True Cross
The Crusades

The True Cross – a Holy relic

Above: The Finding of the True Cross, Agnolo Gaddi, Florence, 1380 One of the outcomes of the Crusades was the production of many religious relics. Among these alleged instruments of Divinity the more common ones […]

Children's Crusade
The Crusades

The Children’s Crusade

Above: The Children’s Crusade, by Gustave Doré The Legend of the Children’s Crusade: A Romantic yet Tragic Tale of Religious Fervor Although the Chronicles of the Crusades often overlook it, the legend of the Children’s […]

The Knights Templar - Knights Templar Clothing - Templar Hierarchy
Templar History

The Knights Templar

The Order of the Poor Knights of Christ and of the Temple of Solomon, or, as it is otherwise called, Knights Templar, was founded in Palestine in the 12th century by the Crusaders. The Order […]

Teutonic knights
The Crusades

The Teutonic Knights

The Teutonic Knights of St. Mary’s Hospital of Jerusalem was one of the three great religious and military orders produced by the Crusades. It was founded during the third Crusade, and was the last one […]

Knights Hospitaller
The Crusades

The Knights Hospitaller

The Knights Hospitaller, known officially as “Knights of the Order of the Hospital of St. John of Jerusalem,” was founded at Jerusalem during the first Crusade. It has been known also as “Knights of Rhodes”, […]

Causes of the Crusades
The Crusades

The Causes of the Crusades

Publisher’s Note: The following material on the Causes of the Crusades is an excerpt from an article on the Rite of Strict Observance by By Burton E. Bennett, published in the 1920s. It is presented […]

Chronology of the Crusades
The Crusades

Chronology of the Crusades

The following Chronology of the Crusades is a brief overview of the various crusades, together with dates and details on each. The Crusades, a series of religious and military campaigns launched by Western Christians between […]