Origins of the Knights Templar

Orders of Knighthood flowered in the Middle Ages in order to promote the pageantry and mystique of knighthood. The two most famous orders were the Knights Templar and the Hospitallers.

The Knights Templar were originally guides and guardians for the pilgrims visiting Jerusalem during the rule of the Seljuk Turks. They lived near the Temple of Solomon, and when they were incorporated in 1119, they became the Poor Knights of the Temple of Solomon.

[image error]The dual secular and religious nature of the...