Crusaders in the Holy Land: The Archaeology of Faith

Edited by JackMeinhardt

This slim book does not pretend to be comprehensive or exhaustive. It offers a glimpse of one of the most fascinating, puzzling, brilliant and tortured episodes in Western history-a time when men and women refused to take their faith for granted and acted on what they believed were the commands of God, but often with devastating effects. It was a time when West met East, when pious monks became fierce soldiers, when kings felt compelled to abandon the luxury of their palaces and "take the cross."

Although the Crusaders built palaces and castle-fortresses, their principal achievement was their churches, the palpable testament of their faith. Using the Bible as a map, they built sanctuaries on sites made holy by the presence of Jesus. With 25 black-and-white photos, numerous maps of Crusader sites and plans of Crusader structures, this book brings those sacred places back to life.

ITEM: 7H51 BAS, 2005. Softcover, 85pp.
32 Illustrations
ISBN 978-1-880317-80-8

Table of Contents

Contributors
List of Illustrations
Preface

When Crusader Kings Ruled Jerusalem
By Jack Meinhardt
The Holiest Ground in the World: How the Crusaders Transformed Jerusalem's Temple Mount
By Warren T. Woodfin
Was Jesus Buried Beneath the Church of the Holy Sepulchre?
By Dan Bahat
The Holy Sepulchre on an Ancient Gold Ring
By Yaakov Meshorer
Jerusalem in Bologna: Another Crusader Church of the Holy Sepulchre
By Robert Ousterhout
A Smithy in a Crusader Church
By Dan Bahat
Church of the Apostles Found on Mt. Zion
By Bargil Pixnerbr> The Holy Grail: From Symbol to Relic
By Eric Wargo
Visiting Akko (Acre): The Last Crusader City
By Walter Zanger