A portion of Saladin's army, which had entered the Kingdom at Raymond III's fief of Tiberias, attacks the Jerusalem embassy and meets the Crusaders at the Battle of Cresson on May 1.

Balian and Reginald had stopped at their own castles on the way, but Joscius is present at the battle.

The Muslims had feigned a retreat, a common tactic which should not have fooled Gerard; nevertheless, he had ordered a charge, against Roger's advice, and the knights had been separated from the foot-soldiers.

The Muslims easily repulse a direct Christian attack, killing both the exhausted knights, and, later, the foot-soldiers.

Gerard is wounded, but survives; however, almost all the others are killed.

According to the Itinerarium, however, Gerard did not rashly engage the enemy, but was actually caught unaware and was the victim of an attack himself.

The Itinerarium also records the exploits of a certain Templar named Jakelin de Mailly, who, after all his companions had been killed, fought single-handedly against the throng of Muslims until he too fell.