20 August 2006

Crusaders captured and beheaded by Arabs

The admiral Lulu himself was in the kill. The battle ended in the desdtruction or capture of all the crusaders, far as they from help and from their native lands and Italy. A few tattered fugitives may have got away and staggered home to Kerak by devious ways through the desert. The arab chronicler says that 176 knights were taken prisoners. Reanaud was apparently not there but in the north. There were no Geneva regulations for prisoners in those days.

Stripped naked as usual, and tied with chains on camel back, A selection of prisoners was at once to Mecca and Hedina to be paraded before execution. The execution itself took place at Mina, The famous road station of moslem pilgrims, where every pilgrim must sacrifice a sheep on the way. Here at this Mohammedan Golgotha, in the presence of vast crowd of Arabs, the knights of the cross had their throat cut as a thanks offering to God for saving the holy cities.

The rest of the captives were taken back by Lulu to Egypt. Saladin had written to him that all were to be beheaded so that none could be left alive who knew the Red sea routes. These prisoner apparently distributed through the main cities of egypt. Ibn Jubeir actually witnessed, in Alexandria, a vast crowd assembled to see their arrival. Chained on to camels facing the tail, They were led to execution to the sound of drums and cymbals and were beheaded.

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