Thursday, August 31, 2006

A new history of the crusades. The crusaders were peaceful tourists. I never knew. "The crusading movement started as an outgrowth from peaceful pilgrimage. Increasingly in the 10th and 11th centuries, Christians made the difficult journey to Jerusalem — and a few other holy destinations — as an act of penance. Because of disorder in the Islamic world and the selective persecution of Christians, Holy Land pilgrimages became armed expeditions."