Who were the Knights Templar?

Since AD 1118, the Knights Templar have been romanticized in numerous movies, theorized about in countless books, and given metaphysical powers by organizations across the world. These pauvres chevaliers du temple, or Poor Knights of the Temple, formed under very humble circumstances, and grew to such prowess they became the basis on which all military orders of the Church to come were based. Just as interesting and important as the creation and growth of this order was their eventual destruction in 1314, marked by the burning at the stake of the last Grand Master of the Knights Templar.…