Discovery of the Holy Lance at Antioch

Timeline

1. 1098Church of St. Peter, Antioch · AntakyaAfter the crusaders entered the city on June 3, Kerbogha counter-sieged them. Peter Bartholomew had already claimed during the siege that St. Andrew appeared to him repeatedly, indicating the Holy Lance was buried beneath the Church of St. Peter; on June 14 he and Raymond IV of Toulouse and others excavated, and Peter himself drew out an iron object. Leaders such as Adhemar suspected he had hidden the iron piece in advance.
2. 1098Antioch · AntakyaAfter the Holy Lance was displayed, some crusaders' morale recovered. On June 28 the crusaders sallied forth to decisive battle against Kerbogha and won; contemporary accounts often link the outcome to the Holy Lance. The nobility remained divided over the relic's authenticity throughout. Peter later voluntarily accepted an ordeal by fire on April 8, 1099, and died on April 20.