Crusades question Please help?

In addition to the religious goal of taking Jerusalem, the site of the life and crucifixion of Jesus, there were economic motivations. Europe needed spices to preserve foods and was paying an enormous amount to import spices from the far east which were transported through camel routes to the Mediterranean. By establishing a Christian presence in the Middle East, it was hoped that Muslim and Jewish middle men could be cut out. The Christian presence was temporary and always under military pressure from the surrounding Muslim population.