In a fight to claim the Holy Land, the Knights Templar was established as a way to fight a religious battle that would take many years to dissipate. In this article, you will encounter a handful of facts concerning the Knights Templar, which was also known as the Poor Fellow-Soldiers of Christ and of the Temple of Solomon, or the Order of the Temple (Ordre du Temple or Templiers).
1. Longevity
The Knights Templar existed for nearly two centuries during the Middle Ages.
2. Seal of the Knights
Two knights on a single horse became the recognized image of the Seal of the Knights Templar. The display was meant to symbolize the early poverty of participants. On the seal, Greek and Latin characters that read Sigillum Militum ΧÃÂisti were accompanied by a cross. The translation of the characters was “the Seal of the Soldiers of Christ”.
3. Knights Templar Numbers
When the Knights Templar were at their peak, there were 15,000 to 20,000 members involved with 10% of whom were actually knights.
4. What Was the Crusades?
The Latin Christian part of Europe, such as the Franks of France and the Holy Roman Empire waged a military campaign based on religious beliefs that was called The Crusades. The aim of this religious mission was to restore Christian control of the Holy Land. For almost 200 years (from 1095 to 1291), a battle lasted with the Holy Land at the center of the dispute.
5. Number of Crusades
There are nine crusades that have been traditionally counted as official ‘crusades.’ The first one took place between 1095 and 1099, while the last one lasted from 1271 to 1272.
6. Missions Outside of the Numbered Crusades
The traditional numbering of the Crusades ends with nine, but other missions were called by the theme they represented, such as the Norwegian or Children’s Crusade.
7. Battles of the Crusades
During the Crusades, a handful of significant battles took place in the fight to control the Holy Land, including the following:
· Taking place in 1153, the Siege of Ascalon resulted in the capture of an Egyptian fortress by the Crusader Kingdom of Jerusalem.
· The Battle of Montgisard (1177) involved the Ayyubids and the Kingdom of Jerusalem. At the forefront of the battle, King Baldwin IV, a 16-year old ruler known for being seriously stricken by leprosy led Christian forces against the army of Saladin. They were outnumbered but the
· Islamic forces were bested , suffering great causalities. In the end, the Crusaders were victorious.
· The Battle of Hattin (1187) took place on July 4th. The Kingdom of Jerusalem and the Ayyubid forces clashed. This time, Saladin captured or killed a great deal of the Crusader forces. This seriously weakened the Crusader efforts and once again, Islamic forces were able to claim the Holy Land. This battle was significant to the advancement of the Ayyubids.
· The Siege of Acre (1190-1191) marked the first confrontation of the Third Crusade. It would last from 1189 to 1191 and was significant because it was the first time in history that the King of Jerusalem felt compelled to personally see to the defense of the Holy Land. Out of all the Crusade battles, it is known as the deadliest.