The Formation of the Knights Templar
There Was A Need to Protect Christian Pilgrims After the Crusades
Nov 19, 2008
In 637 CE, the armies of Islam, led by Caliph Omar conquered Jerusalem. They exhibited a certain amount of religious tolerance- no new churches were built and crosses were not allowed to be publicly displayed outside churches- but they allowed Christian pilgrims to the city for a charge.
In 1076 CE, all this changed. Jerusalem fell to the Seljuk Turks and the Christian world began hearing reports of attacks, beatings and the degredation of Holy Sites. There were even reports of the kidnapping for ransom of the city's Patriarch. Three thousand Christians were massacred.
The Crusades
From Claremont, France,Pope Urban II, in 1095 CE called to the Christian world to reclaim Jerusalem and rid it of the infidels. His speech was inspiring, claiming it was a holy war and God would absolve them of any sin they might commit. By the end of the speech the crowd were chanting "it is the will of God!"
Tens of thousands of people answered the call from the Pope, from noblemen who were experienced in battle to peasants who wanted to escape the poverty and squalor of their lives. It became known as the "Crusades". The battles for control of the Holy Land were hard-fought, merciless conflicts. Some couldn't wait to show the enemy their religious zeal and thousands of Jews were massacred along the way.
Within four years, Christians had taken back Jerusalem. The Pope encouraged Christians to make the pilgrimage to Jerusalem to reaffirm their faith. Christians from all over Europe made the pilgrimage to the Holy City. But the journey was long and arduous and a strong constitution was needed to survive it. The growing number of pilgrims travelling from the ports of Acre, Tyre and Jaffa was creating problems and something was needed to cater for them.
The Knights Templar
An important part of these arrangements was the Amalfi Hostelry in Jerusalem,which was established by theKnights Hospitaller to provide food and lodgings for the constant flow of travellers.
The importance and wealth of the small order of monks who ran it grew in proportion to the increasing number of visitors. The new Christian rulers of the city rewarded their efforts with generous gifts. The order developed quickly and the prior took the unusual step of creating a military arm by accepting knights to join. After which he changed the title of the Order to: "the Hospital of St John of Jerusalem". It obtained papal blessing in 1118 CE when it was provided with a formal constitution known as a "rule".
It was this organisation that probably influenced French noblemen Hugues de Payen and Geoffrey de Saint-Omer, because in the same year they and seven other knights established the unofficial Order of the Poor Soldiers of Christ and the Temple of Solomon.
According to tradition, King Baldwin II , the Patriarch of Jerusalem, readily gave his support to the new Order and provided quarters for them in the eastern part of his palace which adjoined the former Al-Aqsa Mosque and stood on the site of King Solomon's Temple. They became known as the Knights Templar.
Warrior Monks
All of the original knights were laymen who took an oath to live as though they were monks, in poverty, chastity and with obedience. Initially they wore no special clothing but they said prayers at regular intervals and behaved in every way as though they were members of a religious order.
These "warrior monks" protected the pilgrims and were answerable only to the Pope. Combining monastic life with soldier life. They were famed for their valour and being savage defenders of the faith. As news of their victories spread thoughout the Christian world they became "superheroes". Initially a group of nine their numbers rapidly increased as their reputation grew legendary.
The Knights Templar were founded by a need to accomodate and protect the Christian pilgrims who arrived after the Crusades.These "warrior monks" who were strong in faith went on to become legendary heroes.
Sources:
"The Crusades Capture Jerusalem,1099", Eyewitness to History,www.eyewitnesstohistory.com(2000)
