John of Caesarea

John (died 1238/41) was the Lord of Caesarea from 1229 and an important figure in the kingdoms of Cyprus and Jerusalem. He was the only son of Walter III of Caesarea and Marguerite d'Ibelin, daughter of Balian of Ibelin. He was often called "the young lord of Caesarea" throughout his life to distinguish him from his father, who had been called "the old lord of Caesarea".

John was a page at the feast held in Limassol in 1228, where the Emperor Frederick II tried to depose John's uncle, John of Ibelin, from his posts of Bailiff of Cyprus and Lord of Beirut. According to the chronicler Philip of Novara, John conspired with Anceau de Brie to assassinate Frederick on this occasion. He was dissuaded by his uncle, who said: "[A]ll Christendom would cry out: 'These traitors overseas have slain their lord the emperor.' Since he would be dead and we alive and safe, our right would become wrong, and the truth of it would never be believed. He is our lord; whatever he does we will guard our faith and our honour."

During the civil war that followed the rupture between the emperor and the Ibelin family, John's father died in battle on 24 June 1229. The young page inherited both his father's lordship and his leadership role. He was in charge of some troops at the siege of Saint Hilarion. In 1230, men under his command killed Frederick's bailiff, Gauvain de Chenchi. After Frederick's forces captured Beirut, John went to Palestine to help his uncle reconquer them. He was in direct control of his lands, because he pawned some to raise money for the expedition. He led an army from Acre to Tyre, which he took, and on to Beirut.

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