The Origins of the Knights Templar

The First Crusade

A New Order is Created

"The Templars came into existence in Jerusalem during the aftermath of the First Crusade. Their Order of Poor Knights of the Temple of Solomon grew from a group of pious soldiers who fathered in Jerusalem during the second decade of the twelfth century. they undertook the duty of protecting pilgrims on the dangerous roads between Jaffa, where they landed on the coast of Palestine, and Jerusalem. They lived under the religious rule known as that of St Augustine, and they had help and guidance from the canons of the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem." - Peter Partner, The Murdered Magicians

"In 1104 the Count of Champagne had met in conclave with certain high-ranking nobles, at least one of whom had just returned from Jerusalem...Also present was the liege lord of André de Montbard." - Baigent, Leigh & Lincoln, The Holy Blood and the Holy Grail

"Immediately after this conclave Hughes travelled to the Holy Land, where he remained until 1108. He returned there briefly in 1114, than went back to Champagne and donated the Clairvaux site to St. Bernard. Four years later - according to the official story - his vassal and possible relation, Hughes de Payens, with André de Montbard and seven companions, set out on their mission and formed the embryonic Knights Templar. In 1125 Hughes of Champagne himself joined the new Order." - Lynn Picknett & Clive Prince, Turin Shroud - In Whose Image? The Shocking Truth Unveiled

Hughes de Payens, also from Champagne, was a member of a cadet branch of the Counts of Troyes.

"A document of 1123 refers to Hughes as 'Master of the knights of the Temple' ['Magister Militum Templi'] - it is perhaps significant that 'Magister Militum' had been the title of the commander-in-chief of the later Roman Empire] but his little band was merely a voluntary brotherhood and recent research seems to indicated that they were having difficulty in finding recruits and were on the verge of dissolution. Hughes had come about another crusade, not to ask for a rule. - Desmond Seward, The Monks of War

"The Templars "chose the name militia templi - soldiers of the Temple - after the temple supposedly built by Solomon in Jerusalem, near which they had been assigned quarters by the King." - John J. Robinson, Born in Blood

The full original title of new order was Pauperes commilitones Christi Templique Salomonis, the Poor Fellow-Soldiers of Christ and the Temple of Solomon.

"Their first duty was to protect the road to Jerusalem, but it was not long before they assumed the role of a volunteer police force." - Noel Curer-Briggs, The Shroud and the Grail - A Modern Quest for the True Grail

"Certain noblemen of knightly rank, devoted to God, professed a wish to live in chastity, obedience and without property in perpetuity, binding themselves in the hands of the lord patriarch to the service of Christ in the manner of secular canons. Among these, the first and most important were the venerable men, Hughes de Payens and Godefroi de Saint-Omer. Since they did not have a church, not a settled place to live, the king [of Jerusalem, Baldwin II] conceded a temporary dwelling to them in his palace, which he had below the Temple of the Lord, to the south side....The first element of their profession enjoined on them for the remission of their sins by the lord patriarch and the other bishops, was that they should protect the roads and routes to the utmost of their ability against the ambushes of thieves and attackers, especially in regard to the safety of pilgrims." - William, Archbishop of Tyre

"King Baldwin welcomed the religious knights and gave them quarters in the eastern part of his palace, which stood on the supposed site of King Solomon's Temple and adjoined the former Al-Aqsa Mosque; in the same area the canons of the Holy Sepulcher gave them stabling for their horses.." - Peter Partner, The Murdered Magicians

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A New Order is Created

The origin of the Knights Templar lies in the aftermath of the first crusade. The crusaders had captured Jerusalem and various other cities and strongholds leaving the country in between them, especially the roads from the ports unconquered, and even pilgrims travelling in large groups became easy prey to bandits, both saracens and disaffected crusaders.

The crusaders established the Kingdom of Jerusalem and several independent states including; from the North The Norman principality of Antioch ruled by Bohemund of Taranto; Inland, to the west of Antioch was the County of Edessa ruled by Baldwin of Boulogne; immediately south of Antioch was the County of Tripoli ruled by the Count of Toulouse, Raymond de Saint-Gilles; finally, stretching from Beirut in the north all the way to Gaza in the south, was the Kingdom of Jerusalem ruled by Godfrey of Bouillon. Godfrey took the title of (insert title here).

After Jerusalem fell, the majority of crusaders, returned home with their sins absolved, and of course their loot.

While the noble knights were spending their time securing the remaining castles and cities they found what countless invaders have been rediscovering since that the countryside was descending into banditry. The cities were relatively safe(ish) but the roads were not. Christian pilgrims to the sacred sites were attacked, robbed and murdered across the holy land, In the wake of a crusade whose avowed aim was supposedly to stop the ‘oppression and harassment of Christian pilgrims to the holy city of Jerusalem.’ The pilgrims were in fact worse off.

On to the stage now steps Hughes de payen and eight companions, including Godfrey de Saint-Omer, Archambaud de saint-Aignan, Payen de MontDidier, Geoffrey Bissot and knights named Roland or Rossal and Gondemar

Around 1120 a powerful French noble Fulk (the fifth) de Anjou enrolled as an associate of the order while he was on pilgrimage in Outremer, the name given to the Holy Land. He must have been impressed by what he saw, because on his return to France he endowed the order with an annual grant of 30 livres (how much is this?)  thus providing the order with a regular income

In 1125 Hugh, count of champagne returned to the holy land and formally joined the order. Pledging fealty to his vassal hugh de payn.

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The order that history knows as the knights templar was formed in Jerusalem sometime between 1114 and 1119 (accounts vary) in the aftermath of the first crusade. A group of nine French knights including (insert names here) undertook the protection of pilgrims during the perilous journey from the ports of outremer to the holy city of Jerusalem.

The quarters allocated to them stood on the supposed site of king solomon’s temple. The canons of of the holy sepulchre gave them nearby stabling for their horses.

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"Certain noblemen of knightly rank, devoted to God, professed a wish to live in chastity, obedience and without property in perpetuity, binding themselves in the hands of the lord patriarch to the service of Christ in the manner of secular canons. Among these, the first and most important were the venerable men, Hughes de Payens and Godefroi de Saint-Omer. Since they did not have a church, not a settled place to live, the king [of Jerusalem, Baldwin II] conceded a temporary dwelling to them in his palace, which he had below the Temple of the Lord, to the south side....The first element of their profession enjoined on them for the remission of their sins by the lord patriarch and the other bishops, was that they should protect the roads and routes to the utmost of their ability against the ambushes of thieves and attackers, especially in regard to the safety of pilgrims." - William, Archbishop of Tyre

The full title of the new order was Pauoeres commilitones Christi templique salomones – poor fellow soldiers of Christ and the temple of Solomon.

"The Templars "chose the name militia templi - soldiers of the Temple - after the temple supposedly built by Solomon in Jerusalem, near which they had been assigned quarters by the King." - John J. Robinson, Born in Blood

…………………………………….

"The Templars came into existence in Jerusalem during the aftermath of the First Crusade. Their Order of Poor Knights of the Temple of Solomon grew from a group of pious soldiers who fathered in Jerusalem during the second decade of the twelfth century. they undertook the duty of protecting pilgrims on the dangerous roads between Jaffa, where they landed on the coast of Palestine, and Jerusalem. They lived under the religious rule known as that of St Augustine, and they had help and guidance from the canons of the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem." - Peter Partner, The Murdered Magicians

"In 1104 the Count of Champagne had met in conclave with certain high-ranking nobles, at least one of whom had just returned from Jerusalem...Also present was the liege lord of AndrÚ de Montbard." - Baigent, Leigh & Lincoln, The Holy Blood and the Holy Grail

"Immediately after this conclave Hughes traveled to the Holy Land, where he remained until 1108. He returned there briefly in 1114, than went back to Champagne and donated the Clairvaux site to St. Bernard. Four years later - according to the official story - his vassal and possible relation, Hughes de Payens, with AndrÄ de Montbard and seven companions, set out on their mission and formed the embryonic Knights Templar. In 1125 Hughes of Champagne himself joined the new Order." - Lynn Picknett & Clive Prince, Turin Shroud - In Whose Image? The Shocking Truth Unveiled

Hughes de Payens, also from Champagne, was a member of a cadet branch of the Counts of Troyes.

"A document of 1123 refers to Hughes as 'Master of the knights of the Temple' ['Magister Militum Templi'] - it is perhaps significant that 'Magister Militum' had been the title of the commander-in-chief of the later Roman Empire] but his little band was merely a voluntary brotherhood and recent research seems to indicated that they were having difficulty in finding recruits and were on the verge of dissolution. Hughes had come about another crusade, not to ask for a rule. - Desmond Seward, The Monks of War

The full original title of new order was Pauperes commilitones Christi Templique Salomonis, the Poor Fellow-Soldiers of Christ and the Temple of Solomon.

"Their first duty was to protect the road to Jerusalem, but it was not long before they assumed the role of a volunteer police force." - Noel Currer-Briggs, The Shroud and the Grail - A Modern Quest for the True Grail

"King Baldwin welcomed the religious knights and gave them quarters in the eastern part of his palace, which stood on the supposed site of King Solomon's Temple and adjoined the former Al-Aqsa Mosque; in the same area the canons of the Holy Sepulcher gave them stabling for their horses.." - Peter Partner, The Murdered Magicians