The Knights Templar were soldiers and leaders of the church in years of the early 1100s to the early 1300s.  That's nearly 900 years ago!  Their official name was "The Order of the Poor Knights of Christ" because when they started there were so few of them, and they were so far from home that they didn't have much.  They became known as "The Knights of the Temple of Solomon" , or "The Knights Templar", because the King of Jerusalem, a French man who had conquered the city, let these knights stay on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem--the place where King Solomon's Temple had once stood.

Two French Knights, Hugues de Payens (Hugh of Payen) and Goddeffroi de St. Omer (Godfrey of St. Omer), wanted to protect visitors to the Holy Land, the place the Romans called Palestine, after the first crusade.

From the beginning this group, the Knights Templar, sole purpose was to protect, to serve, to defend, and to be part of the army in the region.  Other groups of knights had started around other puproses--to preach, to teach, to run hospitals, and other.  The Knights Templar started out to be the best fighting group they could be.

While there were many sights to see in the Holy Land, most of the visitors came to see, and go to church in "The Church of the Holy Sepulcher"--a church which was built over what was traditionally presumed to be the burial place of Jesus.  About 7000 people from Europe came to the church in 1064 alone.  Can you imagine 7000 people coming to visit your church in one year?  Can you imagine why they would need something like a police force to help keep people from becoming angry and violent by trying to keep people peaceful?

In 1065 Jerusalem was conquered by the "Turcomans" and some 3000 of the citizens were massacred, Christians were driven from their churches and plundered, and the church leader of the city was thrown into a dungeon for ransom from his church followers.

When knights in Europe heard of these cruelties a wild enthusiasm to "get even" was felt and the Crusades--a war to go to the Palestine region and defeat those who were there.  Men of all social ranks--the poor, the rich and everyone in between--and even priests and monks, were excited by the thought of rescuing the holy sepulcher of Christ from the "enemy".

When people learned that the Crusaders HAD captureD Jerusalem IN THE YEAR 1099 even MORE people came to visit. The "enemies" of the crusaders had been driven out of the city but they were not driven out of the region known as Palestine. The mountains bordering the seacoast were full of warlike gangs who were hiding out in various castles and forts from where they came onto the roads and attacked the people between Jerusalem and the seaports.  They sought revenge for themselves because of the loss of their homes and property pillaged of the visitors and conquerors.

To help stop the danger of these gangs, nine noble gentlemen, who had greatly distinguished themselves at the seige and capture of Jerusalem, formed a holy brotherhood in arms, and entered into a most serious contract to aid each another in clearing the highways, and in protecting the visitors through the mountain passes and valleys on their way to the Holy City. They called themselves the Poor Fellow-Soldiers of Jesus Christ.

In 1118 the King of Jerusalem, Baldwin II, granted them a place on the Temple Mount; from then on they became known by the name of "The Knightood of the Temple of Solomon." The group now added to its profession the defense of the Kingdom of Jerusalem and the whole Eastern Church.  Huges de Payens (Hugh of Payen) was chosen by the Knights to be the leader of a new society of monks.  His office was called "The Master of the Temple," and he has generally been called the founder of the Order. The name and reputation of the Order spread rapidly through Europe, and many princes, nobles, and gentlemen of the best houses of France, Germany, Italy, and England became members of it.

In 1128, they received rules and regulations from the Pope and became an offical group of warrior monks. St. Bernard of Clairveaux did much to help get this group of knights its official recognition. "The Illustrious Order of the Temple" has survived to our times in one form or another.  The Knights Templar are valued members of society in all countries.  The Templar ritual of the Freemasonic Knights Templar is nearly identical--the presentation of a noble man to a "Commandery of Knights Templar" (what their local groups were called) as a pilgrim, or visitor to the Holy Land. He pretends to undergo seven years of travel to the Holy Land (how long it took some people to get there), and then demonstrates seven years of being a soldier and is finally admitted into the Order after a year of looking back on all he has done. 

Here is a basic history associated with the Order of the Knights Templar:

1088:  Pope Urban II launches the First Crusade to reclaim Jerusalem.  
 
1099:  Jerusalem is repossessed by Europe.  
  
1048: Merchants from Italy obtain the permission to build a convent and a small church in the neighborhood of the Holy Sepulchre. In it pilgrims are given shelter and protection. Later, two hospitals are erected close to the convent, one for women and the other for men.   

1070: the Turks capture Jerusalem and show no mercy towards the Christian community and in many cases they molest and rob the pilgrims. 

1092: Pope Urban II rouses all Europe in a common attempt to regain the Holy Sepulchre and Jerusalem.  

1117: Bernard of Clairveaux comes to Seborga, a little principality in the northwest coast of Italy  to join two of the original nine Knights Templar whom he had sent for in June 1113, so that they might meet in order to protect the "Great Secret."  What this is is not clearly understood.
 
1118 (September): The Prince of Seborga ordains the first nine Templars as Knights of St. Bernard and establishes the "Poor Soldiers of Christ“. 
 
1118 (November): The knights leave Seborga for Jerusalem. 
 
1119 (May 14): The nine knights arrive in Jerusalem. The King of Jerusalem offers them the former stables of Solomon in the Temple of Jerusalem as residence.  

1127 The King of Jerusalem wants the Order recognized by the church, therefore the knights travel back to Seborga. 
 
1127 (1st Sunday in Advent): The Knights Templar arrive in Seborga. Saint Bernard of Claiveaux ordains Hugo of Payens as first Grand Master of the Templar Order in the presence of the people , 23 knights and the founder of the Knights of St John. The Prince of Seborga consecrates the ordination with the sword. That same day a vow of silence was made between Saint Bernard of the Knights and the Great Bishop of the Cathars to safeguard "The Great Secret." 

1129 (January 13): The Templar Order is established and its independence acknowledged by the church.  
 
1139 (March 29): Pope Innocent II confirms the independent organization of the Templars. 
 
1241: The Knights Templar fight successfully in Spain and in the Holy Land. 
 
1291: Fall of the crusader city Akkon and end of crusade activities of the Templar Order. The Templars retreat to Cyprus and later to France. 
 
1305: The Order is accused of heresy, blasphemy and indecency by the King of France.
 
1307 (Friday, October 13): Nearly all Templars are arrested in France within one day. 
 
1312 (March 22):  Pope Clemens V dissolves the Order under pressure from King Philip IV of France. 
 
1314 (March 18): The last Grand Master Jacques de Molay (John of Molay) and Geoffroy de Charnay (Jeff of Charnay) are burned at the stake in Paris.  

From 1314 up to present: The Templar Order appears under different names throughout the centuries and continues to have an influence on western culture. 

1446: Sir William St. Clair gains permission from the Catholic Church to built St. Matthew collegiate church on Roslin lands in Midlothian Scotland. Here begins the story of Rosslyn Chapel...