able. The celebration was in full swing when suddenly the Muslim army under Saladin materialized from the desert and fell upon the town. Before the Crusaders could rally, Saladin forced an entrance. Reynald himself was able to escape back into the castle, owing to the heroism of one of his Knights, who, single-handedly, defended the bridge over the fosse between the town and the citadel until it could be destroyed behind him.

As Runciman describes the scene:

With a fine show of bravura the wedding ceremonies were continued in the castle. While rocks were hurled at its walls, the singing and dancing went on within. The Lady Stephanie, mother of the bridegroom, herself prepared dishes from the bridal feast which she sent out to Saladin. He, in return, asked in which tower the young pair were housed and gave orders that it should not be bombarded by his siege-engines. But otherwise he did not relax his efforts. His nine great mangonels were in continuous action, and his workmen almost filled up the fosse. Messengers had hurried to Jerusalem to beg the King for help. He summoned the royal army, which he put under the command of Count Raymond; but he insisted on coming himself in his litter with his men. They hastened down past Jericho and up the road by Mount Nebo. On his approach Saladin, whose engines had made little effect on the mighty walls of the fortress, lifted the siege and on December 4 moved back toward Damascus. The King was carried in triumph into Kerak; and the wedding-guests were free to go home.

In a more modern and less chivalrous setting, this is more or less what happened during May and June, 1967, except for the fact that Reynald was not appointed Minister of Defense of the Kingdom, and he did not sally forth from the besieged fortress to attack Saladin's army and destroy its mangonels before they had time to mount the attack themselves.

This happened before and will happen again, unless

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