Louis IX, crusade and the promise of Joshua in the Holy Land

Joshua, the Old Testament patriarch who led the Israelite army into the Holy Land, was seen as a type for the crusader in ways that informed Louis IX's crusading ideology and his kingship. The parallel between Joshua's divinely sanctioned wars and Louis' own crusading ambitions structured a teleology that incorporated Louis into salvation history. The story of Joshua lent Louis exalted expectations for his first crusade. After the failure of Louis' first crusade, the story of Joshua provided a scriptural lens through which Louis could interpret those events and moulded his reaction as king and military leader. An episode from Josh. 7 — the sins of Achan — spoke to Louis' concern with personal sin and the purity of the political community, gave Louis a way to understand the failure, and suggested guidance for how, as king, Louis could redress himself before God in preparation for his crusade of 1270.