Town · Contested ground · as at first light, 1 January 1200

Bethlehem

Christian town of the Nativity church, where Saladin allowed two Latin priests and two deacons in 1192.

Who holds it

Name
Under the lord of Jerusalem (Lord of Jerusalem).
Title
Lord or governor
Since
see lord_1200
Born
not pinned
Family
not pinned
Confidence
medium

See the lord's record.

Lord in 1200

Under the lord of Jerusalem (Lord of Jerusalem).

How things stand that morning

See lord_1200.

Charter

None: an Islamic town has no communal charter; the prince's governor, the qadi and the market inspector (muhtasib) govern, and the notables (a'yan) and ulama speak for the townsmen.

Council

No council; notables and ulama.

Communities

Eastern Christians; Latin clergy; Muslims.

Fairs and markets

No fairs in the European sense; trade runs through permanent markets (suqs) and caravan seasons.

Militia

Not recorded; the garrison is the prince's or the amir's.

Walls and castle

Not recorded.

Trade and crafts

Pilgrims.

Where the sources disagree

Evidence: See the summary and the lord's record.

Sources and studies

  1. Abu'l-Fida, Annals (al-Mukhtasar), Arabic text with French translation in Recueil des historiens des croisades, Historiens orientaux I (1872), pp. 150-172 (years 589-615 AH), read through archive.org search-inside

Last revised 4 November 2026. Published 4 November 2026. Suggest a correction on the OMNIA Discord.