approximately one hundred miles north of Jerusalem at the Jordan River and was a key river crossing on one of the main roads between Acre and Damascus. Jacob's Ford was also one of the safest crossings of the Jordan and, because of its location and importance, was utilized by Christian Palestine and Muslim Syria as a major intersection between the two civilizations. In the twelfth century, Baldwin and Saladin continually contested over the area on which Jacob's Ford was situated. As a bold strategic move and as a result of his military victory at Mont Gisard, Baldwin decided to march to Jacob's Ford and build a defensive fortress on its territory. The king and his Crusaders theorized that such a fortification could protect Jerusalem from a northern invasion and put pressure on Saladin's stronghold at Damascus. Between October 1178 and April 1179, Baldwin began the first stages of constructing his new line of defense, a fortification called Chastelet. While construction was in progress, Saladin became fully aware of the task he would have to overcome at Jacob's Ford if he were to protect Syria and conquer Jerusalem. At the time, he was unable to stop the erection of Chastelet by military force because a large portion of his troops were stationed in northern Syria, putting down Muslim rebellions. As one author writes, "Saladin was always at pains to portray himself as the champion of Islam against the European intruders, although in fact he spent much of, if not more, of his career involved in a war against…other Muslims." Consequently, the sultan turned to bribery and offered Baldwin 60,000 dinars to halt construction. Baldwin declined, but Saladin made a counter-offer of 100,000 dinars. The Christian king refused again and continued to build Chastelet. By the summer of 1179, Baldwin's forces had constructed a stone wall of massive proportions. "The castle now had a formidable ten met[er] high wall – what one Arabic contemporary later described as ‘an impregnable rampart of stone and iron’ – and a single tower, but it was still a work in progress." Plans and tactics After Baldwin refused both bribes, Saladin turned his attention away from the uprisings in northern Syria and focused on Jacob’s Ford and the Castle of Chastelet. He was fully aware that any further bargaining or negotiations would only be in vain and that the more time he wasted, the more time Baldwin