Bringing the Holy Land Home: The Crusades, Chertsey Abbey, and the Reconstruction of a Medieval Masterpiece

Seal of Amalric, king of Jerusalem (DO BZS.1951.31.5.2939)

By Omar Afifi '24
 

King Amalric’s lead seal, attached by a string, traveled with official documents. On the obverse side, King Amalric, the eighth king of the new kingdom, is seated on a backless throne surrounded by Latin inscription translating to “Seal of Amalric.” The reverse side contains three religious buildings: the Holy Sepulchre, the Tower of David, and the Temple (Dome of the Rock), an Islamic shrine. Surrounding the structures is an inscription in Latin that translates to “King of Jerusalem.” The seal captures the time period of the region briefly after the Crusaders had fought diligently to capture Jerusalem from the Muslims. It serves as testament to the existence of the newly formed Christian kingdom of Jerusalem after the First Crusade.







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