a house near the Temple of Solomon resulting in the name Knights Templar. The Templars were bound by a vow of poverty and were to live solely on alms. But donations became so enormous that they eventually abandoned their vow of poverty and spread themselves over Europe. By the end of the twelfth century they had become a rich and powerful body. By the end of the thirteenth century the rumors of their unscrupulous deeds and low moral life caused them eo to become suspect in the eyes of the clergy and the general public, word of their apostasy even reaching the Pope. On October 13, 1307, the King of France had all of the Templars in France arrested. Many confessed that they had been ordered to spit on the crucifix and had been urged to commit obscenities and practice unnatural vice. Later, and without duress of any kind, these confessions were repeated before the Pope by seventy- two of the French Knights. m Similar to other secret societies, the Templars had a double doctrine. The one presented to the majority of members at the lower level, and to the public, was replete with noble endeavors. If a member was able to ascend to a higher level by proving to his unscrupulous superiors that he could be trusted to keep their secrets and carry out their orders, he was told more about the true purpose of the order. These evil designs were most often communicated orally. The outward profession 22 The Secret Side of History