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After Christian Europeans successfully seized Jerusalem from Islamic infidels during the Crusades of the Middle Ages, various entities originated in the Holy Land to exert influence over this contested region. One of these was the Order of the Knights Templar, initially a group of only nine knights who were intent on protecting pilgrims making their way along the dangerous roads that led to Jerusalem.
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By the time European Christians took Jerusalem from Muslim control
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the Crusades were already in full swing. Despite the victory, the region remained fiercely contested
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Someone needed to protect the city, the region, and the Christian pilgrims making the long journey to the Holy Land
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Several organizations arose to meet the need, one of which became the famous Order of the Knights of the Templar
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Although you may know them better as shadowy pop culture villains, the Knights Templar started out as a small group of nine with seemingly good intentions
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before quickly growing into a powerful and influential force to be reckoned with
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Today, we're talking about the history of the Knights Templar. Okay, grab your sword and shield, because it's time for some weird history
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Active for a few centuries between 1118 and 1312 AD, the Knights of the Templar were one of the most prestigious orders in the Catholic Church
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Spearheaded by the French knight Hugues de Payence, the Knights Templar were originally
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formed to protect Christian pilgrims traveling to Jerusalem. But they quickly grew into a major
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force, establishing castles and bases across both Europe and the Holy Land. After forming
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the Knights set up their headquarters right in the heart of Jerusalem. They made their home on
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a religious site associated with the city called Temple Mount. It also inspired their name. Their
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original name was the Poor Knights of the Temple of King Solomon, which was a bit too long to fit
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on a letter jacket. The name derived from the belief that Solomon's temple stood on the mount
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prior to its destruction. Consequently, part of the duties of the Knights Templar was to excavate
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the ruins of the temple in search of certain treasures, including the Holy Grail, the Holy
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Lance and the Ark of the Covenant, a cache medieval scholars refer to as the Indiana Jones
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Hall, not to be confused with the Tom Hanks Hall, which refers to the actor's haircut in the Da Vinci
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Code. An order requiring vows of perpetual chastity, obedience, and poverty might not seem
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like the best recruitment strategy, but it worked for the Knights. And although they rejected personal
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wealth, the entire order received massive land bequests and funds over time. More on that in a bit
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It was a pretty exclusive club, even for people willing to take the vows
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Most nobles were rejected if they had wronged individuals or any member of the church
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But it wasn't just the abandonment of wealth that earned the Knights widespread respect
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They were fierce fighters and were completely devoted to what was viewed as a noble cause Only a decade after their formation Pope Eugene III designated the Knights Templar as an Order of the Catholic Church at the Council of Troyes To distinguish them as members of the
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prestigious order, they wore white cloaks over their armor. After some time, the Pope decided
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it would be okay if they just wore their simple red cross instead. Because the cross didn't have
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a design standard associated with it, several different Knights Templar chapters made their
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own variations. It became such a hallowed symbol that it couldn't be removed from any knight of the
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order while they were awake. Wait a second, how did that work? Did they have squires sneak into
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the rooms at night to change them into their PJs? How did they bathe? It became a widely known symbol
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and was carried on the armor and flags of the knights everywhere they went. The knights became
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so respected that important people often took the order's vows on their deathbeds to allow them to
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be buried in the distinctive Red Cross, which is a bit like winning a Super Bowl ring as a bench
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warmer. Most of us would think that a poverty vow would lead to a startling lack of war implements
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and weaponry. But instead of fighting with cardboard swords and armor, the Knights Templar
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had the finest weapons and armor available at the time, which was helpful because their rules of
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engagement were intense. They were only permitted to retreat from battle if their flag fell or if
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they were outnumbered three to one. Those terms are more rigid than a mob alone
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But religious orders from this period aren't exactly known for being flexible
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Because they felt God was on their side, the knights believed they'd immediately find themselves
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in the kingdom of heaven if they were to fall in battle. Consequently, the Red Cross on their shields and tunics
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eventually became a symbol of martyrdom, possibly because it also makes a great target for archers
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Although the Knights Templar was a monastic order which required its members to take poverty vows
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that didn't stop the order from acquiring plenty of assets. Each new member surrendered their wealth to the order
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and the spoils of war led to additional assets coming in regularly. They controlled 800 castles at one point, all of which were essentially banks
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That's how you know when you've got it made, when you have screw around and bought a castle money
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Pilgrims journeying to the Holy Land had to store their wealth with the order for safekeeping
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By registering gold and valuables with a local order, they received a letter of credit using
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a coded system. Pilgrims gave these letters to knights in exchange for gold coins. Of course
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the knights took a commission and charged interest in their transactions. At the time
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charging interest especially excessive interest a practice known as usury was banned in Catholicism but the knights did it anyway When you have enough power certain rules start to become more like suggestions The Knights also established something similar
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to a modern checking account, which technically makes them the patron saints
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of mail order catalogs. As the Knights' influence spread throughout Europe, so did their banking practices
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So just how vast were their riches? At one point, they transferred over 20,000 gold marks
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25,000 gold pieces, and over 5,000 pounds in silver currencies from Europe to the Egyptian
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city of Damietta. That's millions of dollars in today's money and is only counting what they
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transferred. You might consider their definition of poverty vows to be pretty generous
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Things were going great for the Knights Templar until the 12th century
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when Islamic forces retook Jerusalem and immediately expelled any Christian influence. Forced to withdraw from the city, the knights returned to Europe and reestablished their
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forces in France. They had amassed several fortunes worth of property and money over the years, which probably
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helped cushion the blow of being kicked out of the Holy Land. But it all came to a head when they started loaning money to the French king, Philip IV
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Old Philip liked to wage ineffective wars against England, squandering tons of money
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in the process. Banks eventually stopped lending money to clients who burned through stacks of cash
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like a first-round NFL draft pick at a gentleman's club. And that's exactly what the Knights Templar did to King Philip
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After being cut off from that sizable revenue stream, Philip did what any reasonable monarch would do
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He destroyed the Knights Templar. Philip declared the order heretics and sorcerers
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and convinced Pope Clement V to back him up and enforce the decree
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After a series of imprisonments and sham trials, the Catholic Church withdrew its recognition of the Knights Templar
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and their leader, Jacques de Molay, was burned at the stake. That sounds like a pretty bad shareholders meeting
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The order officially disbanded, and its members scattered across Europe. Allegedly, the fate that befell the Knights Templar began on a cool autumn day in the middle of October
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October the 13th, 1307 to be exact. Friday the 13th. According to some accounts, that's the day King Philip IV had the Knights Templar discredited
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and destroyed to punish them for cutting him off, and presumably to avoid paying back his
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considerable loans. And hey, we've all been there. Who hasn't wanted to destroy the Bank of America
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when your debit card gets declined at Zaxby's? Of course, this is but one origin story for Friday
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the 13th and 13 is an unlucky number Other stories point to it coming from Judas being the 13th guest at the Last Supper or Loki being the 13th god showing up at a table for 12
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Oh boy, classic Loki. On the heels of their persecution
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the remaining knights needed some place to go. Some of them may have settled in Scotland
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While there, the legends say they made contact with Prince Henry Sinclair, the Earl of Orkney
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Sinclair is an interesting character in his own right. One modern theory associated with him
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says he might have been affiliated with the Knights Templar. It is believed that after becoming affiliated
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with the Knights Templar, Henry Sinclair sought to perpetuate the order by recruiting its former members
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The powerful Scottish leader, Robert the Bruce, might have welcomed fleeing members of the Knights Templar
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into Scotland, where they could find refuge from persecution. According to these legends
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the knight's battlefield prowess helped Robert the Bruce win Scottish independence. In return, Robert the Bruce awarded the knights land and titles, making them part of the Scottish
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nobility. Although the legend is popular and makes for a fun story, there is no definite proof of it
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and many historians dismiss the idea as nothing more than a romantic tale
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The Knights Templar's legendary status helped them achieve an air of mystery that continues
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to this day. Following their forced disbanding, speculation about their treasures began
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That's where the mystery of Oak Island comes in. Oak Island sits just off the coast of Nova Scotia
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Canada, and for more than two centuries, efforts have been made to excavate a mysterious burial
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shaft on the island. But it's easier said than done. Efforts to dig up the treacherous site have
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claimed the lives of six people over the years. So why is Oak Island so dangerous? Not only does
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anyone entering need to excavate over 100 feet beneath the earth, but like any good treasure hunt
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there's also a series of elaborate traps. In a scene straight from King Solomon's Mines
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the shaft constantly fills with seawater that floods in from elaborately placed passageways
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The design prevents any progress, making it difficult to uncover what's actually in there
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Whoever designed the burial site definitely did not want anyone messing with its contents
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which makes you wonder how they were planning to get it back out. So what exactly is down there
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Speculation over the centuries include everything from Captain Kidd's treasures to Francis Bacon's lost manuscripts and, you guessed it
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the plundered treasure of the Knights Templar. sounds like a job for Indiana Jones, or Nicolas Cage
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or Tom Hanks, I guess