Chastelet

Chastelet was a castle located beside Jacob's Ford, a ford of the upper Jordan River in Israel. The castle was built during the Crusades by the Knights Templar and the forces of the Kingdom of Jerusalem but was destroyed by the army of Saladin in 1179.^[1][2][3]

The castle ruins seen from above

Etymology

The name of the castle comes from the French word châtelet, meaning a fortified gatehouse. Jacob's Ford is also known by the Latin name of Vadum Iacob and in modern Hebrew as Ateret.^[4]

History

The geological fracture seen on the remains of the northern wall of the Mesad

The castle was intended to act as a bulwark against Muslim incursions into the Kingdom of Jerusalem and to strength protection for pilgrims and traders through Christian Palestine.^[1] Jointly constructed by the Knights Templar and the Kingdom of Jerusalem under orders of Baldwin IV of Jerusalem, construction of the castle began in 1178.^[5] By May 1179, the main walls (built of lime, stone and pebbles) and foundations were completed, which included a perimeter wall with five gates, and a tower.^[1][2]

Some 1,500 men were camped at the fortress when Saladin began an initial attack that was repulsed in June. To further reinforce the castle forces and meet the Muslim army, Christian forces were decisively defeated at the Battle of Marj Ayyun.^[1] As a result, on 24 August 1179, Saladin laid siege to the fortress. His most trusted officers advised a quick attack instead of a regular siege, and the Muslims subsequently barraged the outer defences.^[6] When Baldwin IV heard of this, he summoned a host to Tiberias to respond. In the meantime, the Muslims mined the inner walls of the castle, succeeding in digging a tunnel that brought down the main tower. The castle was breached on 29 August 1179 and captured that same day.^[3] The surviving defenders were executed, and the armoury was seized, including some 1,000 coats of armour and the castle was extensively demolished to prevent further use by the Christian forces.^[1][7] The castle fell before the relic of the True Cross could be retrieved from Jerusalem to accompany the Christian troops; since Le Chastellet was built to withstand a lengthy siege, the crusaders saw no reason to hurry. The historian William of Newburgh said that "the Christian army assembled at Tiberias, but not with the speed which was customary."^[8]

Ruins of the castle walls

In the 20th and early 21st centuries, the castle has been the site of extensive archaeological excavations.^[1] These included the discovery of extensive double-chambered baking ovens.^[9] Notably, over 160 coins of various types have also been found, providing a key source of coins from the Frankish crusading era.^[4]

In 2018, the site underwent a renovation funded with an investment of 1.6 million ILS.^{[10][full citation needed]}