Joscelin I, also known as Joscelin of Courtenay (French: Jocelyn or Josselin; – August 1131) was a Frankish nobleman of the House of Courtenay who ruled as the lord of Turbessel (1101–1113), prince of Galilee (1113–1119) and count of Edessa (1118–1131). Joscelin came to the Levant in the aftermath of the 1101 Crusade, and served his cousin Baldwin of Bourcq, count of Edessa, receiving lands west of the Euphrates. By 1113, these had formed into a wealthy lordship around Turbessel, but he was dispossessed by Baldwin soon after. He went to the Kingdom of Jerusalem, where King Baldwin I made him the prince of Galilee.
In 1118, Baldwin I of Jerusalem died, and Baldwin of Edessa stood to succeed him. Joscelin supported Baldwin and was in exchange granted the County of Edessa in 1119. As count, Joscelin commanded significant support from his Armenian subjects, and fought constant wars with his neighbouring Muslim rivals in the 1120s. He was captured by Belek Ghazi in 1122, and was joined by Baldwin in 1123. He managed to break out in the Autumn, but failed to immediately secure Baldwin's release as well. Belek's death in 1124 allowed Baldwin to be ransomed from his successor, Timurtash. Joscelin clashed with Bohemond II of Antioch after his arrival in 1126, though they reconciled in 1127. Bohemond's death in 1130 saw a short crisis with his widow, Alice, which ended in Joscelin becoming regent for Bohemond's daughter, Constance.
A Christian coalition defeated the Muslims at Azaz, but the death of Aqsunqur al-Bursuqi led to Zengi using the succession crisis in Aleppo to become the master of Syria (including Aleppo) and Damascus by 1129, and began wars against the Crusader states, including Edessa. Joscelin began threatening Aleppo, but he was gravely injured during a siege. Joscelin marched his army to relieve the besieged fortress of Kaysun, and died soon after. He was succeeded by his son Joscelin II as ruler of the County of Edessa for nineteen years before its fall to the Zengids. During his reign, Joscelin had dealt with religious and ethnic differences in the county, including overseeing a synod in 1129, and making grants to the Hospitallers and monasteries. He was seen as a Frankish intermediary by the Muslim powers in the region.
First years Joscelin was from the Gâtinais, the second son of Joscelin I of Courtenay and Elizabeth, daughter of Guy I of Montlhéry. Guy's descendants became powerful in the Crusader States and occupied a number of offices, tying Joscelin through kinship to the lords of Bourcq, the lords of Le Puiset, and others. Joscelin's elder brother, Miles, became the lord of Courtenay. His other brother, Geoffrey Charpalu, died in the Levant in 1137. Nothing is known of Joscelin's birth or early years; the historian Robert Nicholson suggests Joscelin had reached military age by 1101 at 20 years old, placing his birth year around 1080.
The Franks were triumphant after the First Crusade, but their position remained insecure; the chronicler Fulcher of Chartres believed that the Franks did not have enough men to defend Jerusalem from a Saracen invasion. Energy for crusading remained intense, and Pope Paschal II asked the bishops of Gaul to preach a new Crusade. Though Fulcher called this movement a "second Crusade", it is now called the Crusade of 1101. The first expedition of this crusade set out in September 1100 under the Lombards. Joscelin, who may have been inspired by the success of the first Crusaders, set out in late 1100 or 1101 with the Franks. He served in the army of Stephen of Blois.
Stephen and his army met with Raymond IV of Toulouse at Constantinople. They and the Greek emperor, Alexios I Komnenos, agreed that they should travel to the Holy Land, re-opening the path through Anatolia along the way. However, the Lombards instead chose to travel into Pontus to liberate Bohemond I of Antioch, who had been captured at the Battle of Melitene. Unwilling to split the host, the others went with them. The crusaders rapidly captured Ankara, but afterwards were deprived of water and food by the scorched earth efforts of Kilij Arslan. They then attempted to march north to seize Kastamuni, but on the way were attacked and suffered heavy losses, causing the army to turn back east.
Going east, the crusaders were attacked at the Battle of Mersivan over the course of multiple days. A contingent under Conrad, constable of Henry IV of Germany, was the first to be caught out in the open, and the Lombards were routed a few days later after heavy fighting. Combat continued, and battle was not fully decided until Raymond fled under nightfall, soon followed by the rest of the Franks, which allowed the Turks to slaughter the noncombatants in camp. The crusaders had been annihilated, and four-fifths may have become casualties. The remnants of the army made their way to Antioch by 31 March 1102. Joscelin's fortunes were damaged heavily by the crusade, and when he arrived in the Levant, he had no patrimony and few resources. He does not seem to have played an important part in the crusade, and he was looked over by Alexios. The historian Steven Runciman describes Joscelin as the "younger and penniless son of the lord of Courtenay". Early career Lord of Turbessel
After arriving in the Levant, Joscelin entered into the service of his cousin, Count Baldwin II of Edessa, who invested him with the lordship of Turbessel that year. His lordship, which probably took up a third of the county, included Cyrrhus, Duluk, and Aintab. In 1103, Joscelin, alongside Bohemond I of Antioch, attacked the environs of Aleppo and seized Muslimiye some distance north. From 1103 to 1104, Joscelin attacked Basarfuth and Kafarlatha, capturing the former. Before May, Joscelin received Marash from Constantine, the lord of Armenia, and to consolidate his position, he married Constantine's daughter Beatrice.
In May of 1104, Baldwin suffered an invasion from Sökmen, the ruler of Mardin, and Jikirmish, the atabeg of Mosul. Baldwin sent envoys to Joscelin and Bohemond, requesting their aid in an attack against Harran. The three men moved to negotiate with the Seljuk garrison for a peaceful surrender, but Baldwin and Bohemond wanted to siege the wealthy town instead. Sökmen and Jikirmish attacked the crusaders' camp on 7 May, using a feigned retreat to ambush them at the Battle of Harran. Joscelin and Baldwin were captured, but Bohemond and Tancred escaped to Edessa to save the town, and Tancred became the regent of Edessa during Baldwin's captivity. When Bohemond left for Europe later that year, Tancred became ruler of Antioch, and he appointed his kinsman, Richard of Salerno, as regent of Edessa.
Tancred was uninterested in assisting Joscelin or Baldwin, but Joscelin was nevertheless able to secure his own release, being ransomed for 20,000 dinars in 1107. At this point, he began trying to secure the release of Baldwin, who was now in the hands of the soldier Jawali Saqawa. Jawali demanded a ransom of 60,000 dinars and the release of all Muslim prisoners in Edessa. After gathering 30,000 dinars, Joscelin approached Jawali and offered himself as a hostage so that Baldwin would be released to raise the remainder of the ransom. Jawali agreed, and Baldwin was released in the summer of 1108. Jawali later released Joscelin as well, trusting that he would raise the required funds, which he did.
Baldwin demanded the return of Edessa, but Tancred refused as he would not pay homage for it; according to the historian Harold Fink, Tancred's selfishness blinded him to the fact that he and Baldwin, by allying with Jawali, could have dealt the Seljukid power a dangerous blow. Baldwin went to Turbessel and joined with Joscelin, where they then sought assistance from Jawali. After a short skirmish, Joscelin, Baldwin, and Tancred parleyed, but no agreement was met. Later, Joscelin and Baldwin, with a few hundred knights, joined Jawali's army of about 500 Turks and more Bedouins, at Manbij. When Tancred came with his own army, a battle happened near Turbessel, and Joscelin, Baldwin, and Jawali were defeated, despite nearly being victorious. In 1109, King Baldwin I of Jerusalem reconciled the two sides at Mount Pilgrim, with Tancred returning his conquests in exchange for his old fiefs in the Kingdom of Jerusalem and confirming Baldwin as count.
From 1110 to 1112, Count Baldwin's territory east of the Euphrates was attacked by Mawdud of Mosul. In 1110, Joscelin was sent as a messenger to King Baldwin begging his aid as Mawdud besieged Edessa, a threat that was ultimately defeated. The king, assisted by Joscelin, besieged Beirut heading northwards. In 1112, Mawdud launched a siege of Edessa, but was repulsed. After the siege failed, Mawdud advanced upon Saruj, a part of Edessa which was then garrisoned by Joscelin, who sallied out and routed Mawdud's army. The Turks then returned to invest Edessa where Joscelin discovered a plot between Mawdud's agents and the Armenian soldiers to overthrow Baldwin, helping him thwart the plan.
By 1113, Joscelin had carved out a semi-autonomous state around Turbessel to the west of the Euphrates, while Baldwin's lands around Edessa itself were devastated. Due to fears of another invasion, agricultural workers slackened their work, which was among multiple reasons for a famine in 1113. Perhaps because of jealousy, and due to rumors of betrayal and impudence, Baldwin began to distrust Joscelin. Feigning sickness, he convinced Joscelin to travel to Edessa to discuss the succession before imprisoning him and forcing him to renounce Turbessel. Prince of Galilee
Joscelin travelled to the Kingdom of Jerusalem, where King Baldwin made him the prince of Galilee. Joscelin launched frequent and successful raids towards Tyre. Toghtekin of Damascus and Mawdud invaded Jerusalem in the summer of 1113, and after failed negotiations, Baldwin and Joscelin set out to meet him in battle, with Joscelin as the commander of the Frankish host under Baldwin. The Franks were lured out and defeated at the Battle of Al-Sannabra. However, the Turks did not advance further into Jerusalem, as Baldwin received expected reinforcements from Pons of Tripoli and Roger of Antioch. Around this time, Joscelin had a son, Joscelin II.
Little else is known about Joscelin's rule in Galilee and Tiberias. Most of the sources attribute to Joscelin a series of military successes against the Turks. He made and approved land grants to the church in 1115 and 1119. There may have been a rapprochement with Baldwin, as Baldwin appointed Joscelin's relatives to positions in Edessa. King Baldwin I of Jerusalem died heirless in 1118. When the nobles assembled to discuss who should succeed him, Joscelin urged them to elect Baldwin of Edessa while reminding them that he had been dispossessed by Baldwin and had little reason to like him. Joscelin's voice was greatly influential, as he had become a powerful baron in Jerusalem. Baldwin II thus prevailed over Baldwin I's brother Eustace III of Boulogne and became king.
In retaliation to Toghtekin's raid against Tiberias and Ascalon in May 1118, Joscelin and Baldwin counterattacked and defeated Toghtekin's son at Daraa. Joscelin then devastated Bosra, and launched a raid against a Bedouin tribe in Transjordan alongside 120 cavalry. It was unsuccessful, as Joscelin lost his way and his allies were ambushed.
Count of Edessa First years
With Baldwin tied up in Jerusalem, Joscelin was rewarded with the County of Edessa in late August or early September of 1119. To receive the county, Joscelin swore an oath of fealty to the new king. According to Runciman, Joscelin delayed his travel to Edessa, which was then governed by Waleran of Le Puiset, to defend Galilee, but others date Joscelin's journey to Edessa to September 1119, implying that this fighting had already taken place earlier.