They identified one another via signs of their trade, like the builder’s square and compass in Freemasonry’s now-iconic symbol. Cathedral builders, by nature of their profession, had to travel from city to city. The Freemasons can trace their routes to the Middle Ages in Europe when most craftsmen were organized into local guilds.
Founding Fathers like George Washington, James Monroe, Benjamin Franklin, John Hancock and Paul Revere all counted themselves as members of the fraternal order. The freemasons loom large in American history-after all, 13 of the 39 men who signed the U.S. Some eagle-eyed observers have claimed to spot the Cross of Lorraine in the Exxon and Nabisco logos and even stamped on Oreo cookies. After Lorraine Nobleman Godfrey de Bouillon became the king of Jerusalem during the First Crusade, the symbol became known as the “Jerusalem Cross.” When the Knights Templar arrived in the Holy Land, they adopted it as the symbol of their order.ĭuring World War II, the Cross of Lorraine was a symbol of the French resistance to Nazi rule. The Cross of Lorraine ( Croix de Lorraine in French) is a double-barred cross that is featured prominently in the coat of arms of the Dukes of Lorraine. But not all kings were happy customers.Ī soldier of the Knights Templar, with the Cross of Lorraine pictured below. At the apex of their power, the Knights Templar owned the island of Cyprus, a fleet of ships and lent money to kings. Their influence swelled to a new high in 1139 when Pope Innocent II issued a Papal Bull exempting them from paying taxes… and decreeing that the only authority they had to answer to was the Pope.
They became one of the most wealthy and powerful forces in Europe after setting up a bank that allowed pilgrims to deposit money in their home countries and withdraw it in the Holy Land. The Knights Templar were known for more than their military prowess and moral lifestyle. Headquartered at Temple Mount in Jerusalem, members pledged to live a life of chastity, obedience and poverty, abstaining from gambling, alcohol and even swearing. The military order was founded around 1118 when Hugues de Payens, a French knight, created the Poor Fellow-Soldiers of Christ and the Temple of Solomon-or The Knights Templar for short. The Knights Templar were warriors dedicated to protecting Christian pilgrims to the Holy Land during the Crusades.
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