7. The Knights Templar May Have Searched for the Holy Grail
The Knights Templar were a Medieval military order that existed during the Crusades and for a while after the end of the Crusading period. They protected the Kingdom of Jerusalem and had as their headquarters the Temple of Solomon. Many believe that while they were at the temple, particularly in the first few years of their existence, they conducted archeological excavations looking for holy relics, including the grail. When they allegedly found it, they returned to Europe and became immensely wealthy and powerful. It became a part of their mysterious treasure, which was kept secret from even the church.
Some legends suggest that the Knights Templar may have brought the grail to the British Isles, if not to England then to Scotland, following the order’s extermination in 1307. There are several sites throughout the United Kingdom where people believe that the grail is hidden. The most popular of those sites is probably Rosslyn Chapel, a few miles south of Edinburgh, Scotland. Some think that descendants of the Knights Templar designed the chapel as a holding place for the Holy Grail, which is buried either under the Apprentice Pillar or in the crypt. Because the Knights Templar existed after the grail legends associated with King Arthur began, it is doubtful that the inspiration for the Arthurian legends came from the military order.