70 t.i.tus arrives at Jerusalem, in which place Simon had ten thousand men, besides five thousand Idumeans. John had eight thousand four hundred men. Total twenty-three thousand four hundred.

-- t.i.tus takes the city of Jerusalem, and reduces it to ruins.

-- t.i.tus returns to view Jerusalem.

136-8 Hadrian rebuilds Jerusalem, and calls it aelia Capitolina.

306 Constantine proclaimed emperor.

326 The emperor Constantine and his mother Helena build many churches in Palestine.

335 The Church of the Holy Sepulchre completed.

363 Under the reign of Julian the Apostate the Jews attempt to rebuild the Temple.

396 Palestine a province of the Eastern Empire.

420 Patriarchate of Tiberius came to an end under Theodosius II.

436 Under the reign of Marcian, the general Council of Chalcedon raises the Church of Jerusalem to the Patriarchal dignity.

527-565 Justinian, emperor of the East, builds churches in Palestine.

614 Chosroes II. enters Palestine and destroys the Church of the Holy Sepulchre at Jerusalem.

629 The emperor Heraclius carries back to Jerusalem the wood of the Cross restored by Chosroes.

-- The Greek monk, Modestus, afterwards Patriarch, determines to rebuild the Church of the Sepulchre.

636 Omar becomes master of Jerusalem under a capitulation arranged with Sophronius the patriarch.

637 Omar orders the construction of a Mosque upon the site of the Jewish Temple, and converts the basilica of S. Mary of Justinian into the Mosque el-Aksa.

687-690 The Caliph Abd-el-Melik Ibn-Merwan erects the Mosque of Omar.

748 and subsequently. The Christians inhabit a separate quarter of Jerusalem, and pay tribute.

786-809 Haroun-er-Raschid presents the keys of the Holy Sepulchre to Charlemagne, king of the French.

842 Under the Caliphate of Al-Mota.s.sim, Tamim, surnamed Abu-Harb, marches to Jerusalem and threatens to burn the churches, but retires after receiving a sum of money.

878 Syria and Palestine conquered by Ahmed-ben-Touloun.

929-950 Interruption of the pilgrimages to Mecca, owing to the invasion of the Carmathians; the Mosque of Omar at Jerusalem replaces the Caaba.

936 Abubeker-Mohammed, surnamed Ikshide, makes himself master of Palestine.

945 The eunuch Cafour master of Palestine until his death in 968.

972 Palestine in the power of Moezz-Ledin-Allah, caliph of the dynasty of the Fatimites.

996 The caliph Al-Hakem-Biamr-Allah ascends the throne of Egypt.

1010 Hakem-Biamr-Allah destroys the Church of the Sepulchre at Jerusalem.

1046 The Church of the Sepulchre rebuilt under caliph Al-Mostanser-Billah. The emperor Constantine Monomachus gives large sums towards the work.

1071 Atsiz takes Jerusalem from caliph Al-Mostanser-Billah, and pillages many of the churches.

1095 Al-Mastaali-Billah, caliph of Egypt, sends an army to Palestine under the command of Al-Afdhal-ibn-Bedr; Jerusalem capitulates after 40 days' siege.

-- At the general Council of Clermont Peter the Hermit appears by the side of Pope Urban II., and the Crusade is determined.

1099 The Crusaders, commanded by G.o.dfrey of Bouillon, take Jerusalem, Friday, July 15th.

1100 Death of G.o.dfrey of Bouillon in the month of July.

1118 Death of Baldwin I.

1131 Death of Baldwin II.

-- Under the reign of Baldwin II. the military and religious orders of S. John, or Hospitalers and Knights of the Temple, are approved by the Pope.

1142 Fulk, count of Anjou, dies at Ptolemais.

1146 The second Crusade decided upon in the a.s.sembly of Vezelay, March 31st. Undertaken by Louis VII., king of France, and Conrad, emperor of Germany, under the pontificate of Eugenius III.

1162 Baldwin III. dies at Beyrout.

1173 Death of Amaury. This king witnessed the birth and development of the power of Saladin.

1185 Death of Baldwin IV.

1186 Death of Baldwin V.

1187 Saladin destroys the army of Guy of Lusignan, July 4.

-- The Christians of Jerusalem capitulate to Saladin, October 2nd.

1189 Third Crusade under the pontificate of Clement III., Philip Augustus, king of France, Richard Coeur de Lion, king of England, Frederic Barbarossa, emperor of Germany.

1190 Death of Frederic Barbarossa on the Cydnus.

1191 Siege and capture of S. Jean d'Acre by Richard Coeur de Lion and Philip Augustus.

1193 Death of Saladin at Damascus, the night of March 3rd.

1203 Fourth Crusade under the pontificate of Innocent III.