Knights Templar in 250 Facts

[RolandVT]

By 1125, Hugh, Count of Champagne (and of Troyes) was in a highly ambiguous situation. On the one hand, he was very probably one of the most successful – if not the most successful – individuals on our planet.

He was de-facto owner of the most sacred religious object in Christianity – Ark of the Covenant and a de-facto founder and Grand Master of a brand-new military religious order – Knights Templar.

His relative, protégé and partner – Bernard, abbot of Clairvaux – became one of the most influential (if not the most influential) ecclesiastical lords in the whole Christian world.

On the other hand… he failed to get to the top in a feudal hierarchy – his marriage to Constance, daughter of King Philip I of France did not work out (to put it mildly) and was annulled.

He got thoroughly dissatisfied with both secular (of French and European nobility) and ecclesiastical worlds (being a close friend and partner of Bernard, abbot of Clairvaux he got a very good picture of magnitude of corruption in the Holy Roman Catholic Church). Which has been serving itself – not Christ – for centuries. His creation – order Knights Templar was doing… not exactly great under nominal management of another protégé of his – Hugues de Payens.

In short, he was not happy with his life – a radical change was in order. And radical it was. He left his pregnant wife, disinherited his son for an unknown reason. and transferred his titles to his nephew, who became nominal Count of Champagne.

Left for Outremer – and officially joined Knights Templar becoming its Grand Master in everything but official title. It was confirmed a couple of years later when Hugh appeared with the king, of Jerusalem, Baldwin II, in two documents.

But the most important change was a new, secret life that he created for himself. While in France, Hugh practically befriended several Jewish rabbis and thus acquired deep and extensive knowledge of Judaism.

Which allowed him to create a new religion – built around Ark of the Covenant and based upon Jewish religion of Old Testament (with Jews replaced by Templars – the “New Israelites”).

Most likely, he recruited into this religion all members of the team that found Ark of the Covenant and some others – 12 in all. Thus achieving something no one in Christendom could do back then – creating a new religion (essentially a heretical sect) – and getting away with it…

[RolandVT]

Hugh, Count of Troyes and Champagne was even more enigmatic than Hugues de Payens because we know preciously little of what he did in his life – and almost nothing about what he did.

Hugh was born… we do not know exactly when (most likely, sometime around 1070) into a powerful House of Blois. So powerful, in fact, that French King Philip I arranged for his daughter, Constance, to marry Hugh. Philip hoped to influence the House of Blois, and thus counter the opposition of Fulk IV, Count of Anjou.

Hugh was the third son of Count Theobald III of Blois and Countess Adele of Valois bearing the title count of Bar-sur-Aube (city in northeastern France). His older brother Count Odo died in 1093, leaving him master of Troyes, Bar-sur-Aube and Vitry-le-François.

Thus, these three contiguous countships that formed the core of an emerging Champagne were united under his rule, and though he preferred “Count of Troyes“, the oldest of his lordships and site of the only bishopric in his domains, many contemporary documents call him the Count of Champagne, the title preferred by his descendants.

His marriage into royalty did not work out – the union between Constance and Hugh was too late to achieve the result desired by French king and it appears that his relationship with his wife was not exactly loving.

After ten years of marriage and without any surviving children (their only known son, Manasses, died young in 1102), Constance demanded an annulment. She obtained a divorce (no small feat those days) on 25 December 1104.

Hugh’s second marriage was far more successful – he married Isabella, daughter of Stephen I, Count of Burgundy and niece of Pope Callixtus II. This marriage turned out to be absolutely vital for Knights Templar – being a close relative of the reigning Pope (1119 – 1124) did help a lot during the first crucial years of the order.

Hugh was the generous patron of the abbeys of Montieramey Abbey and of Molesme. But he did not stop there: in 1115 he granted prime real estate (fields, meadows, vineyards, woods and water in a wild valley of a tributary of the Aube) to his relative – Bernard of the Cistercian order – in order to found Clairvaux Abbey, a Cistercian monastery at Clairvaux (and become its abbot).

Thus, Hugh of Champagne essentially made Bernard of Clairvaux – without this gift there would have been no Clairvaux… and no Bernard of Clairvaux.

The most mysterious part of Hugh’s life are his long (really long) pilgrimages to the Holy Land in 1104–07 and in 1114–16. No one knows what he did there or what he was looking for.

My (and not only mine) theory is that he was looking for some valuable Christian relics – Holy Grail, Shroud of Christ… and, of course, the Ark of the Covenant. And finally found what he was looking for – in 1116 in Jerusalem he was approached by Hugues de Payens who convinced him that he knew where the Ark was hidden.

Hugh accepted his theory, gave him seed money for Ark excavation project… and sometime in 1118 the ragtag team of treasure hunters assembled by Hugues de Payens found and extracted the Ark.

After it was decided (by Hugh of Champagne and Bernard of Clairvaux – and possibly by King and Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem) to keep this find a secret, another decision was made – to create a military-religious order to keep and protect the Ark – and by extension to protect the whole Outremer.

This order became known The Poor Fellow-Soldiers of Christ and of the Temple of Solomon and also known as the Order of Solomon’s Temple, and mainly the Knights Templar, or simply the Templars.

And in 1125 Hugh of Champagne and 11 other knights founded Ark Templar – a unitarian religion (essentially, a Christian heresy) built around Ark of the Covenant.

[RolandVT]

Bernard de Fontaine came from the family that belonged to the highest nobility of Burgundy. Aged nine, he was sent to a school at Châtillon-sur-Seine run by the secular canons of Saint-Vorles. During his education with priests, he often thought of becoming one. When his mother died in 1107 (Bernard was 16 or 17 at that time) he decided that that’s what he wanted to do for the rest of his life.

He chose Cîteaux Abbey founded 15 years prior by a group led by Robert of Molesme (later canonized by the Church) with the purpose of living according to a literal interpretation of the Rule of St. Benedict.

In 1113 Bernard and 30 other young noblemen of Burgundy, many of whom were his relatives, sought and gained admission to the abbey. Bernard’s example was so convincing that scores (among them his own father) followed him into the monastic life. As a result, he is considered the patron of religious vocations.

Most likely, he would have remained an obscure monk for the rest of his life… but in 1115 his relative – a very rich, noble and influential Hugh, Count of Champagne and of Troyes granted lands specifically to Bernard in order to found Clairvaux Abbey, a Cistercian monastery at Clairvaux (“Valley of Light”).

Hugh’s charter made over to the new foundation “Clairvaux and its dependencies, fields, meadows, vineyards, woods and water”. After such a generous gift, there was never any dispute about who would become the Abbot of newly minted monastery.

Bernard was made abbot by William of Champeaux, Bishop of Châlons-sur-Marne. From then on, a strong friendship grew between the abbot and the bishop, who was professor of theology at Notre Dame of Paris.

Which essentially launched a stellar career of Bernard as a theologian. Bernard was made abbot at 25 despite the rules that required the candidate to be at least 30… but money talks – and big money talks loud enough to silence any rule.

Becoming an abbot radically increased Bernard’s power and visibility – and became a springboard for his outstanding career in the Church. He earned the reputation of “consciousness of Christendom” which made Kings, Popes and everyone else listen when he talked – and made him the most influential Church leader of his times. In 1830, he was officially named Doctor of the Church and in 1953 declared (by no other than Pope Pius XII) “the last of the Fathers”.

This generous gift of 1115 made Bernard and Hugh close friends – and later partners in a venture project that got them Ark of the Covenant and founded the order of Knights Templar.

[RolandVT]

The Poor Fellow-Soldiers of Christ and of the Temple of Solomon were a religious order – first and foremost (at that time religious always trumped secular). So, it made complete sense that its name was chosen by the abbot of a monastery (Bernard of Clairvaux) rather than secular lord (Hugh of Champagne) – let alone a secular knight (Hugues de Payens).

Bernard defined the Mission of Knights Templar loud and clear (and no, it was not protecting the pilgrims or even fighting for the Outremer). It was to protect the treasures of the Holy City before they are stolen by Muslims.

In his works, Bernard listed all places in the Holy Land that he believed are of particular significance. First and foremost, he lists the Temple of Solomon – and not the Church of the Holy Sepulcher that stands on the foundations of Golgotha where Jesus Christ was once buried and which was in Bernard’s era the most important pilgrimage destination.

In fact, the Church of the Holy Sepulcher is only mentioned in 11th place (!!) in his treatise to the Templars. In his other works, he said that the Templars were the “New Israelites” and even “True Israelites”.

So, what were the Templars tasked to protect, first and foremost? Religious treasure that once resided in Temple of Solomon (Jewish First Temple). And what was the religious treasure – the most important treasure – that once resided in Solomon’s Temple? The Ark of the Covenant.

Who were the “True Israelites”? God’s Chosen People. How could they – and everyone else – know that they, indeed, were His Chosen People? What was the irrefutable, visible proof of that? The Ark of the Covenant.

If it is not an admission that Templars had the Ark, I do not know what is.

But there is more. Bernard openly stated that the presence of the Templars had now made the Temple of Solomon the greatest sanctuary of all. And what is the greatest sanctuary of all? The one that contains the greatest religious treasure; the most valuable relic of Christendom. And there was (still is) only one such relic.

Ark of the Covenant. Not surprisingly, in his instructions to Knights Templar, Bernard of Clairvaux didn’t mention a single word about protecting the Christian pilgrims….

[RolandVT]

Bernard of Clairvaux was a man of many trades and talents: he was a preacher, a mystic, a diplomat, a theologian, a founder and CEO of the abbey (which makes him the Church entrepreneur). A highly successful entrepreneur, actually – he either founded himself or helped found 163 monasteries in different parts of Europe.

One little known passion of his was that he was an avid collector of Christian relics – something that was quite common those days among both ecclesiastical and secular lords.

He allegedly built a large reliquary in Clairvaux – essentially a museum that held 124 Christian relics (which ones were authentic and which weren’t is a different story entirely).

Bernard’s boss and mentor in Cîteaux Abbey was the famous Stephen Harding – one of the founders of the Cistercian Order (that Bernard belonged to) … and the principal author of the Harding Bible (hence its name).

For the Old Testament, Harding reached out to rabbis who supplied the Chaldean and Hebraic versions to resolve problematic passages and worked closely with the abbot to ensure the accuracy of translation.

Being a close associate of Harding, Bernard most definitely came in close contact with these rabbis and (most likely) learned enough about the Ark of the Covenant to become convinced that it was still hidden in Jerusalem on Temple Mount.

He developed an obsessive desire to find the Ark – because he wanted it as a crown jewel in his collection of relics; because possession of the relic would have made him the most powerful man in Christendom… or simply because he did not want it to get into wrong hands (i.e., of Muslims… or Jews).

His relative, sponsor and partner Hugh of Champagne was about to leave for the Holy Land for the second time (most likely, to support monasteries – just as he did in Champagne) so Bernard tasked him with finding and securing the Ark.

One theory is that Hugues de Payens who resided in Jerusalem at the time, identified the approximate location of the Ark and proposed to Hugh a venture project to get it… another is that he came to Jerusalem with Hugh of Champagne and identified the location of the Ark with some very creative detective work.

In any event, Hugh agreed to finance the project; Hugues de Payens put together a team of treasure hunters… and in 1118 they found the Ark and delivered it to Hugh… and Bernard (delivered legally – physically it was hundreds of miles away from them). And hid the Ark in a secure location… somewhere in Jerusalem.

[RolandVT]

From the twelfth century on, two streams of thought dominated medieval theology and church life, namely, scholasticism and mysticism. For scholastics such as Anselm and, later, Thomas Aquinas, Christianity was theology (i.e., science). In short, they wanted to understand God, Christ, angels, saints, etc.

For mystics, Christianity was a set of spiritual relationships with all of the above. Mysticism is best seen as a continuum: on one side are extreme examples, full of writings of fanciful and ethereal visions. On the other are feelings – without any visions or voices.

Bernard belongs to this milder camp; scholars tend to identify Bernard as a “monastic theologian,” implying that for him contemplation trumps intellectual dispute, and that experience (i.e., feeling) trumps understanding (i.e., logic).

However, he still had some mystical capabilities (one has to be born with these capabilities – you can grow and expand them but not acquire). Which means that he could have developed spiritual relationship (“communication channel”) with the Ark of the Covenant.

No surprise here – being created on direct orders from God and hosting the most important document in human history – the covenant between God and His Chosen People – Ark of the Covenant was a living being.

With its own mind, soul… and mystical capabilities. So, Bernard just knew that Ark of the Covenant was sitting in a cave on Temple Mount (the Ark told him that). And indeed, a few years later it was found there.

It is also possible that after it was found and moved to a secure underground location in Templar’s headquarters in Jerusalem, the Ark became a major source of inspiration (spiritual energy) and to a significant extent made Bernard one of the most accomplished and influential individuals in Christendom.

The existential decision to keep the discovery of Ark of the Covenant and to create the military-religious order of its keepers and protectors (Knights Templar) was logical and made complete sense; however, it is possible that the Ark told Bernard that it was exactly what he must do.

[RolandVT]

When Pope Honorius II died in 1130, a schism broke out in the Church by the election of two popes, Pope Innocent II and Antipope Anacletus II. Innocent, having been banished from Rome by Anacletus, took refuge in France.

King Louis VI convened a national council of the French bishops at Étampes and Bernard, summoned there by the bishops, was chosen to judge between the rival popes (which gives you some idea about his influence within Christendom). He decided in favour of Innocent.

Bernard then travelled on to Italy and reconciled Pisa with Genoa, and Milan with the Pope. The same year Bernard was again at the Council of Reims at the side of Innocent II. He then went to Aquitaine where he succeeded for the time in detaching William X, Duke of Aquitaine, from the cause of Anacletus.

Germany had decided to support Innocent through Norbert of Xanten, who was a friend of Bernard’s. After meeting with Pope Innocent and Bernard, Lothair II, Holy Roman Emperor became Innocent’s strongest ally among the nobility.

Payback time came nine years later when Bernard came to the Pope to collect the debt. And collected he did – on March 29, 1139, Pope Innocent II granted the Templars exemption from episcopal and secular authority in the papal bull Omne datum optimum.

This ruling meant that the Templars could pass freely through all borders (were exempt from customs duties and inspections), were not required to pay any taxes (or tithes) and were exempt from all authority except that of the Pope.

Innocent II permitted the Templars to appoint their own priests – an important step that ensured the secrecy of the Order’s internal matters. Confessions were thus heard by a Templar priest and not by an outside cleric.

On April 7, 1145, Pope Eugenius III, a former Cistercian abbot and pupil of Bernard of Clairvaux, issued the papal bull Militia dei, which permitted the Templars to build their own churches and own their own cemeteries.

And two years later the same Pope Eugenius III gave Knights Templar permission to wear the now famous red cross on their uniform.

[RolandVT]

Bernard’s boss and mentor in Cîteaux Abbey was the famous Stephen Harding – one of the founders of the Cistercian Order and the principal author of the Harding Bible. For the Old Testament, Harding reached out to rabbis who supplied the Chaldean and Hebraic versions to resolve problematic passages and worked closely with the abbot to ensure the accuracy of translation.

Being a close associate of Harding, Bernard most definitely came in close contact with these rabbis – and possibly even befriended them. Which made them respect and (when he got the power to do so) protect them.

As in the First Crusade, the preaching of the Second one led to attacks on Jews as the latter were (mostly incorrectly) viewed – in modern terms – as the “fifth column” of Muslims.

A fanatical French monk named Radulf was apparently inspiring massacres of Jews in the Rhineland, Cologne, Mainz, Worms, and Speyer. The archbishop of Cologne and the archbishop of Mainz were vehemently opposed to these attacks and asked Bernard to denounce them.

This he did, but when the campaign continued, Bernard travelled from Flanders to Germany to deal with the problems in person. He then found Radulf in Mainz and was able to silence him, returning him to his monastery.

Bernard composed a letter of protest against persecution of Jews which was sent to England, eastern France, and Germany. In this letter he laid down the general lines of policy with regard to the Jews by which the Roman Catholic Church has since been guided.

According to Bernard, Jews were not to be disturbed or destroyed, because they are living symbols of the Passion; for which they were to be punished mainly by dispersion, so that they shall be witnesses. But (un his not-so-humble opinion) they will ultimately be converted.

One statement in that letter was especially powerful: “Whosoever touches a Jew to take his life, is like one who harms Jesus himself”. Which makes complete sense – being the son of a Jewish woman, Jesus was… well, a Jew.

Close contact with Jewish rabbis made Bernard understand and respect Judaism and made it easier for him to accept conversion of Hugh of Champagne and 11 other knights into a reincarnation of Old Testament religion with Jews replaced by Knights Templar (the “New Israelites”).

The religion of Ark Templar.

[RolandVT]

Bernard of Clairvaux is rightfully considered to be a co-founder of Knights Templar (with Hugh of Champagne – Hugues de Payens was but a nominal founder and first Grand Master of the order).

But he was much more than that. Bernard essentially built the order of Templar. Most likely, it was Bernard who came up with the official name Poor Fellow-Soldiers of Christ and of the Temple of Solomon for the order. As well as with other names: Order of Solomon’s Temple, Knights Templar, or simply the Templars.

Bernard was the principal author of Latin Rule of Templars (Hugh of Champagne was more his assistant than his co-author). Bernard convinced King Baldwin II of Jerusalem and Warmund, Patriarch of Jerusalem co convene the Council of Nablus (no small feat) to approve the creation of order of Knights Templar.

He convinced King Baldwin II to grant the Templars a headquarters in a wing of the royal palace on the Temple Mount in the captured Al-Aqsa Mosque – no small feat either (it was the most coveted piece of real estate in Jerusalem back then).

Bernard convinced Pope Honorius II to convene the Council of Troyes to officially recognize the order of Knights Templar by the Holy See (and thus by the Church). And then convinced Pope Innocent II to granted the Templars exemption from episcopal and secular authority.

This ruling meant that the Templars could pass freely through all borders (were exempt from customs duties and inspections), were not required to pay any taxes (or tithes) and were exempt from all authority except that of the Pope.

Bernard also convinced Pope Innocent II to permit the Templars to appoint their own priests – an important step that ensured the secrecy of the Order’s internal matters. Confessions were heard by a Templar priest and not by an outside cleric. And then convinced Pope Eugenius III, to permit the Templars to build their own churches and own their own cemeteries (very handy for Ark Templar religion).

Why would he do all that? Definitely not to protect pilgrims en route from Jaffa to Jerusalem – and not even to protect the Outremer. He did it because he believed that it was absolutely vital to create a mighty security force that would prevent the Ark of the Covenant from ever getting into wrong hands.

In that, he succeeded.

[RolandVT]

Every organization needs a certain (usually written) code of conduct – and religious order in no exception. Code of conduct for a religious order is called “Rule” and because Knights Templar were, first and foremost, a religious order, they got one (albeit ten years after the order was officially established).

But before they were officially recognized by the Holy See – and thus by the Holy Roman Catholic Church. In fact, the Rule (the Latin Rule as it was officially named) was a prerequisite for recognition by the Church. Not surprisingly, it became known as “Specific Behavior for the Templar Order” as it outlines the ideal behavior of a Christian knight.

The rule borrowed from the Rule of Saint Augustine, but was mostly inspired (and based on) by the Rule of Saint Benedict. Which means that the primary, principal author of the Latin Rule was, of course, Bernard of Clairvaux who (unlike secular lords and knights) has a deep knowledge and deep understanding of both.

It was (obviously) adapted for use by military knights, rather than cloistered monks (for example, the fasts were less severe so that they did not interfere with combat). Which means that Bernard of Clairvaux had a co-author who had sufficiently deep and extensive knowledge of a lifestyle of Christian knights and its requirements.

Historians believe that Bernard’s co-author was Hugues de Payens – the co-founder and nominal first Grand Master of Knights Templar. However, it is highly unlikely as to be the co-author of Bernard of Clairvaux, one had to be (1) persona of the same caliber and (b) sufficiently close to him – and Hugues de Payens was neither. Hence, it is much more likely that the Latin Rule of the Templars was co-authored by High of Champagne – Bernard’s partner in the whole project.

The original rule was written in 1128 (in Latin, of course) and added to the minutes of the Council of Troyes (which officially recognized Knights Templar) in 1129. However, in about 1138 under the direction of Robert de Craon, second Grand Master of the order, the rule was translated into French and modified.

Later, it was radically expanded to include 609 articles, notably covering such things as hierarchy and justice within the order.