Joscelin III of Edessa was the titular count of Edessa from the death of his father, Joscelin II in 1159, to his own death in 1200. Edessa had been captured in 1144 and the remnants of the county conquered or sold years before he took the title.
In 1180 Joscelin became an ambassador to the Byzantine Empire, replacing William of Tyre, who had lost influence in the royal court. In 1184 he became guardian of the young Baldwin V while Raymond III was regent, thus allying himself with the lesser nobles rather than the royal family; Agnes had probably died by this point, and although Joscelin was Baldwin V's great uncle, Raymond's party of nobles held the most power. However, when Baldwin died in 1186 Joscelin switched sides again, barring Raymond from the funeral.
Joscelin died in 1200. His seigneurie was bought by Hermann of Salza, the master of the Teutonic Knights, in 1220.
Baldwin IV provided that his nephew become his heir and if the boy should die before he reached the age of ten, the succession to the throne would be decided by the four powers of Christendom: the pope, the Holy Roman Emperor, the king of France and the king of England.
JoscelinIII de Courtenay rushed word to the Princess Sibylla, and her husband Guy de Lusignan.
When Raymond III discovered the deception he rode to his nearest supporter and, as the Regent of the Kingdom, summoned the High Court of the Kingdom.