Aside from the fictional notion that they were at odds with each other; some historians want us to believe the Templars were a mythical legend shrouded in a veil of secrecy.
The papal decree of 1113 led to the beginning of a division within the Knights of St. John / Malta. I suspect from 1113 to 1119, nine knights were hand selected by Peter Gerard Abbott for a special mission. According to most historical records, the Templars formed in 1119 as a group of nine knights. This group would later be known as the "Secrati". The Secrati accepted extraordinary vows to protect the holiest artifact in the world - The Ark of The Covenant.
Unfortunately, the Secrati were spotted numerous times performing excavations in the Temple Mount of King Solomon's Temple. A simple theory speculates the name Knights Templar came from locals who witnessed them digging in the Temple. While we may not know exactly where their name came from, we do know a fellow Frenchman was chosen by Peter Gerard Abbott to manage the new secret sect. His name was Hugues de Payen, a nobleman from the Champagne region of France.
Knights Templar Art
Knights Templar Art
