The Patriarchal Purification Operation was an armed action organized by Patriarch Heirmano with the royal blessing of King Baldwin II. Its stated aims were to detain Hugues de Payens, secure relics and purify a demon-infested site.
- Force: about 100 Holy Paladins, clerics, the King and the Patriarch.
- Timeline: before dawn, then sunrise, then a morning battle.
- Result: a military success. Three to five Paladins died, Hugo was killed, and the demon partly escaped.
- Political consequences: the Patriarch’s power was consolidated in Jerusalem, along with his legitimacy over the relics.