Templum Salomonis and the Turris Davidi on the Seals of the Kingdom of Jerusalem (1100–1225): A Study in Kingship Ideology in Outremer

Abstract

This article examines the presence of two symbolic sites of Jerusalem – Templum Salomonis and Turris Davidi – on the royal seals of the Kingdom of Jerusalem between 1100 and 1225. It argues that these representations formed a deliberate ideological construct intended to legitimize the new Latin monarchy through biblical models of kingship. Through an analysis the seals’ iconography in conjunction with royal chancery documents, the study explores how the monarchy in Outremer shaped a symbolic space of power, locating its center in the Holy City and thereby justifying its rule there. The durability of this iconographic formula – featuring an enthroned monarch on the obverse and a stylized panorama of Jerusalem on the reverse – helped to consolidate royal identity and the image of Jerusalem as the “City of the King of all Kings.” The seal also became a model for local elites, who adopted royal symbolism in their own seals. The article contributes to the study of royal ideology and symbolic communication in the Latin East.