Jews beyond number ran screaming and lamenting to their synagogue. Soldiers of Christ put it to the torch. These Israelites burned, every one, even as the prophecy of Daniel told how their anointing must fail. They had not obeyed the voice of our Lord to walk in His laws. So were they reimbursed for helping to defend Jerusalem. In them were united the treachery of Judas, the impiety of Herod, the cruelty of Nero, their hearts exuding ashes of avarice.
Ten thousand heathen sought refuge in the mosque al-Aqsa. Gaston de Béarn and Tancred beheaded them like sheep at market, harvested them like corn. With superstitious ritual had they polluted His sanctuary, the Temple of Solomon. Now, delivering up their lives, they cleansed the sacred precinct. Some fled to the roof hoping to escape but finding no outlet hastily surrendered, pledging silver and gold in exchange for life. Tancred left them secure beneath his standard and proceeded to the Dome of the Rock. There he laid claim to eight precious silver lamps plus other valuables, a good and deserved fortune.
God’s army searched Jerusalem for gold, jewelry, donkeys, horses. They looked for Saracens to kill, looked under beds, opened closets, dragged infidels out of obscurity into public where all might watch them expiate the sin. What is this but a parable of our time? And the host marveled because Jerusalem flaunted such splendid streets, squares, and courts. Once the city was called Aelia Capitolina in homage to Aelius Hadrian who lavishly embellished it.
At sunrise next day, this being one day after Lethold from Touraine accomplished what others dreamt about, certain pilgrims without allegiance to Tancred, some say these were Provençal, climbed to the roof of the mosque. Infidels huddling beneath Tancred’s banner cried out for mercy to no avail. Heads dropped like melons until all were slain, albeit many leapt to death. Narratives say Tancred grew indignant when told of this, having pledged himself to their custody. Also, the gold and silver ransom was lost.
What of Iftikhar? He fled to the Tower of David whence he sent word to Count Raymond promising a heavy purse if he might go free. This seemed good to Raymond. So the governor of Jerusalem and those next to him earned safe passage to Ascalon.
Thus was the Holy City released from bondage on the ides of July in that year of our grace 1099, which is called Dies Veneris for on this day Jesus Christ redeemed the world.
Our Lord did not undertake to liberate Jerusalem but to scatter seeds that grow against the wickedness of Antichrist. This day hath He made, wrote the chaplain Raymond d’Agiles. Let us rejoice and be glad. This day will endure to future ages since it marks the justification of Christianity. And in truth these Franks rejoiced. How they exulted, offering songs of praise to the King of Kings. Bishop Adhémar who ascended to heaven from Antioch was seen by many as they explored Jerusalem. Some allege he was first to scale the ramparts, beckoning his knights to follow.
Now the barons clad themselves in fresh garments. Hands washed of blood, feet bare, contrite, humble, singing a new canticle to the Lord, they visited places the Messiah had deigned to glorify. Tearful, sighing, they pressed kisses upon the stones His feet once trod, kissed memorials of His sojourn among us. Reverently they approached the Church of the Holy Sepulcher for which they had endured such deprivation. Here they felt they had entered Paradise. To them it seemed they could almost see the body of Christ while they accepted the blessing of Greek and Syriac priests among the burning candles and the sweet odor of incense. They worshipped and supplicated the Lord. They sobbed with profound emotion.
They visited Bethlehem to kneel beside the cradle where the Infant had lain. They saw the stone that felled Goliath. They saw the anvil upon which the nails of the Passion were forged. They visited the shop where thirty pieces of silver were coined. Much else did they see, including the star that guided the Magi and fell into a cistern on the day of Epiphany. At these places everything our Savior did or taught while he lived among men was recalled, refreshed the memory of true believers.
With prayers complete, when they had rendered homage, the high barons decided to cleanse Jerusalem of decaying bodies. Some few pagans that had been found in prison were assigned the task. However they were not enough so a daily wage was offered to pilgrims who would help. Torsos, arms, heads, legs, all were carted outside the wall and flung together. According to the narrative of Fulcher de Chartres, Provençals who arrived late for the sack of Jerusalem went about splitting the bellies of corpses to pull out entrails and inspect the folds. They did this because many infidels had tried to keep their wealth from Christians by swallowing gold bezants. Or it might happen that six or eight bezants popped from the mouth of a corpse if struck on the neck with a fist. Also, which was shameful, Saracen women hid gold inside their bodies.
Archbishop William with his account of those days relates how pyramids of severed human parts
