Hugh of Champagne was the real founder of Templars

Co-founder, to be more precise – without vital support from his partner (and relative) Bernard of Clairvaux Hugh would not have been successful in his endeavors. Still, of these two real founders of the Poor Fellow-Soldiers of Christ and of the Temple of Solomon, Hugh of Champagne was the first of two equals.

First for a number of reasons. Raison d’;tre for Knights Templar was to be the keepers and protectors of the Ark of the Covenant. Without the Ark, there would have been no Knights Templar. Period.

And there would have been no acquisition of the Ark of the Covenant without Hugh of Champagne. It was Hugh who provided the seed money for the venture project of digging for the Ark – and the necessary political support to obtain all necessary permits from secular (and possibly ecclesiastical) authorities.

It was Hugh who brought Bernard of Clairvaux on board of the Ark (and Knights Templar) project – and without Bernard’s support Templars would have become just the clone of Hospitallers – at best – and never obtained their political, financial, economic and military power and fame.

It was most likely Hugh who came up with the idea to create a military religious order of keepers and protectors of the Ark of the Covenant – after it was decided to keep its acquisition a secret.

 It was mostly Hugh – albeit with vital support from his partner Bernard of Clairvaux – who convinced King Baldwin II of Jerusalem and Warmund, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem convene the Council of Nablus to approve the creation of the order of the Poor Fellow-Soldiers of Christ and of the Temple of Solomon. The “official” founder of Templars Hugues de Payens just did not have the clout.

It was mostly Hugh – albeit with vital support from his partner Bernard of Clairvaux – who convinced King Baldwin to grant the Templars headquarters in a wing of the royal palace on the Temple Mount in the captured Al-Aqsa Mosque (to host the Ark of the Covenant).

It was on Hugh’s territory – he was also the Count of Troyes and even preferred this title to “Count of Champagne” that the Council of Troyes was conducted in 1129. The Council that officially recognized the order Poor Fellow-Soldiers of Christ and of the Temple of Solomon on behalf of the Holy See – and the Church.