Importance of Jerusalem

Jerusalem is the historic capital of Israel and the central home of faith for Jews and Christians. It serves as an important point for the need for historical context. The Crusades for Jerusalem are often lumped together. However, reality they were very different episodes. In the Middle Ages, Muslim armies invaded the Holy Land and conquered Jerusalem, resulting in the First Crusade, aimed at liberating Jerusalem. This is to be compared to the more political nature of the Fourth Crusade, which never reached Jerusalem and resulted in the butchery at Constantinople instead.