The Knights Templar was created by a man named Hugues de Payens in 1119

A.D. He created the group with nine men that were all related in one way or another.
The organization was first created to keep the roads safe for pilgrims that were
travelling to the Holy Land. During the early days of the Knights Templar, they settled in
Jerusalem on Temple Mount in the place where the Temple of Solomon was believed to
have stood. This is where they got the name “Templars” from. The Knights were both
monks and warriors. They were said to be some of the best fighters in the crusades.
Secret initiations were held where the knights swore an oath of loyalty until death, which
means they could never accept ransoms or leave the battlefield without orders. In 1128,
the Knights Templar left Jerusalem and returned west. The warriors mainly lived in the
east, while their supporters lived in the west. From 1150 A.D. on, the Knights no longer
guarded the road to the Holy Land. They instead acted as bankers and forged today’s
banking system. The Templars were eventually allowed to cross borders, avoid taxes,
and follow orders only from the Pope himself. They used this power to buy farms,
churches, castles, and more. A hierarchy was formed, where there were multiple groups
of people led by knights, and a knight known as the Grand Master was in charge of the
knights. By now, only a small percentage of knights fought in battles, while all the rest
were manufacturers or business people.
On Friday the 13th, 1307, King Philip IV called a decoy meeting of all the high-
ranking knights of the Knights Templar. While all the Knights were away, Philip’s
soldiers capture and arrest about 620 of the 3000 Knights Templar. They were accused
of denying Christ, spitting on the cross, worshipping the devil, and more. 105 knights
admitted denying Christ and 123 admitted to spitting on the cross, but they may have
been lying because of the torture they were being put through. The Grand Master at the
time was slowly cooked over a fire along with other knights after suffering through
torture. Their ashes were thrown in the river after several hours of waiting for their
bodies to burn. The Grand Master’s final words were that the Pope and KIng Philip IV
would join him before the year ended. The Pope had died a month later, and the king
had died at the end of November. By now, the Knights Templar had almost diminished
in France, leaving all their lands for other religious orders.
 Many people believe that the Knights Templar had a more secretive motive to life
than fighting battles and defending roads. Many believe that they were searching for
something, or guarding something important. It is said that in 1867, tunnels were found
under the site of the Temple of Solomon, containing Knights Templar artifacts scattered
throughout them. The Knights Templar were rumored to have been searching for or
guarding a piece of the true cross, the Arc of the Covenant, great treasures, the Crown
of Thorns, the Spear of Destiny, or more famously, the Holy Grail. There are many
theories on what the Holy Grail actually is, whether it’s the chalice or a silver platter
used in the Last Supper, a vial of blood, a blinding light, the Gospel of St, John, or the
holy bloodline of Jesus. Around the time the Knights Templar were captured by King
Philip IV, the knights were accused of worshipping heads. There have been paintings
found of heads without bodies, and many historians believe they worshipped the head
of John the Baptist. Also, the Knights were believed to have been guarding the Shroud
of Turin, which is the shroud that has Jesus’ imprint on it after he had died. The shroud
had appeared in Lirey after Philip IV’s death. In the place where the Knights Templar
were imprisoned, there were undeciphered carvings in the walls that were believed to
be a final message for their fellow knights. There are many theories on where the free
Knights Templar had gone. Some of them became the Knights of Christ, while some of
them were believed to have travelled around the world and have possibly reached North
America. There is no evidence of any treasures being left behind, though. Historians
believe that the Knights Templar fled to the Alps, where there are many places to hide.
Written accounts were found that explained that village people in the Alps saw white
knights come to their aid while fighting a battle. This could have been the Knights
Templar, since they were known to wear white. Another theory on where the treasures
went is that the Grand Master burned them all days before the arrest. The Knights
Templar also had fleets of ships that were said to have disappeared over night. To this
day, it is unknown exactly where the Knights Templar settled, what they were looking
for, or where their treasure has gone.