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The descendants of Christians who remained in the East eventually melted into the population of the area. Today signs of the Christian presence remain in the names of some families, in the folk dress of some areas such as Bethlehem, and in stories and proverbs from the area.

Along with archaeological remains, they are the only visible witnesses to the massive military invasion.

Copyright © 2001 Christianity Today. Click for reprint information.

The Jihad and Its Times was published by the University of Michigan's Center for Middle Eastern & North African Studies.

Dajani-Shakeel's "Some Medieval Accounts of Salah al-Din's Recovery of Jerusalem (Al-Quds)" is available at the Internet Medieval Sourcebook.

For more on Islam, see Christianity Today's "Islam U.S.A | Are Christians prepared for Muslims in the mainstream?" (Mar. 27, 2000)

In an article for the Barnabas Fund, Patrick Sookhdeo, director of London's Institute for the Study of Islam and Christianity, says, "There are clearly two strands in contemporary Islam: the peaceable and the war-like. Islam is not one or the other; it is both at the same time."

Egyptian-born Jewish scholar Bat Ye'or told Christianity Today sister publication Books & Culture that the alleged historical tolerance of Islamic regimes toward Christians and Jews isn't true.

Christianity Today managing editor Mark Galli (formerly the editor of Christian History) examined the history and appropriate Christian response to religious terrorism.

More Christian history, including a list of events that occurred this week in the church's past, is available at ChristianHistory.net. Subscriptions to the quarterly print magazine are also available.

The rest of Christian History issue 40: The Crusades, is available at the ChristianHistory Store.

Christian History Corner appears every Friday at ChristianityToday.com. Previous editions include:

'He Does Not War' | In the Anabaptist tradition, a Christian must never fight back. (Sept. 28, 2001)

A Time For War? | Augustine's "just war" theory continues to guide the West. (Sept. 21, 2001)

The House That Jack Built | C.S. Lewis and six of his literary friends open their doors to students and researchers at Wheaton College's impressive new Wade Center facility. (Sept. 14, 2001)

Raiders of the Lost R | Documentary on School skips religious history, giving a skewed account of American education. (Sept. 7, 2001)

Explaining the Ineffable | In Heaven Below, a former Pentecostal argues that his ancestors were neither as outlandish as they seemed nor as otherworldly as they wish to seem. (Aug. 31, 2001)

Eyewitness to a Massacre | The bloodbath that started on August 24, 1572, left thousands of corpses and dozens of disturbing questions. (Aug. 24, 2001)

Live Long and Prosper | Though a recent survey raises questions, the health benefits of faith have been documented for centuries. (Aug. 17, 2001)

Divided by Communion | What a church does in remembrance of Christ says a lot about its history and identity. (Aug. 10, 2001)

Thrills, Chills, Architecture? | The most exciting adventure at St. Paul's Cathedral would be a time-traveling jaunt through its history. (August 3, 2001)

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October (Web-only) 2001, Vol. 45