Battle of Al - Fule ( 1183 ) In the campaign and Battle of Al - Fule , a Crusader force led by Guy of Lusignan skirmished with Saladin ' s Ayyubid army for more than a week in September 1183 . Tactically the battle was a draw , but the Crusaders prevented Saladin from capturing any strongholds and caused him to retreat . However , the Muslim leader ' s soldiers inflicted serious damage on farms and villages . Background . In May 1182 , Saladin invaded the Kingdom of Jerusalem by way of Eilat , the Transjordan and Galilee . During the summer , he was successfully resisted by King Baldwin IV of Jerusalem in the campaign and Battle of Belvoir Castle ; however , the Crusader lands were badly damaged by Saracen raiders . By September 1183 , Baldwin , crippled by leprosy , could no longer function as monarch . Guy of Lusignan , who had married Baldwin ' s sister Sibylla of Jerusalem in 1180 , was appointed regent . Campaign . On August 24 , 1183 , Saladin returned to Damascus , having conquered Aleppo and several cities in Mesopotamia for his empire . In September , he mounted a major invasion of the Kingdom of Jerusalem . Crossing the Jordan River , the Ayyubid host plundered the abandoned town of Baisan . Continuing west , up the Jezreel Valley , Saladin established his army near some springs about 8 km southeast of Al - Fule . At the same time , the Muslim leader sent out numerous columns to damage as much property as possible . The raiders destroyed the villages of Jenin and Afrabala , attacked the monastery on Mount Tabor and wiped out a contingent from Kerak that was trying to join the Crusader field army . Expecting an attack , Guy of Lusignan mustered the Crusader host at Sephoria . When intelligence reports detected Saladin ' s invasion route , Guy marched the field army to the small castle at Al - Fule ( La Fève ) . His army was swollen by pilgrims and Italian sailors to a size of 1 , 300 horsemen and over 15 , 000 infantry . This was said to be the largest Latin army assembled " within living memory . " Battle . The Frankish army advanced in its usual fashion toward the water points at Ain Jalut ( site of a decisive Muslim victory over the Mongols in 1260 ) and Ain Tuba ' un ( Tubania ) . The exact formation cannot be reconstructed , except that the infantry spearmen and bowmen kept the Turkish horse archers at a respectable distance while the mounted knights launched local charges to drive away any Saracens who approached too closely . Muslim chroniclers mention how Saladin ' s Mamluk s led by Jorduk an - Nuri and Jawili were faced with an unexpected crusader attack , but they fortified themselves at a base of a mountain and caused the crusaders to retire . " The Muslims harassed them with archery and constantly renewed attacks ; these were on occasions pressed home to an extent which provoked the Franks to counter - attacks to clear their lines . As in 1111 and 1182 the Franks executed a fighting march which never quite became a pitched battle . " Unable to halt his enemies or to provoke them to fight a pitched battle , Saladin withdrew his army from the springs and moved downstream . The Latin army camped around the springs and remained passive for eight days , refusing battle . The Saracens tried to incite the Franks into an attack while intercepting the Crusaders ' supply convoys . Since the local Crusaders brought provisions for only three days while the pilgrims and the sailors brought none , the supply situation soon became critical . By great good luck , the Latin soldiers found quantities of fish at Ain Tuba ' un and this prevented them from starving until some food convoys got through the Ayyubid blockade . Saladin then moved toward Mount Tabor , hoping to lure the Franks into an ambush . Instead , Guy retreated to Al - Fule . During this move , the Ayyubid army quickly returned and pounced on the Crusaders again , but they were unable to halt or disrupt the march . Saladin , also short of supplies , concluded the campaign . At this , Guy marched back to his main base at Sephoria . Aftermath . Following long - standing Crusader policy , Guy successfully thwarted Saladin ' s invasion by preventing him from capturing any strongholds and by keeping the field army intact . But , as in 1182 , the Saracen raiders caused extensive damage to crops and villages . Guy was harshly criticized for failing to fight a major battle when in command of such a large host . Others , mostly native barons such as Raymond III of Tripoli , supported his cautious strategy . They pointed out that Saladin ' s army was drawn up on rough ground , unsuitable for a Frankish heavy cavalry charge . Soon after this battle , Guy lost his position as regent . The next time Guy commanded a major Crusader army , he was reminded how severely he was criticized for avoiding battle in 1183 . On that occasion , he initiated an aggressive move that resulted in total disaster at the Battle of Hattin in 1187 .