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

What does this tell us about the Crusades?

The "Byzantine or Crusader Bowl..." was made during the thirteenth or fourteenth century.  The crusader Kingdom of Jerusalem lasted for most of the twelfth century, and then its capital, Jerusalem, fell to Saladin.  However, the crusaders did not give up quickly, and crusades continued to the eastern Mediterranean in the thirteenth century. 

The crusades were a time of violence, but they also were a time of cultural exchange. Christian identity in both the religious and social realms was deeply impacted by the crusades. Whether it was through adaptations of certain religious figures or works of art, imitating Islamic or Byzantine art, or social norms, crusaders were impacted by Islamic and Byzantine culture.  It is important to recognize that the time period brought unjust violence to communities across Europe to the Middle East. These wounds cut deep and continue to contribute to tensions that are prevalent to this day.

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