Note 805 — Chapter V · THE ADVANCE ON JERUSALEM 1191-1192.

Natroun is the form used by Bohadin; but Quatremère, Hist. des Sultans Mamelouks de l’Egypte, t. ii, Ière partie, p. 256, no. 10, says, “La forme la plus régulière de ce nom est Alatroun,” and quotes a MS. Arabic geographical lexicon which gives the name thus. It is better known in the corrupt form Latroun. The place seems to be identical with a ruined castle which the Christian inhabitants of the land told early pilgrims was the abode of the Penitent Thief. This raises a question whether the story was derived from Alatroun by way of Latroun and latro, or latro gave rise to Alatroun. Quatremère inclines to the latter view.