Melisende, Queen Of Jerusalem

“All eyes are turned toward you, and you alone bear the burden of the entire kingdom. Strengthen your hands so that all may see the man in the woman, and fulfill what is required with wisdom and courage. Always act with judgment and moderation, until those who witness your deeds will say: She is a king, not a queen.” Bernard of Clairvaux (Saint Bernard), letter to Melisende, 1143–1144

✦ The first part of the tour, visiting sites connected to Melisende in the Old City, will be led by Dr. Amichai Schwartz, a scholar of the Crusader period.

We will embark on an in-depth tour that brings Melisende to life, one of the most important and forgotten figures of the Crusader Kingdom of Jerusalem. The daughter of King Baldwin II and the Armenian princess Morphia. Melisende was born, raised, and buried in Jerusalem, and was the first ruler of the Crusader Kingdom to be born in the city. Despite this, she was gradually forgotten over time. We will follow in the footsteps of this queen, who experienced drama and tragedy. Despite being a woman in the Middle Ages, she ruled the Kingdom of Jerusalem and left an important legacy. She built monasteries and churches, renovated sites throughout the city, and was a patron of the arts.

During the tour, we will learn about her life and the many challenges she faced. From power struggles with her husband, to civil war and a struggle with her son over the throne. We will hear about this forgotten queen and where she grew up and in what cultural environment. Remains of her reign can still be seen in Jerusalem today and where she was buried. We will begin the tour at the Church of the Tomb of the Virgin. We will visit the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, the markets of the Old City, and the Tower of David Jerusalem Museum.

✦ The second part of the tour will be a visit to the exhibition “Melisende, Queen of Jerusalem” at the Israel Museum, led by Liza Lori, the exhibition curator.

The exhibition offers an integrated perspective on Melisende and her legacy as a woman of flesh and blood, as a myth, and as a window into her era. Because few personal objects can be attributed to the queen and there are no written descriptions of her physical appearance, the exhibition presents elite personal objects, not hers, from our region and the eastern Mediterranean, alongside royal objects created in Western Europe. Bringing them together provides a starting point for tracing the queen’s hybrid and elusive identity and for emphasizing the importance of the local context in her story.

Meeting point: Israel Museum parking lot
End point: Israel Museum

The tour includes: a dedicated bus and audio devices for quiet listening.
The tour includes entry into churches. Weapons are not permitted; please arrive in modest dress.
Comfortable shoes are recommended | Please arrive at the meeting point approximately 10 minutes before the tour begins.

The tour is in collaboration with the Israel Museum