What medieval military order is famously linked to the Temple of Solomon?

The story behind the answer

It’s linked to the Temple of Solomon because, after the First Crusade, the Latin king of Jerusalem granted the order quarters in the former Al-Aqsa Mosque on the Temple Mount—believed to stand on the site of Solomon’s Temple. Their official name, Pauperes commilitones Christi Templique Salomonici, literally invokes the Temple.

Founded around 1119 by Hugh de Payens to protect pilgrims, the order grew into an elite crusading force and a pan-European financial network, pioneering letters of credit that let travelers move money safely. Their sudden fall began in 1307 when France’s Philip IV arrested members on trumped-up charges; Pope Clement V dissolved the order in 1312. Legends of hidden treasure and the Holy Grail have surrounded them ever since, reflecting their outsized influence and dramatic end.