What You Don’t Know About the Famous Knights Templar
In 1119, dangers lurked everywhere in the Holy Land. Saracens (Moslems) butchered 300 Christians in March, and another 7000 that June.
Things like this weren’t uncommon, and every pilgrim knew it. The French knight Hugh of Payns knew it. Only Hugh decided to do something about it. He and a small band of warrior pilgrims soon joined in a brotherhood in which all agreed to take on a life of penance, poverty, and strict obedience. Unlike other knights of the time, they would defend the poor and innocent. Even to the point of sacrificing their own lives if necessary. Later, the group would gain official recognition under the name The Poor Fellow-Soldiers of Christ and the Temple of Solomon. We know them as the Templars.
Although the early days of the Templars were uneventful, it didn’t take long for the men to make a name for themselves throughout Europe. Their role in the Holy Land began to expand, and soon they were defending the entire Christian Levant from enemy invaders.
Today, no image of the crusades is complete without a picture of a Templar knight in his white mantle emblazoned with a red cross. And yet, with all that imagery, there's more to the Templars than meets the eye. Much more.
