crusader army marched out on August 10. Meeting the Fatimids at the Battle of Ascalon, they won a decisive victory on August 12.

Sanchez Surname Meaning and Origin

Sanchez Surname Meaning and Origin Sanchez is a patronymic surname meaning son of Sancto, derived from the popular medieval given name Sancho, meaning sanctified, from the Latin sanctus. Sanchez is the 8th most popular Hispanic surname and the 33rd most common surname in the United States. Surname Origin:  Spanish Alternate Surname Spellings:  SANCHES, SANZ, SAINZ, SAENZ, SAIZ, SAEZ, SANGUEZ, SANCHIZ   Famous People With the Surname SANCHEZ Sonia Sanchez - American poet and playwrightOscar Arias Snchez - former president of Costa Rica; Nobel Peace Prize winnerMark Sanchez - NFL football quarterbackRick Sanchez - Cuban American television anchor for CNNFrancisco del Rosario Snchez  - founding father of the Dominican Republic Where Do People With the SANCHEZ Surname Live? Surname distribution data at  Forebears  ranks Sanchez as the 92nd  most common surname in the world, found most prevalently in Mexico where over 1.5 million people share the surname. It is the 2nd most common surname in Ecuador, 4th in Peru, and 5th in Panama, Andorra, and the Dominican Republic. Sanchez also ranks 7th in Spain, Venezuela, and Costa Rica, 8th in Mexico and Colombia, 9th in Nicaragua, and 10th in Argentina.  Within Europe, Sanchez is actually found most frequently in the southern Pyrenees region of  France, according to  WorldNames PublicProfiler. In the United States, the name is most prevalent in the state of New Mexico. Genealogy Resources for the Surname SANCHEZ 100 Most Common U.S. Surnames Their MeaningsSmith, Johnson, Williams, Jones, Brown... Are you one of the millions of Americans sporting one of these top 100 common last names from the 2000 census? 100 Most Common Spanish SurnamesHave you ever wondered about your Spanish last name and how it came to be? This article describes common Spanish naming patterns and explores the meaning and origins of 100 common Spanish surnames. How to Research Hispanic HeritageLearn how to get started researching  your Hispanic ancestors, including the basics of family tree research and country-specific organizations, genealogical records, and resources for Spain, Latin America, Mexico, Brazil, the Caribbean, and other Spanish speaking countries. Sanchez Family Crest - Its Not What You ThinkContrary to what you may hear, there is no such thing as a Sanchez family crest or coat of arms for the Sanchez surname.  Coats of arms are granted to individuals, not families, and may rightfully be used only by the uninterrupted male-line descendants of the person to whom the coat of arms was originally granted.   Sanchez Family Genealogy ForumSearch this popular genealogy forum for the Sanchez surname to find others who might be researching your ancestors, or post your own Sanchez query. FamilySearch - SANCHEZ GenealogyAccess over 7.7 million free historical records and lineage-linked family trees posted for the Sanchez surname and its variations on this free genealogy website hosted by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. SANCHEZ Surname Family Mailing ListsThis free mailing list for researchers of the Sanchez surname and its variations includes subscription details and searchable archives of past messages. DistantCousin.com - SANCHEZ Genealogy Family HistoryExplore free databases and genealogy links for the last name Sanchez. The Sanchez Genealogy and Family Tree PageBrowse family trees and links to genealogical and historical records for individuals with the last name Sanchez from the website of Genealogy Today. References: Surname Meanings Origins Cottle, Basil.  Penguin Dictionary of Surnames. Baltimore, MD: Penguin Books, 1967.Dorward, David.  Scottish Surnames. Collins Celtic (Pocket edition), 1998.Fucilla, Joseph.  Our Italian Surnames. Genealogical Publishing Company, 2003.Hanks, Patrick and Flavia Hodges.  A Dictionary of Surnames. Oxford University Press, 1989.Hanks, Patrick.  Dictionary of American Family Names. Oxford University Press, 2003.Reaney, P.H.  A Dictionary of English Surnames. Oxford University Press, 1997.Smith, Elsdon C.  American Surnames. Genealogical Publishing Company, 1997.