Antioch 1098 AD - Bohemond and Firuz

Antioch fortifications
Source: wikimedia commons

Early autumn 1097 - Crusaders army enter northern Syria and arriving at one of the great cities of the Orient, the fortified metropolis of Antioch. Yaghi-Siyan, Seljuk governor of Antioch well informed by his spies try to protect his city be expelling Christians from city:

"Yagi-Siyan, a man famous for his big hairy ears and thick, grey beard did his outmost to keep the enemy out [of Antioch]. But he knew any of the local Christians may be persuaded to let the Franks [Crusaders] in. When he heard about approach of the Franks he was not sure how the Christian people of the city would react. So he send all the Muslim outside the city walls to dig trenches, and the next day, he send the Christian by themselves to do the same task. When they are ready to return home at the end of the day, he refused to let them in" Source: THE CRUSADES: CRESCENT & THE CROSS, History Channel

Holy Lance

Bishop Ademar of Le Puy holding Holy Lance
in St. Peter Church, Antioch
Source: wikimedia commons

June 15th,1098 - Peter Bartholomew, French peasant crusader discover Holy Lance in besieged by Muslim city of Antioch, in Church of St. Peter. At least he claimed it but for sure gave faith to Crusaders Knights that they can go outside city walls and defeat Muslim army.

Holy Lance was acclaimed as spear that pierced Jesus side on the cross. It was believed that lance were kept in Jerusalem, however after Romans destroyed city was lost.

The spiritual leader of crusaders bishop Le Puy was skeptical (as one Holy Lance was already kept in Hagia Sophia) but as army morale was raised he hide his hesitation. When he died couple days later he was buried in the very the same place where Holy Lance  had been found.