First Crusade : March down the Mediterranean coast The First Crusade march down the Mediterranean coast , from captured Antioch to Jerusalem , started on 13 January 1099 . During the march the Crusaders encountered little resistance , as local rulers preferred to make peace with them and furnish them with supplies rather than fight , with a notable exception of the aborted siege of Arqa . On 7 June , the Crusaders reached Jerusalem , which had been recaptured from the Seljuqs by the Fatimids only the year before . Background . After the successful Siege of Antioch in June 1098 , the Crusaders remained in the area for the rest of the year . The papal legate Adhemar of Le Puy had died , and Bohemund of Taranto had claimed Antioch for himself . Baldwin of Boulogne remained in Edessa , captured earlier in 1098 . There was dissent among the princes what to do next . Raymond of Toulouse , frustrated , left Antioch , and captured the fortress of Maarat . By the end of the year the minor knights and infantry were threatening to march to Jerusalem without the princes . March to Jerusalem . At the end of December or early in January , Robert of Normandy and Bohemond ' s nephew Tancred agreed to become vassals of Raymond , who was wealthy enough to compensate them for their service . Godfrey of Bouillon , however , who now had revenue from his brother ' s territory in Edessa , refused to do the same . On 5 January , Raymond dismantled the walls of Maarat . On 13 January he began the march south , barefoot and dressed as a pilgrim , followed by Robert and Tancred . Proceeding south along the coast , they encountered little resistance . Raymond planned to take Tripoli for himself to set up a state equivalent to Bohemund ' s Antioch . First however , he besieged nearby Arqa . Meanwhile , Godfrey , along with Robert of Flanders , who had also refused vassalage to Raymond , joined together with the remaining Crusaders at Latakia and marched south in February . Bohemond marched out with them but quickly returned to Antioch . At this time Tancred left Raymond ' s service and joined with Godfrey , due to some unknown quarrel . Another separate force , though linked to Godfrey ' s , was led by Gaston IV of Béarn . Godfrey , Robert , Tancred , and Gaston arrived at Arqa in March , but the siege continued . The situation was tense not only among the military leaders , but also among the clergy . Since Adhemar ' s death there had been no real leader , and ever since the discovery of the Holy Lance by Peter Bartholomew in Antioch , there had been accusations of fraud among the clerical factions . Finally , in April , Arnulf of Chocques challenged Peter to an ordeal by fire . Peter underwent the ordeal and died of his wounds , which discredited his Holy Lance as a fake . This also undermined Raymond ' s authority over the Crusade . The siege of Arqa lasted until 13 May , when the Crusaders left having captured nothing . The Fatimids had attempted to make peace , on the condition that the Crusaders not continue towards Jerusalem , but this was ignored . Iftikhar ad - Daula , the Fatimid governor of Jerusalem , was aware of the Crusaders ' intentions . Therefore , he expelled all of Jerusalem ' s Christian inhabitants . He also poisoned most of the wells in the area . On 13 May the Crusaders came to Tripoli , where the ruler gave them money and horses . According to the anonymous chronicle " Gesta Francorum " , he also vowed to convert to Christianity if the Crusaders captured Jerusalem from his Fatimid enemies . Continuing south along the coast , the Crusaders passed Beirut on 19 May and Tyre on 23 May . Turning inland at Jaffa , on 3 June they reached Ramlah , which had been abandoned by its inhabitants . The bishopric of Ramlah - Lydda was established there at the church of St . George ( a popular crusader hero ) before they continued on to Jerusalem . On 6 June , Godfrey sent Tancred and Gaston to capture Bethlehem , where Tancred flew his banner from the Church of the Nativity . On 7 June , the Crusaders reached Jerusalem and began the siege .