The founding of the Templar Order is as mysterious as its demise. Some chronicles mention their establishment in Jerusalem before Godfrey of Bouillon’s rule in 1100. The generally accepted date is 1118 during the reign of King Baldwin of Jerusalem. 

Hugues de Payens, the first Grand Master of the Order, together with Saint Bernard of Clairvaux, convened the Council of Troyes on 13 January, 1129. (The first Grail legend was written by Chretien of Troyes). It was during this Council that the Templars received Papal recognition and the mandate to create a Rule for the Templar Order, the Latin Rule consisting of 72 clauses. 

896 years after the ‘official’ establishment of the Templars, the utter bewilderment surrounding their rise and fall remains. Why was the most celebrated Christian Order of the Middle Ages, hunted, tortured, and burned at the stake in front of the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris? 

Were they good, bad, or a threat to the status quo? More importantly, were the secrets and knowledge they possessed passed on to other groups like the Rosicrucians and Freemasons? Can these secrets be discovered, or have they been lost to the ravages of time.

Seek and ye shall find. 

Art: King Baldwin II of Jerusalem ceding the Temple to the first Grand Master Hugues de Payens.