After the crushing defeat at the Battle of Montgisard, the Ayyubid sultan, Saladin, retreated to Egypt and remained there for several months, consolidating his position there.

Following up with his victory, Baldwin pushed forward towards Syria and established a fortress on the road to Damascus called Jacob's Ford.

Seeing this, Saladin attempted to induce Baldwin to abandon the fort by offering 60,000 and then 100,000 gold pieces, but that didn't happen.

[1][2] In the spring of 1179, Baldwin launched an expedition to collect the sheep passing Banias as the seasonal movement of flocks began from the fields of Damascus.

Baldwin almost fell prisoner; however, he was saved by Humphrey II of Toron, who managed to hold off the Ayyubids with his bodyguards until the crusader force withdrew.