The History of the Order of Saint Lazarus of Jerusalem

Book excerpt: The Order of Saint Lazarus is a lesser known Crusader Order that saw its development in the wake of the First Crusade in the 12th century together with the more popularly known Crusader Orders - the Order of Saint John and the Order of the Temple. Its original brief in the Kingdom of Jerusalem was to succour the victims of leprosy but eventually assumed a military role. Supported by various European Royal houses, the Order expanded its range of influence to Europe. By reviewing the history using primary sources, whenever possible, one would hope that the reader would be able to identify fact from fiction throughout the historical timeline.