12 August 1099 – 22 Av 4859
Fresh from the conquest of Jerusalem, the forces of the First Crusade overcame the Egyptian Fatimid army in a battle waged just north of Ashkelon. Though unable to capture the city and its mighty fortress, the Crusaders marked their victory by establishing “the Kingdom of Jerusalem” under Godfrey of Bouillon. The Crusader kingdom went through ups and downs, changing the face of the Holy Land over the next two centuries, until its final fall in 1291.