Balwin IV was the teenage king who reigned over Jerusalem while tackling leprosy. In history, Baldwin is most famously known for his intelligence and leprosy stricken kingship...

Baldwin IV was King of Jerusalem (1174-1185 AD). In his reign, he fought with Saladin, the Ayubid sultan, made his monarch strong and took in the steps of his father. Baldwin’s life was a tale of ups and downs, insubordination and selfishness loomed around him. But he pulled through and even as being the King of Jerusalem for a short period, he left a mark on the world.

Baldwin was born to the Count of Jaffa and Ascalon, Amalric, and his first wife, Agnes of Courtenay in 1161. Amalric and Agnes had two children only, Baldwin and Sibylla. Amalric became the King of Jerusalem in 1163, two years after Baldwin was born. And as most ascensions go, Baldwin was next in line to Amalric. At the time when Baldwin was born, Jerusalem was under the reign of Franks. Franks were the french-speaking catholic crusaders who came down from Western Europe to the Levant. They carried out crusades and took the flag of Christianity wherever they went. Catholic states of the Mediterranean looked up to King Amalric as he was king of Jerusalem and more importantly King of Jerusalem with leprosy. Amalric spared no expense in the upbringing of his son, Baldwin. Baldwin lived like a prince and everyone was under him. At the age of nine, Baldwin was sent to William of Tyre. William was the Archbishop of Tyre. Baldwin was sent to him so that he may learn the skills and essence of the simple life.

William of Tyre let Baldwin and other boys play on the grounds of the church. William noticed that Baldwin didn’t cry when he was pinched or fell as the other boys did. After a check-up from the physician, it was diagnosed that Baldwin does not feel any sensation or pain in his right arm. This was the first sign of leprosy seen in Baldwin. The physician did not diagnose Baldwin with leprosy at this stage, as there were no apparent signs but warned that the disease would probably develop and progress. When Amalric found out about Baldwin’s condition, he buried the news. One of the reasons for hiding Baldwin’s condition was that Baldwin was next in line for the throne. The enemies of the throne might revolt and stage a coup if they found out that the next King was unfit.

Another reason for hiding the condition of Baldwin was that if people knew he had leprosy, he would be sent to the Order of Saint Lazarus or commonly known as the Leper Brothers of Jerusalem or Lazarists. This group was formed exclusively for knights and important nobility who had leprosy. Leprosy-ridden knights would be taken care of and given full medical attention here. Even though the order sounds good for people with leprosy, Amalric feared that his ascension to the throne would be impossible once Baldwin was openly diagnosed with leprosy. Historians now claim that if Amalric had let Baldwin go to the order, Baldwin might have lived a long life, and the quality of his survival would have been better.

Leprosy slowly drains the infected off of his muscular control and nerve function. When Baldwin came to know of his condition, that he would probably be diagnosed with Leprosy and it would be the death of him, he showed utmost courage. He refused to be treated differently and took up any challenge that a normal boy his age would do. Nevertheless, Baldwin was treated the same by his father and loved even more. He received best education as anyone could at that time. Secretly, Amalric hired Arabs to start his treatment. Baldwin had sensation only in left arm. So with his left arm, he learned all the tactics of warfare.

One of most amazing achievements of Baldwin was that he learned to ride a horse only with the use of his left hand. Horse riding was essential to learn for any man of good standings at that time. So Baldwin learned to steer horse and ride it proficiently using his left arm and knees.

#archaeohistories Amalric was ruling Jerusalem as the King. He had many trusted advisers that stayed with him through thick and thin. One of such advisers was Raymond III of Tripoli. He was a friend of Amalric and also a trusted distant relative. When Amalric came down with dysentery, he feared that his last days had come. Baldwin was just a teenager and was not fit to rule a kingdom. Amalric appointed Raymond of Tripoli as the regent of the throne. In 1174, Amalric died, leaving his throne to his son.

By that time, Baldwin had begun to show some alarming signs of leprosy. The High court committee sat down to appoint the next King of Jerusalem. Because the high court was aware of Baldwin’s health, they looked for other options. The other children of Amalric included only two daughters, Sibylla and Isabella. Isabella was from Amalric’s second wife, Maria Comenan. Both daughters were very young at that age and could not be crowned. Baldwin’s cousins were selfish, divergent, and in no state to rule Jerusalem. The court had to side with Baldwin. On 5th July 1174, Baldwin was crowned the King of Jerusalem in the Church of Holy Sepulchre. At that time, Baldwin was around 14 years old. Because of his young age, Raymond of Tripoli, the regent appointed by Amalric, took charge on Baldwin’s behalf.

After two years of coronation, Baldwin took control of Jerusalem. He had an exceptional personality. His warfare skills and tactics were commendable. He was sharp-minded like his father and surrounded himself with only the most trustworthy and efficient advisors. Like at the time of his father’s rule, Raymond of Tripoli was now an advisor to Baldwin IV. The first major step Baldwin took was a planned attack on Egypt to fight off Saladin’s Army. Saladin was an Ayyubid sultan who took the Christian cities one by one. Baldwin asked for help and aid from different Christian kingdoms. Some of them agreed to participate in what was going to be Baldwin’s first war.

This was also the first offense against Saladin from a Christian ruler. Baldwin and his army raged war on the opposition. Seeing Baldwin the Leper King and his use of only one arm, many allies lost fate in their alleged king. This eventually defeated Baldwin and Saladin had a clear victory. After the first war between Baldwin and Saladin, Saladin consistently violated the Jerusalem territories. His army would harass the passing caravans and keep the loot. One of Raymond’s close allies was Balian of Ibelin. He was a democrat, and due to his diplomatic relations with Saladin, he brought a treaty of peace between Baldwin and Saladin.

After the death of his father, Amalric, Baldwin’s leprosy started showing more visible signs. As he was appointed King, he was expected to marry and produce an heir to the throne. Unfortunately, he could not marry with his leprosy and consequently could not produce a legitimate heir for the ascension. Knowing this, Baldwin turned to her sister.

Sibylla was a beautiful and healthy girl. Baldwin thought that if he could not ascend the throne to his children, he would ascend it to his nephew, Sibylla’s son. He found a perfect match for Sibylla to marry, William of Montferrat. He was a handsome man with a good family name and standing. Sibylla and William were married in 1176.

Unfortunately, William died of malaria in Ascalon (1180), leaving Sibylla widowed. At the time, Baldwin was losing his eyesight and movement. Fearing a revolt from his enemies, he married Sibylla to Guy of Lusignan. This marriage was performed in good faith. What Baldwin did not know was that he would soon regret his decision.

The Cyrus Cylinder is one of the most famous objects to have survived from the ancient world. It was inscribed in Babylonian cuneiform on the orders of Persian King Cyrus the Great (559-530 BC) after he captured Babylon in 539 BC. It was found in Babylon in modern Iraq in 1879 during a British Museum excavation.

This clay cylinder account of the conquest of Babylon by Cyrus in 539 BC, of his restoration to various temples of statues removed by Nabonidus, previous king of Babylon, and of his own work at Babylon. The cylindrical form is typical of royal inscriptions of Late Babylonian period, and the text shows that the cylinder was written to be buried in the foundations of the city wall of Babylon. It was deposited there after the capture of the city by Cyrus in 539 BC, and presumably written on his orders.

Cyrus claims to have achieved this with the aid of Marduk, the god of Babylon. He then describes measures of relief he brought to the inhabitants of the city, and tells how he returned a number of images of gods, which Nabonidus had collected in Babylon, to their proper temples throughout Mesopotamia and western Iran. At the same time he arranged for the restoration of these temples, and organized the return to their homelands of a number of people who had been held in Babylonia by the Babylonian kings. Although the Jews are not mentioned in this document, their return to Palestine following their deportation by Nebuchadnezzar II, was part of this policy.

The cylinder is often referred to as the first bill of human rights as it appears to encourage freedom of worship throughout the Persian Empire and to allow deported people to return to their homelands, but it in fact reflects a long tradition in Mesopotamia where, from as early as 3rd Millennium BC, kings began their reigns with declarations of reforms.

The text is incomplete. It is written in Babylonian script and language and records that Nabonidus, the last King of Babylon (555-539 BC), had perverted the cults of the Babylonian gods, including Marduk, the city-god of Babylon, and had imposed labour-service on its free population, who complained to the gods. The gods responded by deserting Babylon, but Marduk looked around for a champion to restore the old ways. He chose Cyrus, King of Anshan (Persia), and declared him king of the world. First Cyrus expanded his kingship over the tribes of Iran (described as Gutians and Ummanmanda), ruling them justly. Then Marduk ordered Cyrus to march on Babylon, which he entered without a fight. Nabonidus was delivered into his hands and the people of Babylon joyfully accepted the kingship of Cyrus.

From this point on, the document is written as if Cyrus himself is speaking: 'I, Cyrus, king of the world ...'.He presents himself as a worshipper of Marduk who strove for peace in Babylon and abolished the labour-service of its population. The people of neighbouring countries brought tribute to Babylon, and Cyrus claims to have restored their temples and religious cults, and to have returned their previously deported gods and people.

The text ends with a note of additional food offerings in the temples of Babylon and an account of the rebuilding of Imgur-Enlil, the city wall of Babylon, during the course of which an earlier building inscription of Ashurbanipal, King of Assyria (668-627 BC), was found.

(Length: 21.90-22.80cm; Diameter: 7.80-8.20cm;
(end A) Diameter: 7.90cm;
(end B) Diameter: 10cm)

British Museum

#archaeohistories Inscription translation: New translation by Irving Finkel, Curator of Cuneiform Collections at the British Museum:

[When …] … [… wor]ld quarters […] … a low person was put in charge of his country, but he set [a (…) counter]feit over them. He ma[de] a counterfeit of Esagil [and …] … for Ur and the rest of the cult-cities. Rites inappropriate to them, [impure] fo[od- offerings …] disrespectful […] were daily gabbled, and, intolerably, he brought the daily offerings to a halt; he inter[fered with the rites and] instituted […] within the sanctuaries. In his mind, reverential fear of Marduk, king of the gods, came to an end. He did yet more evil to his city every day; … his [people…], he brought ruin on them all by a yoke without relief. Enlil-of-the-gods became extremely angry at their complaints, and […] their territory. The gods who lived within them left their shrines, angry that he had made them enter into Babylon (Shuanna). Ex[alted Marduk, Enlil-of-the-Go]ds, relented. He changed his mind about all the settlements whose sanctuaries were in ruins and the population of the land of Sumer and Akkad who had become like corpses, and took pity on them. He inspected and checked all the countries, seeking for the upright king of his choice. He took under his hand Cyrus, king of the city of Anshan, and called him by his name, proclaiming him aloud for the kingship over all of everything. He made the land of the Qutu and all the Medean troops prostrate themselves at his feet, while he looked out in justice and righteousness for the black-headed people whom he had put under his care. Marduk, the great lord, who nurtures his people, saw with pleasure his fine deeds and true heart and ordered that he should go to Babylon He had him take the road to Tintir, and, like a friend and companion, he walked at his side. His vast troops whose number, like the water in a river, could not be counted, marched fully-armed at his side. He had him enter without fighting or battle right into Shuanna; he saved his city Babylon from hardship. He handed over to him Nabonidus, the king who did not fear him. All the people of Tintir, of all Sumer and Akkad, nobles and governors, bowed down before him and kissed his feet, rejoicing over his kingship and their faces shone. The lord through whose trust all were rescued from death and who saved them all from distress and hardship, they blessed him sweetly and praised his name. I am Cyrus, king of the universe, the great king, the powerful king, king of Babylon, king of Sumer and Akkad, king of the four quarters of the world, son of Cambyses, the great king,, king of the city of Anshan, grandson of Cyrus, the great king, ki[ng of the ci]ty of Anshan, descendant of Teispes, the great king, king of Anshan, the perpetual seed of kingship, whose reign Bel and Nabu love, and with whose kingship, to their joy, they concern themselves. When I went as harbinger of peace i[nt]o Babylon I founded my sovereign residence within the palace amid celebration and rejoicing. Marduk, the great lord, bestowed on me as my destiny the great magnanimity of one who loves Babylon, and I every day sought him out in awe. My vast troops marched peaceably in Babylon, and the whole of [Sumer] and Akkad had nothing to fear. I sought the welfare of the city of Babylon and all its sanctuaries. As for the population of Babylon […, w]ho as if without div[ine intention] had endured a yoke not decreed for them, I soothed their weariness, I freed them from their bonds(?). Marduk, the great lord, rejoiced at [my good] deeds, and he pronounced a sweet blessing over me, Cyrus, the king who fears him, and over Cambyses, the son [my] issue, [and over] my all my troops, that we might proceed further at his exalted command.

Agora, a large open space belonging to public in ancient Greek cities, where all kinds of political, religious and commercial activities took place, all public buildings are lined up, it is predecessor of forums that were shaped in Hellenistic period and emerged in Roman Empire. First agoras were very simple in shape, and spaces with a lectern and seating were the scene of enthusiastic speeches. Religious festivals and theater performances were also held in agora at first.