A chronological narrative traces the city's fortunes from the early first century through repeated sieges, revolts, and shifts of rule, recounting Roman capture, later Muslim conquest, and the erection of the Dome of the Rock. It examines the influx of Christian pilgrims, the launching of the Crusades and the establishment and fall of the Latin kingdom, followed by the campaigns of Saladin and subsequent Muslim dominion. Chapters interleave translated Christian and Arabic chroniclers, descriptions of pilgrim practices, and a long chronicle of medieval and later events, concluding with observations on modern conditions and an appendix assessing the locations of sacred sites.