The World\'s Most Dangerous Secret Societies: The Illuminati, Freemasons, Bilderberg Group, Knights Templar, The Jesuits, Skull And Bones And Others pdfdrive com

Origins of the Knights Templar
The Poor-Fellow Soldiers of Christ and of the Temple of Solomon, more
commonly referred to as the Knights Templar, came about in 1120 at the urging
of French knight Hugues de Payens, who had approached both the King and 
Patriarch of Jerusalem to grant an official monastic Order for the protection of 
pilgrims visiting the Holy City of Jerusalem. At the time of their inception, the
Templars only numbered nine in their ranks, all of whom had sworn a specific 
vow of poverty. Just thirty years later, their numbers had swollen to the 
thousands and were prosperous enough to lend money and credit to both citizens 
and government figures alike.
During the time of the Crusades, the Templars were often a key military
component for the expansion of the Holy Roman Empire, being utilized as

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advanced shock troops in some of the most decisive battles of the conquest—
including the battle of Montgisard, where some 500 knights helped defeat the 
legendary sultan Saladin’s troops, which numbered over 26,000 combatants.
Both their reputation as fearless and feckless warrior-monks as well as the 
uncouth lore surrounding them (a regular euphemism of the time was “to drink 
and swear like a Templar”) helped establish the reputation of the Knights
Templar as one of the most elite and fearsome scourges to attack the Middle
East; a reputation they shared with the Hashishins of the previous chapter (of
whom, the Templars undoubtedly came into contact with, and it is rumored,
integrated certain philosophical tenets and mysteries into their secret initiation
rites.)
By 1307, both the wealth, reputation and arrogance of the Templars had
fallen into negative favor, particularly with the newly elected Pope Clement V
(who sought to merge the order with another Christian military council, the
Order of the Hospitallers, granting him benefit and power over both) as well as
King Philip IV of France (who was in debt to the Templars as a result of his war 
with England.) Rumors began to abound about the Templars “secret” teachings;
they were reputed to regularly engage in homosexuality, both denying the
divinity of Christ and both trampling and spitting on the cross as part of their
initiation rites, and worshipping a strange “bearded” idol of a head (alternately,
the head of a goat) they referred to as “Baphomet.”
These charges, along with others that constitute what was unquestionably 
heretical in 14th century France, have never been proven. But they have also 
never been 
disproven
. Homosexuality has been a common practice among 
soldiers who, traveling long distances of many years without wives, seek some 
form of gratification, and may have been more prevalent among warrior-monks 
sworn to uphold a vow of celibacy. Denying and insulting the divinity of Jesus 
may seem like an unusual practice among sworn defenders of Christendom; but 
what better way to instill fear and test a potential recruits’ bravado than attacking 
the general tenets of their sworn allegiance?
Numerous theories abound for the presence of Baphomet. These include, a 
linguistic corruption of the prophet Muhammed, or Mahomet; a symbol of the
“baptism of wisdom” (the direct translation of the Greek term “baphe-metis”);
and a literal idol (it is interesting to note that in cabalistic theory, the lesser
countenance of God—the “Zaur Anpin”—is revealed as a human head.)

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Regardless of these elaborations, one thing is certain. On Friday, October 13th 
of 1307 (the origin of the superstition of Friday the 13th), King Philip ordered 
the arrest of several hundred Knights Templar, including their grandmaster 
Jacques de Molay, and formally charged them with heresy, financial corruption, 
bribery and secrecy. Their assets were seized, members were tortured and 
burned alive at the stake (including de Molay) and the order was formally 
dissolved. The few Templars who survived the extermination went underground
into recluse, reemerging a few years later to forge alliances with other military
Christian orders prevalent in Europe at the time, such as the Order of Teutonic
Knights and the Knights of St. John.
The Templars may have died in the most ignominious of manners. But their 
legacy—and some say their secret teachings—continue to this day. Sometimes
in the most sinister form imaginable, as you will soon see.