The Crusades In 1119 A. D. Jerusalem

Created during the Crusades in 1119 A.D Jerusalem, the Knights Templar served to protect Christian pilgrims on their way to Jerusalem. As a result, the Knights Templar gained power, respect and wealth that threatened Philip IV, King of France. Philip was influenced by his top adviser, William De Nogaret, to spread seditious stories about the knights, accusing them falsely of committing satanic practices and then torturing them into confessing that they had. Although the Knights were founded for the greater good of the Church and its people, nevertheless they were accused of and tried on accounts of devil worship and treason because King Philip IV of France was afraid their power would be the end of his reign.
The order of the Knights Templar
They were there to see and stand where their Lord and Savior Jesus Christ had lived. Many Christians during this time wanted to visit the sacred city.(The Gale) The journey to the Holy Land was no simple task though. Most of the pilgrims traveled different locations in Europe. They came either by land or by sea. Neither route was safe for these defenseless pilgrims. Although the Mediterranean sea was a much faster and more direct route it was also plagued with Saracen pirates. There was also storms and many ships and their passengers were lost to the sea. The roads, unfortunately, were slower and just as dangerous. Unlike the boats that had an almost direct course to Jerusalem, the roads from Europe were much less direct. Almost all the roads were made of dirt which made travel very strenuous. Many of the pilgrims taking roads were not wealthy and could not afford a horse or carriage. This meant they had to walk the entire way. Many pilgrims were also jumped by thieves. If the pilgrims made it to Israel their perils were not yet complete. The paths through the deserts were crawling with bandits and gangs. Unsuspecting pilgrims were robbed of all that they were carrying and were killed. Many pilgrims witnessed fellow Europeans lying dead along the sides of the road on their way to Jerusalem. Once the Templars began to escort pilgrims and patrol the
The King of France, Philip IV owed the Templars a lot of money. During this time the Templars would lend money with interest for war or for politics. Philip IV had borrowed a large sum of money to finance one of his wars between himself and England. Around the same time he also sought out shelter in a Templar fort because his people were not happy with him. It was then that Philip saw the great wealth of the Templars. The problem was that the Templars wanted their money back and Philip could not pay back the loan. He became afraid that the Templars would use their power to dethrone him. William De Nogaret advised Philip to destroy the Templars in order to save his throne. William was Philips top adviser and though he did not want the King to know, he had a more personal reason to destroy the Templars. He was born around 1260 A.D in Saint-Félix-de-Caraman in southern France. When he was a child his family was accused of being heretics. His family's honor was lost and so he believed that by helping the king he could regain his family's honor.(Britannica 2) The accusations began as small rumors about how the Templars worshipped the devil and practiced magic. They were also believed to be corrupt because they traded goods with the muslims. They were said to have funded the research of Kabbalah which is a type of Jewish mysticism.(Crabtree) The accusations did not stop there though. Rumors of treason began