Who were the Knights of St. John?

mushu-scooby

Knights Hospitalers, members of the military and religious Order of the Hospital of St. John of Jerusalem, sometimes called the Knights of St. John and the Knights of Jerusalem. The symbol of the Order of St. John came to be a white cross worn on a black robe; thus the Hospitalers were the Knights of the White Cross, in contradistinction to the Knights Templars, the Knights of the Red Cross. The Maltese cross has been used by various secret organizations, which have been falsely alleged to have a connection with the Knights of St. John. http://www.answers.com/knights%20of%20saint%20john Feb 17 07, 5:13 PM

davejacobs

Just wondering why a secret organisation needs a visible symbol like a cross! Feb 21 07, 6:44 PM

Baloo55th

Any secret organisation has to have a visible symbol, otherwise people won't know they're there and being secret! The Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem in the UK and elsewhere is not a secret organisation, and it runs the St John Eye Hospital in Jerusalem, and the St John Ambulance Brigade. http://www.orderofstjohn.org/frameset.htm There is also the Order of Malta which runs medical aid and care in many places. For some entertaining and mostly less than legitimate orders, see http://www.chivalricorders.org/orders/self-styled/slfstlod.htm and see if you can work out how people fall for these purveyors of guff. Feb 22 07, 5:17 AM