The Knight Templar. In 1118, nineteen years after the fall of Jerusalem to Christian hands, nine Knights arrived at the court of King Baudoin II (Commonly referred to as Baldwin), ruler of the new kingdom. These Knights were led by one Hugues de Payens a member of the lower nobility of Champagne. The Knights stated that their mission was to protect the Pilgrims en route to the Holy Places of Jesus, and they had taken vows of Poverty, Chastity and Obedience to the teachings of Christ.' This book offers a short history of the Order of the Knights giving an insight into the organisation and an attempt to dispel some of the myths surrounding the movement, and its connections with Freemasonry.