Beheaded for Christ: Great but Forgotten Martyrdom
July 4 marked the anniversary of the Battle of Hattin, one of the most catastrophic defeats of Christians by the forces of Islam in history. This battle led directly to the fall of Crusader-held Jerusalem to Saladin in 1187. A far lesser-known but equally horrific event took place after that: the ritual beheading of the warrior-monks of Christendom. Unlike the average captured Crusader, these knights were denied the opportunity for ransom. In fact, Saladin went so far as to “ransom” 300 Templars and Hospitallers from their Muslim captors for 50 dinars apiece, simply to ensure he could personally witness their slaughter if they rejected his “magnanimous” offer: Any knight willing to utter the words of the Islamic profession of faith would be spared and welcomed into the ummah as a brother. He then sent them to a makeshift desert prison to contemplate their fate. An Offer They Could Refuse That night, amid the howls and jeers of their captors, the brethren of the Temple and H...