Richard's Attempts To Take Jerusalem
On Richard’s march towards Jerusalem in May 1992, Richard traveled south through the coast of Ascalon and took the fortress of Darum. Saladin took precautions by poisoning the water sources around the city of Jerusalem to prepare for Richard’s attack. When Richard got within 12 miles from Jerusalem, he looked at his army and decided to retreat, knowing full well that even if he did manage to Jerusalem there is no way he could hold it down. Not only that but he got new intel from Saladin’s secretary that a trade caravan with hundreds of camels and horses will be traveling from Egypt to Jerusalem.
As Richard got closer to Jerusalem, he kept negotiations open with Saladin. Saladin wanted to negotiate but he couldn’t due to his illness, so he sent his brother Al-Adil to negotiate in his place. For the time that Al-Adil stayed to negotiate with Richard, Richard had enjoyed his presence. With this in mind, he sent a letter to Saladin, mentioning how the cross, the land and Jerusalem are the most valued in this war. Saladin agrees and sent a letter back to negotiate the cross if he were to receive something for it. This negotiation didn’t advance either side in anyway (Crusade-Terry Jones & Alan Ereira pg 187).
Richard was fully aware that Saladin was negotiating with Conrad to separate the christians. With this information, he gave Al-Adil a proposition to have him marry Richard’s sister Joan. Richard’s sister would be given the land Richard took (Acre and Jaffa) and Al-Adil, Saladin's brother, will receive the land that Saladin took (The rest of Palestine). Saladin knew that this negotiation was a joke but he accepted nonetheless. Eventually, word of this negotiation was spread like wildfire and soon Richard’s sister Joan eventually received the news. When she heard about the negotiation, she was enraged, declaring that she will never marry a Moslem for as long as she lived. After hearing this, Richard asked Al-Adil if he wanted to convert to Christianity but he calmly declined. This negotiation ended with a banquet but no alliance (Crusade-Terry Jones & Alan Ereira pg 188).
The third crusade came to a close when both Saladin and Richard were both ill after the battle of Jaffa. Knowing that, they came to a mutual agreement signed the Treaty of Jaffa in September 1192. This treaty acts as a three year truce on both sides while allowing christians to freely visit Jerusalem (Crusade illustrated history-Thomas F Madden pg 96).
