Although for the majority of the medieval military-religious orders their hospitable function was as important to them as their military function, scholars have not given as much attention to this more peaceful side of their activities as they have to warfare. In recent decades interest in their charity and hospitality has widened, but this remains an area on which much more work needs to be done1 . Unlike the orders’ military activity,which was reported by chronicles and his

The First Crusade – 1099 From the late eleventh century (1096) until 1291 a continuing influx of pilgrims, armies, peasants and religious orders from Europe entered the Holy Land. Originally, their intent was recapturing Jerusalem from the Mohammedans. Later, armed intervention preserved those territories from further Moslem occupation (Bradford 1973). This northern and western insurgence into the Near East consisted of seven crusades (marked with the Cross) or religious camp