1867 Masonic 33rd Degree 18K Solid Gold Medal

For those of us who are slightly to extremely confused about the relationship between the Knights Templar and the Freemasons, this blog is for you. The belief that the Freemasons and the Knights Templar are linked or even one and the same, is a myth that has existed since the Freemasons began (organized Freemasonry began in 1717 with the creation of the Grand Lodge of England). Supposedly, as the story goes, the Templars and Freemasons existed at the same time in history in Jerusalem as well as France. Supposedly, he Templars became consumed with their avarice and abandoned their Christian principals in pursuit of great wealth at any cost. Unfortunately, like many flawed theories and conspiracies, this one has no concrete evidence to substantiate it. Truth is, the earliest documentation of the existence of the Freemasons dates to 1445, nearly 150 years after the Knights Templar ceased to exist! The only actual link between the two organizations is in name only; the philanthropic Knights Templar within Freemasons founded in 1743. The organization has no direct association with the original Knights Templar.