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How do the mistresses of Jerusalem rule the turbulent Middle East, determined to seize greater power? In 1187, Saladin's army besieged the holy city of Jerusalem. He had annihilated the army of Jerusalem at the Battle of Hattin, and behind the city's high walls, an unlikely trio was leading the final defense, including Queen Sibylla of Jerusalem. They were unable to resist Saladin, but, if they were lucky, they could negotiate terms that would save the lives of the city's residents. Queen Sibylla was the last powerful female ruler of an overseas country. However, in all the books about the Crusades, one aspect is conspicuously absent: the stories of women. Queens and princesses are often depicted as passive transmitters of land and royal lineage. In reality, women rule, conduct diplomatic negotiations, make military decisions, form alliances, rebel and preside over construction projects. Melisande, Sibylla's grandmother, was the first queen to truly rule Jerusalem. She negotiated between her husband and son and seized the real power of the kingdom. She was a force that cannot be ignored in the politics of the Middle East. The stories of her Armenian mother, her three sisters, and their daughters and granddaughters are equally fascinating.