Nunc Agenda: Based on last night’s

reading, try to come up with as many causes for the

Crusades as you can.

Quaestio: What sparked the

first Crusade?

During the Middle Ages, the Muslim world was more advanced than Western Europe

With the Viking threat now gone, European knights needed someone to fight, and the teaching of chivalry was not working well enough to curb knightly violence

Already deeply religious, recent issues like Investiture Controversy increased passion for religious issues among Western Christians

1054- Great Schism split East and West Church

Background Information

The Holy Land = Jerusalem and other areas in and around Palestine important to Abrahamic religions

Jews: promised land where King David and Solomon ruled, ancient homeland

Christians: (above and) where Jesus lived and preached his message

Muslims: (above and) where Muhammad journeyed into heaven

The Holy Land

600s- Muslims took over the “Holy Land”

1030s- Bad Muslim ruler destroyed Church of the Holy Sepulcher

Rebuilt by next Muslim ruler, but damage done

1050s- Seljuk Turks took over same area, AT FIRST preventing Christian pilgrims AND they were a threat to the Byzantine Empire

The Holy Land

Byzantine Emperor Alexius I asked Pope Urban II (his rival) to send SOME knights to help him fight the Seljuk Turks

1095- Council of Clermont: Pope Urban II calls on nobles and bishops to fight a Crusade against the Muslims, accusing Muslims of persecuting Christians, offering forgiveness of sins for anyone who fights, and saying “God wills it!”

A Cry for Help

Read the speech by Pope Urban II at Clermont in 1095

Annotate, and let me know if you come across a word you don’t know

Write one paragraph answering question #1 on the back

Speech- Pope Urban II