By Omar Afifi '24

King Amalric ruled Jerusalem from 1163 until 1174 when he died from dysentery (bloody diarrhea). This seal was made some time during the reign of King Amalric. His reign was soon after the First Crusade when the Christians took over Jerusalem in 1099. Amalric is the eighth to rule the newly created Chrsitian kingdom of Jerusalem. The order of rulers leading up to Amalric, from the oldest to most recent: Godfrey, Baldwin I, Baldwin II, Melisende, Fulk, Baldwin III, Amalric. 

If we take a look at the map (above), we can see the route that was taken by the First Crusade. This map allows to visualize the treacherous journey the crusaders had to endure in order to reach the Holy Land. During their journey, many ideas, cultural practices, and art pieces were exchanged. Although it's indubitable that the crusaders was a violent group that killed many people, it's equally important to acknowledge that many other things were happening in addition to the violence and chaos. 
 

King Amalric gave rise to one of the region’s most powerful generals: Saladin. Amalric was constantly attempting to expand westward towards Egypt. After many unsuccessful attempts to invade Egypt without the necessary help from the Byzantine Empire, they struck a truce with Saladin, the Vizier of Egypt at the time. The battles fought in Egypt weakened Amalric’s kingdom. The battles won by Saladin fending off the Christian forces promoted Saladin’s position. He was appointed as Sultan after the death of the last Fatimid caliph in 1171 which help establish his position as one of the region's most powerful generals.