The Knights Hospitaller

       The Knights Hospitaller were a group of men stationed at a hospital in Jerusalem to care for  christian pilgrims who were injured,sick or poor.In about 600 AD Pope Gregory the Great commissioned a hospital to  be built in Jerusalem. The purpose of this hospital was to treat and care for the christian pilgrims that came to visit the Holy Land.  Then in 1005 Caliph Al Hakim destroyed the hospital during the battle for Jerusalem. Then in 1023 merchants from Italy were given permission by Caliph Ali az-Zahir to rebuild  the hospital in Jerusalem. The new hospital was served by Benedictine Monks during the first crusade. After the first crusade,the monastic hospitaller order was founded by Blessed Gerard.

The duties of the Knights were to initially care for the pilgrims who had a long and difficult journey to the holy land. Then the order began to provide armed escorts to christian pilgrims. The knights hospitaller,who were also known as Knights of the order of Saint John the Hospitaller,took four vows. These vows were chastity,poverty,obedience,and to protect pilgrims. The hospitallers soon became one of the most powerful christian groups in the region. The hospitallers established numerous branches in Europe.The knights usually wore a black surcoat with a white cross on it.

The hospitallers had seven forts and 140 estates in Jerusalem. The Hospitallers lasted much longer than the Knights Templar which were disbanded in 1312. Much of the Templar's property was given to the Hospitallers. Soon after the fall of the Templar's many of their members joined the hospitallers. The knights hospitallers were expelled from Jerusalem due to the rising of the power of Islam. The order eventually continued to operate from Malta until 1798 when Napoleon took control over Malta. Then they were dispersed throughout Europe. Today the order continues under the name of the Roman Catholic Sovereign  Military Order of Malta.

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