The Crusades were Christian military expeditions undertaken between the 11th and the 14th century to recapture the Holy Land from the Muslims. The word crusade, which is derived from the Latin crux ("cross") , is a reference to the biblical injunction that Christians carry their cross . Crusaders wore a red cloth cross sewn on their tunics to indicate that they had assumed the cross and were soldiers of Christ .

The causes of the Crusades were many and complex, but prevailing religious beliefs were clearly of major importance. The Crusaders continued an older tradition of the pilgrimage to the Holy Land, which was often imposed as a penance . Now, however, they assumed a two

3.) Billings, Malcolm, The Cross and the Crescent(1988)

This all supposedly happening on the seventeenth day before the Kalends of June.

" For on the very day on which they had promised that they would surrender, Solomon and all the Turks, collected from neighboring and distant regions, suddenly fell upon us and attempted to capture our camp. However the count of St. Gilles, with the remaining Franks, made and attack upon them and killed an Innumerable multitude. All the others fled in confusion. Our men, moreover, returning in victory and bearing many heads fixed upon pikes and spears, furnished a joyful spectacle for the people of God"

Some common words found in the essay are:
Pope Urban, Eleventh Century, East West, Holy Land, Land Muslims, Changing World, Seljuk Turks, Rome Christmas, Christians God's, St Gilles, pope urban, people crusades, holy land, bishop le puy, history crusades, i've learned, eleventh century, le puy, seljuk turks, bishop le,
Approximate Word count = 1730
Approximate Pages = 7 (250 words per page double spaced)