He spent much of his reign at war with the Templars (1277–1282).Bohemond VII was the son of Bohemond VI of Antioch and his wife Sibylla of Armenia.
Bohemond spent his minority under the protection of his uncle King Leo III of Armenia at his court in Cilicia.
He returned to Tripoli in 1277 and immediately made peace with Qalawun, the Mamluk sultan, and recognised Roger of San Severino as regent at Acre for Charles I of Anjou.
Paul made friends with William of Beaujeu, the new grand master of the Knights Templar, and then with the normally anti-Templar Embriacos.
Tripoli was plunged into a succession crisis until his sister Lucia arrived from Europe to take control of the county.