First Muslim conquest of Jerusalem

De **Muslim conquest of Jerusalem (636-637),** anaa de **Arab conquest of Jerusalem,** be part of de Muslim conquest of de Levant den de result of de military efforts of de Rashidun Caliphate against de Byzantine Empire insyd de year 636–637/38. E begin wen de Rashidun army, under de command of Abu Ubayda, besiege Jerusalem dey begin insyd November 636. After six months, Patriarch Sophronius agree to surrender, on condition say he submit to de caliph per. Insyd 637 anaa 638, Caliph Umar (r. 634–644) travel go Jerusalem in person to receive de submission of de city. De patriarch thus surrender to am.

De Muslim conquest of de city solidify Arab control over de region of Palestine, wich remain part of various Sunni Caliphates til de Shia-led Fatimid Caliphate take over insyd 969. Insyd 1073 de Seljuk Turks take control of Jerusalem, den Christian rulers regain control at de time of de First Crusade insyd 1099.

## Background
Jerusalem be an important city of de Byzantine province of Palaestina Prima. Just 23 years prior to de Muslim conquest, insyd 614, e fall to an invading Sassanid army under Shahrbaraz during de last of de Byzantine–Sasanian Wars. De Persians loot de city, wey dem say dem massacre ein 90,000 Christian inhabitants. As part of de looting, dem destroy de Church of the Holy Sepulchre wey dem capture den take de True Cross to Ctesiphon as a battle-captured holy relic. Dem later return de Cross to Jerusalem by Emperor Heraclius after ein final victory against de Persians insyd 628. De Jews, wey be persecuted insyd dema Christian-controlled homeland, initially aid de Persian conquerors.

After de death of de Islamic prophet Muhammad insyd 632, Muslim leadership pass to Caliph Abu Bakr (r. 632–634) dey follow a series of campaigns dem know as de Ridda Wars. Once Abu Bakr ein sovereignty over Arabia be secured, he initiate a war of conquest insyd de east by invading Iraq, then a province of de Sassanid Persian Empire; while on de western front, ein armies invade de Byzantine Empire.

## Siege
Jerusalem be well-fortified after Heraclius recapture am from de Persians. After de Byzantine defeat at Yarmouk, Sophronius, de Patriarch of Jerusalem, repair ein defenses. De Muslims so far no attempt any siege of de city. However, since 634, Islamic forces get de potential to threaten all routes to de city. Although e no encircle, e be insyd a state of siege since de Muslims capture de towns of Pella den Bosra east of de Jordan River. After de Battle of Yarmouk, dem severe de city from de rest of Syria, wey e be presumably prepared for a siege wey seemed inevitable. Wen de Muslim army reach Jericho, Sophronius collect all de holy relics wey dey include de True Cross, wey dem secretly send dem to de coast, to be taken to Constantinople. De Muslim troops besiege de city sam time insyd November 636. Instead of relentless assaults on de city, dem decide to press on plus de siege til de Byzantines run short of supplies den a bloodless surrender fi be negotiated.

### Surrender

#### Year (636, 637, 638?)
De date of de surrender of Jerusalem be debatable. Primary sources, such as chronicles from centuries closer anaa further remove from de time of de events, offer de year 638, for instance Theophilus of Edessa (695–785); anaa 636, 636/37, den 637. Academic secondary sources tend to prefer 638. Encyclopaedia Britannica dey mention both 637 den 638 insyd different articles.

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