The First Incident of Ashkelon According to the Historian William of Tyre: A Comparative Study between Him and Islamic and Armenian Sources

Abstract

The present study examines "The First Incident of Ashkelon According to the Historian William of Tyre: A Comparative Study between Him and Islamic and Armenian Sources." The importance of this topic stems from its exploration of an important field of Islamic history studies, namely the history of the Crusades, which brings us to the study of Islamic history alongside Armenian historical sources. I decided to shed light on the city of Ashkelon, which was part of the Fatimid Caliphate and which enjoyed an important position as it represented a defensive fortress between Muslims and Crusaders after the fall of Jerusalem at the hands of the Crusaders during the First Crusade. For this reason, Ashkelon gained an important position in the events of the history of the Crusades and participated in the eight Crusades, making its study and in-depth investigation fall within a long historical period. Therefore, our study was limited to one sample, which is the first incident of Ashkelon. Some historians call it the first fall of Ashkelon. I began to browse this incident, study it, and learn about the points of view between Armenian historians, most of whom are considered contemporaries of the events, and Muslim historians, who were far from the events and relied on oral narratives. However, they were keen to record the aspect specific to their regions related to the position of their rulers, especially the Fatimid rulers, and their role in these events. In addition, one of the historians of the Middle Ages distinguished the study, namely William of Tyre, who had a wide reputation. This matter prompted me to search for him in Islamic and Armenian sources to confirm what was attributed to him. I traced his life's journey and learned about his scholarly standing, which he reflected on in his book. I also decided to examine his views, ideas, and style. I discussed the biography of the Latin historian William of Tyre, which I titled "William of Tyre, His Personality, and Methodology." The book includes his personal biography, including his origins and birth, his studies and writings, the positions held by William of Tyre, and the opinions of historians about William of Tyre. It then included a comparison between Islamic and Armenian sources