Settlement and Crusade in the Thirteenth Century: Multidisciplinary Studies of the Latin East. Edited by Gil Fishhof, Judith Bronstein, and Vardit R. Shotten-Hallel. Abington: Routledge, 2021. 296 pp. ISBN: 978-0-429-20388-6.
Year: 2024
Type: book-review
Abstract: This volume is the result of the conference "The Latin East in the 13th Century, Institutions, Settlements, and Material Culture, commemorating the 800th anniversary of the construction of 'Atlit Castle", held at the University of Haifa from 31 January to 2 February 2018.A multidisciplinary approach is discernible in the book, which sheds new light on issues hitherto less studied within the pilgrimage movement and the crusades in the Latin East during the 13th century.Additionally, a significant part of the volume considers the influence and importance of 'Atilt Castle within the framework of its functioning in the Kingdom of Jerusalem.Subsequent sections focus on Cyprus during the period ruled by the Lusignan dynasty as a regional centre of Latin trade and settlement.The next section focuses on the literary and textual tradition of Outremer.The final section of the book shows the similarities between the Latin East and west of Europe on the basis of social and architectural elements, revealing the perception of Outremer by the west.The first section consists of four articles.In the first, Benjamin Z. Kedar presents a broad comparative overview of the features of the Second Kingdom of Jerusalem with the First Kingdom.He analyses aspects such as the pace and duration of territorial expansion, demography and the relationship between Franks and non-Franks, trade and the importance of sacred sites.Beatrice Saletti's study considers the Italians in Acca in the early 13th century, with particular focus on the Italian Brotherhood of the Holy Spirit.Although the statutes of the confraternity from 1216 are known, the aim of the paper is to suggest new lines of research rather than to present unpublished documents.The following article by Raphael Y. Lewis, Nimrod Getzov, and Ianir Milevski examines archaeological and historical aspects of Saforie encampments in the Latin East.It poses questions about the socio-historical significance of the finds, highlighting the potential for further research on the encampments, particularly during periods of anticipation before major conflicts.Also includes an appendix by Donald T. Ariel and Donald Kool on the coins found in the excavations at 'Enot Zippori.The final study in this chap-
DOI: 10.12775/om.2024.031
Author: Karol Zonenberg
Institution: Nicolaus Copernicus University
Language: English
Subfield: History
Field: Arts and Humanities
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W4406873528