Barisan of Ibelin
Encyclopedia
Barisan of Ibelin was an important figure in the crusader Kingdom of Jerusalem
, and was the founder of the Ibelin
family. His name was later written as "Balian" and he is sometimes known as Balian the Elder or Balian I.
Barisan's origins are obscure. The Ibelins later claimed to be descended from the viscounts of Chartres, but according to Peter W. Edbury, Barisan was probably from northern Italy
. According to Jonathan Riley-Smith
, however, he may have indeed been connected to Chartres, as the brother of Hugh of Le Puiset
, Count of Jaffa; he would then have also been a cousin to the Montlhéry
family of King Baldwin II of Jerusalem
.
However, nothing certain is known of his life before 1115, when he appears as constable
of Jaffa under Hugh. In 1120 he was present at the Council of Nablus
, where the first laws of the kingdom were promulgated, perhaps representing the new, underaged Count of Jaffa, Hugh II. Around the same year, his services were rewarded with a marriage to Helvis of Ramla, daughter of Baldwin I of Ramla
. In 1134, when Hugh II rebelled against King Fulk
, Barisan supported the king, and soon became prominent at Fulk's court. In 1141, perhaps as a reward for his loyalty in 1134, he was granted the newly constructed castle of Ibelin, located in the County of Jaffa between Jaffa itself and the Fatimid
Egypt
ian fortress of Ascalon
. It was from this castle that the family took their name.
In 1148 Barisan inherited the nearby lordship of Ramla
, through his wife Helvis. That year, Barisan was also present at the council convened at Acre
after the arrival of the Second Crusade
, at which it was decided to attack Damascus
. Barisan died in 1150 and Ibelin was inherited by Hugh. Helvis then married Manasses of Hierges
, Constable of Jerusalem.
With Helvis, Barisan was the father of:
Kingdom of Jerusalem
The Kingdom of Jerusalem was a Catholic kingdom established in the Levant in 1099 after the First Crusade. The kingdom lasted nearly two hundred years, from 1099 until 1291 when the last remaining possession, Acre, was destroyed by the Mamluks, but its history is divided into two distinct periods....
, and was the founder of the Ibelin
Ibelin
Ibelin was a castle in the Crusader Kingdom of Jerusalem in the 12th century , which gave its name to an important family of nobles.-The castle:...
family. His name was later written as "Balian" and he is sometimes known as Balian the Elder or Balian I.
Barisan's origins are obscure. The Ibelins later claimed to be descended from the viscounts of Chartres, but according to Peter W. Edbury, Barisan was probably from northern Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
. According to Jonathan Riley-Smith
Jonathan Riley-Smith
Jonathan Simon Christopher Riley-Smith, K.St.J., Ph.D. MA, Litt.D., FRHistS is an historian of the Crusades, and a former Dixie Professor of Ecclesiastical History...
, however, he may have indeed been connected to Chartres, as the brother of Hugh of Le Puiset
Hugh I of Jaffa
Hugh I was the Lord of Le Puiset from 1097 and Count of Jaffa from 1106. He was the son of Hugh I of Le Puiset and Alice of Montlhéry...
, Count of Jaffa; he would then have also been a cousin to the Montlhéry
Montlhéry
Montlhéry is a commune in the Essonne department in Île-de-France in northern France. It is located from Paris.Inhabitants of Montlhéry are known as Montlhériens.-History:...
family of King Baldwin II of Jerusalem
Baldwin II of Jerusalem
Baldwin II of Jerusalem , formerly Baldwin II of Edessa, also called Baldwin of Bourcq, born Baldwin of Rethel was the second count of Edessa from 1100 to 1118, and the third king of Jerusalem from 1118 until his death.-Ancestry:Baldwin was the son of Hugh, count of Rethel, and his wife Melisende,...
.
However, nothing certain is known of his life before 1115, when he appears as constable
Constable
A constable is a person holding a particular office, most commonly in law enforcement. The office of constable can vary significantly in different jurisdictions.-Etymology:...
of Jaffa under Hugh. In 1120 he was present at the Council of Nablus
Council of Nablus
The Council of Nablus was a council of ecclesiastic and secular lords in the crusader Kingdom of Jerusalem, held on January 16, 1120. It established the first written laws for the kingdom.-History:...
, where the first laws of the kingdom were promulgated, perhaps representing the new, underaged Count of Jaffa, Hugh II. Around the same year, his services were rewarded with a marriage to Helvis of Ramla, daughter of Baldwin I of Ramla
Baldwin I of Ramla
Baldwin I was the castellan and lord of Ramla in the Kingdom of Jerusalem from 1106 to his death. In 1120 he participated in the Council of Nablus. In 1126, the castellany, which controlled the surrounding countryside too, was given in fief the Count of Jaffa...
. In 1134, when Hugh II rebelled against King Fulk
Fulk of Jerusalem
Fulk , also known as Fulk the Younger, was Count of Anjou from 1109 to 1129, and King of Jerusalem from 1131 to his death...
, Barisan supported the king, and soon became prominent at Fulk's court. In 1141, perhaps as a reward for his loyalty in 1134, he was granted the newly constructed castle of Ibelin, located in the County of Jaffa between Jaffa itself and the Fatimid
Fatimid
The Fatimid Islamic Caliphate or al-Fāṭimiyyūn was a Berber Shia Muslim caliphate first centered in Tunisia and later in Egypt that ruled over varying areas of the Maghreb, Sudan, Sicily, the Levant, and Hijaz from 5 January 909 to 1171.The caliphate was ruled by the Fatimids, who established the...
Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
ian fortress of Ascalon
Ashkelon
Ashkelon is a coastal city in the South District of Israel on the Mediterranean coast, south of Tel Aviv, and north of the border with the Gaza Strip. The ancient seaport of Ashkelon dates back to the Neolithic Age...
. It was from this castle that the family took their name.
In 1148 Barisan inherited the nearby lordship of Ramla
Ramla
Ramla , is a city in central Israel. The city is predominantly Jewish with a significant Arab minority. Ramla was founded circa 705–715 AD by the Umayyad Caliph Suleiman ibn Abed al-Malik after the Arab conquest of the region...
, through his wife Helvis. That year, Barisan was also present at the council convened at Acre
Council of Acre
The Council of Acre met at Palmarea, near Acre, a major city of the crusader Kingdom of Jerusalem, on 24 June 1148. The Haute Cour of Jerusalem met with recently-arrived crusaders from Europe, to decide on the best target for the crusade. The Second Crusade had been called after the fall of Edessa...
after the arrival of the Second Crusade
Second Crusade
The Second Crusade was the second major crusade launched from Europe. The Second Crusade was started in response to the fall of the County of Edessa the previous year to the forces of Zengi. The county had been founded during the First Crusade by Baldwin of Boulogne in 1098...
, at which it was decided to attack Damascus
Siege of Damascus
The Siege of Damascus took place over four days in July 1148, during the Second Crusade. It ended in a decisive crusader defeat and led to the disintegration of the crusade. The two main Christian forces that marched to the Holy Land in response to Pope Eugenius III and Bernard of Clairvaux's call...
. Barisan died in 1150 and Ibelin was inherited by Hugh. Helvis then married Manasses of Hierges
Manasses of Hierges
Manasses of Hierges was an important crusader lord, and constable of the Kingdom of Jerusalem.He was the son of Hodierna of Rethel and Héribrand II of Hierges; Hodierna was a sister of King Baldwin II of Jerusalem...
, Constable of Jerusalem.
With Helvis, Barisan was the father of:
- Hugh of IbelinHugh of IbelinHugh of Ibelin was an important noble in the crusader Kingdom of Jerusalem.Hugh was the eldest son of Barisan of Ibelin and Helvis of Ramla. He was old enough to witness charters in 1148, as was his younger brother Baldwin of Ibelin, which suggests he was born c. 1130-1133, as the male age of...
, Lord of Ramla - Baldwin of IbelinBaldwin of IbelinBaldwin of Ibelin, also known as Baldwin III of Ramla , was an important noble of the crusader Kingdom of Jerusalem in the 12th century. He was the second son of Barisan of Ibelin, and was the younger brother of Hugh of Ibelin and older brother of Balian of Ibelin...
, Lord of MirabelMajdal YabaMajdal Yaba was a Palestinian Arab village located northeast of Ramla and east of Jaffa. A walled city stood at the same site as early as 3000 BCE, and Majdal Yaba is first mentioned by the name Aphek in Egyptian Execration texts dating to the 19th century BCE...
and Ramla - Barisan the YoungerBalian of IbelinBalian of Ibelin was an important noble in the crusader Kingdom of Jerusalem in the 12th century.-Early life:Balian was the youngest son of Barisan of Ibelin, and brother of Hugh and Baldwin. His father, a knight in the County of Jaffa, had been rewarded with the lordship of Ibelin after the...
(known as Balian), Lord of Nablus - Ermengarde of Ibelin, Lady of Tiberias, married William I of BuresWilliam I of BuresWilliam of Bures was a French crusader from Bures-sur-Yvette, Ile-de-France.He arrived in the Kingdom of Jerusalem before 1115, with his brother Geoffrey. They were vassals of Joscelin I of Edessa....
- Stephanie of Ibelin (d. after 1167)
Sources
- William of TyreWilliam of TyreWilliam of Tyre was a medieval prelate and chronicler. As archbishop of Tyre, he is sometimes known as William II to distinguish him from a predecessor, William of Malines...
, A History of Deeds Done Beyond the Sea, trans. E. A. Babcock and A. C. Krey. Columbia University PressColumbia University PressColumbia University Press is a university press based in New York City, and affiliated with Columbia University. It is currently directed by James D. Jordan and publishes titles in the humanities and sciences, including the fields of literary and cultural studies, history, social work, sociology,...
, 1943. - Peter W. Edbury, John of Ibelin and the Kingdom of Jerusalem. Boydell Press, 1997.
- Jonathan Riley-SmithJonathan Riley-SmithJonathan Simon Christopher Riley-Smith, K.St.J., Ph.D. MA, Litt.D., FRHistS is an historian of the Crusades, and a former Dixie Professor of Ecclesiastical History...
, The First Crusaders, 1095-1131. Cambridge University PressCambridge University PressCambridge University Press is the publishing business of the University of Cambridge. Granted letters patent by Henry VIII in 1534, it is the world's oldest publishing house, and the second largest university press in the world...
, 1997.