Fighting monks who kept pilgrims safe, became very rich, and then lost everything in one day.
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These are the new words for the Knights Templar. Match each word (1–8) to its meaning (A–H). Say your answers out loud — "I think 1 is D" — then check.
1 = C (a knight) · 2 = A (a monk) · 3 = D (a pilgrim) · 4 = F (to protect)
5 = H (rich) · 6 = E (a bank) · 7 = B (to arrest) · 8 = G (a legend)
Read each part. Then try the questions from memory, and talk about the last one.
Long ago, about the year 1119, many people from Europe travelled to the city of Jerusalem. These travellers were called pilgrims. They went to pray in a place they thought was holy. But the roads were very dangerous. There were bad men on the roads who robbed and hurt the pilgrims. No one kept the travellers safe.
Then a French knight had an idea. He and about nine other men made a special promise. They wanted to live like monks — poor and simple, and always praying. But they also wanted to fight, like soldiers. Their job was to protect the pilgrims on the road. The king of Jerusalem gave them rooms near an old temple. Because of the temple, people called them the Knights Templar.
At first the knights were very poor. But their idea was strong: holy men who could also fight. People liked it very much. The head of the Church, the Pope, gave the knights his protection. Now they answered to no king — only to the Pope. Gifts of money and land started to come to them.
1. Why were the roads to Jerusalem dangerous for pilgrims?
2. What was special about the promise the knights made?
1. There were bad men on the roads who robbed and hurt the pilgrims, and no one protected the travellers.
2. They wanted to live like monks — poor, simple and praying — but also to fight like soldiers and protect the pilgrims.
Over many years, the Knights Templar became very rich. They did something clever with money. A pilgrim could give his gold to the knights in his own country. He got a special letter. Then, far away near Jerusalem, he showed the letter and got his money back. His gold did not travel on the dangerous roads — only the letter did. This was like a very early bank.
People trusted the knights, so kings kept their gold and jewels with them. There were Templar houses in many countries — farms, castles and ships. Kings borrowed money from the knights to pay for wars. The Templars were now one of the richest groups in all of Europe.
In war, the knights were brave and strong, and people were afraid of them. But there was a problem. The Christian lands in the Holy Land were slowly being lost. In 1291, the last big Christian city there fell. Now there was no war for the knights to fight. There was a lot of money, and there were a lot of powerful knights — but there was no clear job for them anymore.
1. How did the "bank" of the knights keep a pilgrim's gold safe?
2. What was the problem for the knights after 1291?
1. The pilgrim gave his gold to the knights at home and got a letter. Far away, he showed the letter and got his money back. Only the letter travelled, not the gold.
2. The last big Christian city in the Holy Land was lost, so there was no war for the knights to fight — but they were still very rich and powerful.
The king of France was called Philip. He needed money, and he owed a lot of money to the Knights Templar. The rich, free knights were a good target for him. Philip wanted their gold. He only needed a reason.
On Friday, 13 October 1307, the king's men arrested the knights all over France on the same morning. They took the leader too. The king said the knights had done terrible, secret things. But most historians today think these were not true — the king made up the crimes to take the money. The knights were questioned very hard, and many of them said "yes" to things they did not really do. Some of them were later put to death. It was a very sad time, and it was really about money and power, not justice.
A few years later, the Pope closed the whole order. In 1314, the old leader of the knights was killed in Paris. There is a famous legend that, before he died, he said the king and the Pope would soon die too — and both men did die within the same year. The knights and their treasure were gone. But people never stopped asking: where did the gold go? What secrets did they keep? Even today, seven hundred years later, there are still many legends about the Knights Templar.
1. Why did King Philip want to destroy the knights, and what happened on 13 October 1307?
2. What do most historians think about the crimes the knights were accused of?
1. He needed money and owed a lot to the knights, so he wanted their gold. On Friday 13 October 1307, his men arrested the knights all over France on the same morning.
2. Most historians think the crimes were not true — the king made them up so he could take the knights' money.
This story tells us about the past. To say what existed in the past, we use there was and there were.
Choose was or were to complete the sentence.
1. There nine knights at the start. (more than one)
2. There one leader of the order. (one)
3. There many pilgrims on the road. (more than one)
4. There a lot of gold in the Templar houses. ("a lot of gold" = one thing, uncountable)
1. were (nine knights = plural)
2. was (one leader = singular)
3. were (many pilgrims = plural)
4. was (gold is uncountable, so we use "was")
Write There was or There were at the start of each sentence.
1. a dangerous road to Jerusalem.
2. castles in many countries.
3. a king in France called Philip.
1. There was (one road = singular)
2. There were (castles = plural)
3. There was (one king = singular)
Fill each gap with was or were. Read it aloud when you finish.
Long ago, there many pilgrims on the road to Jerusalem. There a lot of danger, because there bad men who robbed them. So there a new group of knights to protect the travellers.
were (many pilgrims) · was (a lot of danger) · were (bad men) · was (a new group)
Use was for one thing, and were for more than one thing.
There is a real podcast about the Knights Templar. It is for native speakers, so it is fast and quite difficult — that is normal! You do not need to understand every word.
From the Noiser podcast network. About 50 minutes. It plays on the Noiser site, or search "Short History Of The Knights Templar" on Spotify.
Play on Noiser →Do all three tasks out loud. Use the timer to keep talking.
Tell the story of the Knights Templar in your own words. Use these steps to help you: dangerous roads and pilgrims → nine knights who were monks and soldiers → the Pope's protection → very rich, like a bank → the last city lost → King Philip and the arrests on Friday 13 October 1307 → the end of the knights and the legends.
Try to use there was and there were ("there were nine knights", "there was a lot of gold"), and some of the key words (knight, monk, pilgrim, protect, rich, bank, arrest, legend).
The knights became very rich and very powerful. Is it good or bad when one group has a lot of money and power? Can you think of a group or company today that has a lot of power? What do you think about it?
Tell a short story or describe a place from the past. Use there was and there were to say what existed.
Not sure what to talk about? Choose one: