The first episode recounts Byzantine Emperor Alexius's appeal to Pope Urban II for help in fighting Muslim Turks, the first crusaders as they neared Jerusalem, and the first casualties of The Crusades: Jews massacred in Worms and Cologne, Germany.
The second episode covers hardships encountered by crusaders as they neared the Holy City, including intense heat and starvation. Also the Siege of Antioch and Turkish retaliation.
3. "Jihad"
The third episode chronicles the response that the Arab world gave to the gains of the Crusades. Jones takes the viewer from Syria to Jordan to shed light on the Arabs counter-crusade led by Muslim leader Saladin. Additionally, experts detail the political intrigue behind Saladin's rise to power as he tried to lead Muslims in winning back Jerusalem from the Christians.
