Templars!

The Templars had great success in defeating the poor peasants of the Holy Land, but Templars were trained warriors on large and heavy armoured horses. The Crusaders wielded expensive swords and wore expensive armour, how could the poor people of this land fight and win against them? God supported the Crusaders are they rode through the countryside, many hundreds of miles, taking from local peasantry whatever they needed in terms of food and other necessities, sometimes they returned home with great luxuries! Over the course of 200 years, the local people gathered and trained themselves to fight against these Crusading intruders. Losses occurred, and God no longer supported their successes! This would lead to the downfall of the Templars. 

The Templars honoured St John the Baptist and also Mary Magdalene, who were saints, but neither featured in the Christian Creed. Templars were dedicated to both these prominent saints but not instead of Jesus the Christ or his mother, Mary the Theotokos, Mother of God. There were two pillars of the church, John the Baptist and Jesus. Both had a powerful ministry. 

The Baptist was the fore runner of Jesus, like Elijah who handed his cloak to Elisha. He also was a powerful preacher who baptised in the name of forgiveness, and preached the way of the Lord. He came from the highest and important Judaic family of his time, his father was the High Priest of the Jerusalem Temple and, like Jesus, he also had a miraculous birth. 

Mary, Theotokos, Mother of God, was praised for her obedience and humility. Catholics asked Mary to intercede with Jesus for favours, as she was the closest to him. Her life is documented from time time when Gabriel appeared to her and the Magnificat prayer was said by her. 

Mary Magdalene was honoured as a saint who is mentioned in the Bible as one who had 7 demons exorcised from her by Jesus. She cared for Jesus and his disciples from her own money, so she was a woman of independent means. She was at the crucifixion and saw Jesus after he rose from the dead. So she was considered a woman of high sainthood. 

The Templar knights were often landowners, who were given absolution for all sins if they joined the Order to protect pilgrims, care for finances, and fight to the death to protect pilgrims routes to Jerusalem and other centres of pilgrimage. What happened to their lands while they were away? Many of the women of these families went into the convents, often to care for pilgrims so they could pass messages to their loved ones who had joined the Order.