Friend or foe: Islamic views of the military orders in the Latin East as drawn from Arabic sources KEVIN JAMES LEWIS (UNIVERSITY OF OXFORD)

Syrian Muslims in the Latin East held nuanced views of the monastic military orders, recognizing their dual nature as both monks and warriors. Contrary to previous assumptions, Arabic sources suggest a deeper understanding among Muslims of the orders' monastic vocation, which added cultural and ideological dimensions to conflicts between Christians and Muslims. The study reveals an apparent paradox: while some sources depict the orders as allies, others portray them as infidels, highlighting the complexity of their perception. Research analyzed Arabic terms for the Hospitallers (isbitāriyya) and Templars (dāwiyya), tracing their etymology to Latin or Old French roots, rather than Syriac origins proposed earlier. This challenges existing scholarship and sheds light on the semantic distinction of these orders from other Franks.

(Ed.). (2016). Friend or foe: Islamic views of the military orders in the Latin East as drawn from Arabic sources KEVIN JAMES LEWIS (UNIVERSITY OF OXFORD). The Military Orders Volume VI (Part 1), 42–51. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315460895-13