Video - The Leper King and the Wise Sultan: A Tale of Faith and Victory

Two men of faith earned the Kingdom of Heaven. Baldwin, the leper king of Jerusalem, suffered greatly, to the point of having to hide his face behind a mask. He had no sensation in his right arm but learned to ride a horse using only his knees. When he heard of Saladin's invasion, he marched with only a few men to intercept him, taking Saladin by surprise. Baldwin raised the relic of the True Cross in front of his troops, dropped to his knees, and begged God for victory. And victory it was. The young leper king defeated the great Saladin, who barely escaped capture, fleeing on a camel. However, Saladin's time came after Baldwin had died. He defeated the Crusaders at the Battle of Hattin and conquered Jerusalem. A great massacre of Christians was expected to avenge what had been done to Muslims a century before. But Saladin, in his wisdom, granted amnesty to all. He famously warned his men, "I warn you against shedding blood, for blood never sleeps