The ruined Crusader castle of Vadum Jacob is situated in the north of Israel, overlooking the crossing of the ancient road of the Via Maris with the Jordan River.
The well-documented castle was built and destroyed within eleven months (October 1178 - 29 August 1179). The decisive attack on the castle, commanded by Saladin himself, commenced on 24 August 1179. The defenders fought valiantly but failed to safeguard it. The Muslim sappers succeeded in breaking through the walls and killing 800 of the 1500 defenders, throwing their corpses into a deep well.
Twenty three years later, at dawn, 20 May 2002, a thundering earthquake tore the castle apart moving its Eastern half by 1.5 meters in comparison to its Western part.