1st Crusade

 Thus began the first of seven wars known as the "Crusades" or "Wars of the Cross," waged to rescue the Holy Land from the Mohammedans. It is said that more than 100,000 men, women and children went on the first Crusade. Each wore on the right shoulder the emblem of the cross. Peter was in command of one portion of this great multitude.

 His followers began their journey with shouts of joy and praise. But they had no proper supply of provisions. So when passing through Hungary they plundered the towns and compelled the inhabitants to support them. This roused the anger of the Hungarians. They attacked the Crusaders and killed a great many of them.

  After long delays about seven thousand of those who had started on the Crusade reached Constantinople. They were still enthusiastic and sounded their war-cry, "God wills it!" with as much fervor as when they first joined Peter's standard. Leaving Constantinople, they went eastward into the land of the Turks. 

 A powerful army led by the sultan met them. The Crusaders fought heroically all day long but at length were badly beaten. Only a few escaped and found their way back to Constantinople. Peter the Hermit had left the Crusaders before the battle and returned to Constantinople.

 He afterwards joined the army of Godfrey de Bouillon. Godfrey's army was composed of six divisions, each commanded by a soldier of high rank and distinction. It was a well organized and disciplined force and numbered about half a million men. 

  It started only a few weeks after the irregular multitude which followed Peter the Hermit, and was really the first Crusading army, for Peter's undisciplined throng could hardly be called an army. 

  After a long march Godfrey reached Antioch and laid siege to it. It was believed that this Muslim stronghold could be taken in a short time; but the city resisted the attacks of the Christians for seven months. Then it surrendered. And now something happened that none of the Crusaders had dreamed of.

   An army of two hundred thousand Persians arrived to help the Muslims. They laid siege to Antioch and shut up the Crusaders within its walls for weeks. However, after a number of engagements in which there was great loss of life, the Turks and Persians were at last driven away.

 The way was now opened to Jerusalem. But out of the half million Crusaders who had marched from Europe, less than fifty thousand were left. They had won their way at a fearful cost. Still onward they pushed with brave hearts, until on a bright summer morning they caught the first glimpse of the Holy City in the distance.

  For two whole years they had toiled and suffered in the hope of reaching Jerusalem. Now it lay before them. But it had yet to be taken. For more than five weeks the Crusaders carried on the siege. Finally, on the 15th of July, 1099, the Turks surrendered. The Muslim flag was hauled down and the banner of the cross floated over the Holy City.

 A few days after the Christians had occupied Jerusalem Godfrey of Bouillon was chosen king of the Holy Land. "I will accept the office," he said, "but no crown must be put on my head and I must never be called king. I cannot wear a crown of gold where Christ wore one of thorns nor will I be called king in the land where once lived the King of Kings."

  Peter the Hermit is said to have preached an eloquent sermon on the Mount of Olives. He did not, however, remain long in Jerusalem, but after the capture of the city returned to Europe. He founded a monastery in France and within its walls passed the rest of his life.

 "The Order of Sion was founded in the 1090’s by Godfroi de Bouillon, one of the leaders of the First Crusade who had recaptured Jerusalem. They claim that it was this Order that lay behind Hugues of Champagne and the founding of the Templar's.

""The avowed and declared objective of the Prieure de Sion is the protection and restoration of the Merovingian dynasty and bloodline. to the throne not only of France, but to the thrones of other European nations as well.

 By dint of dynastic alliances and intermarriages, this line came to include Godfroi de Bouillion, who captured Jerusalem in 1099, and various other noble and royal families, past and present

."Godfroi was, by legend, a member of the Grail Family, and by lineage a Merovingian and apparently, rightful King of Jerusalem by his descent from King David.

  It is clear that he was aware of this. When he left for the first crusade, he sold all of his property. He intended to stay in Jerusalem.

 Godfroi  was close to de Payen and the count of Champagne, and Baldwin [his brother] was integral to the founding of the Templar's.