Description
Blessed are the Peacemakers Drink Coasters featuring a Knights Templar with the crosses on his breastplate and his shield painted Blue to represent the Thin Blue Line. These 3.5″ x 3.5″ square rubber coasters are made of a durable heat-resistant polyester fabric top, backed with a neoprene rubber non-slip backing, keeps things from sliding. The rubber coaster is 1/8″ thick. It will not discolor or fade, machine washable.
History of the Knights Templar: After Christian fighters captured Jerusalem during the First Crusade, groups of pilgrims from across Western Europe began visiting the Holy Land. Around 1118, a French knight named Hugues de Payens founded a military order devoted to protecting these pilgrims, calling it the Poor Knights of the Temple of King Solomon (later the Knights Templar). In 1129 the knights received the formal endorsement of the Catholic Church, and new recruits and lavish donations began pouring in from across Europe. Known for their austere code of conduct and signature style of dress (white habits emblazoned with a red cross), the Templars established new chapters throughout Western Europe. They developed a reputation as fierce warriors during the Crusades and set up a network of banks, gaining enormous financial sway. At the height of their influence, they boasted a sizable fleet of ships, owned the island of Cyprus and served as a primary lender to European monarchs and nobles. http://www.history.com/news/ask-history/who-were-the-knights-templar
