The persecution of the Knights Templar

1307 On a Friday the thirteenth, Philip IV of France (Philip the Fair; 1268 - 1314) ordered the arrest of all 2,000 Knights Templar in France. He owed them a large sum of money, and also was no doubt troubled by the rise of the Templars as a great European banking house.

Philip confiscated their property and accused them of heresy, witchcraft, being in league with the devil, homosexual acts, the worship of heads and/or a mystery known as Baphomet. Many were burnt and tortured, and many confessed. [See also March 15, 1314, death of Templar Grand Master Jacques de Molay.] The Hospitallers of St John of Jerusalem and of Rhodes and of Malta, seeing the fate of the Templars, were also convinced to give up banking at this time ...

Tagged: templars, knights+templar, medieval, history