It is difficult, perhaps, to envisage a need in our modern, mechanized 20th century world, for an assemblage of men called knights. We think of them, thanks to Hollywood, as carrying swords, wearing armor, and laying siege to castle battlements. Maybe the best way to understand what they are doing here today, is to look back some nine and a half centuries to where they began.
There emerged from the times known in the Western World as the "Dark Ages", a flowering of noble thoughts and ideals put into practice, known as chivalry. A time when the so-called "Christian West" began caring a little more for the needs of their fellow human beings, and developed a desire to seek out the origins of their faith while "liberating" the holy city of Jerusalem from the pagans. From these noble concepts arose a rather scandalous period of aggression known as the "Crusades". A small band of the more faithful crusading men joined together to actually put their Christian chivalry into practice; starting what would become the original Order of Chivalry. They began physically caring for the needs of their fellow pilgrims who were injured in battle, and established the world's first health care facility. This place of rest was called the "Hospice of St. Mary of the Latins" in the city of Jerusalem, in the year 1048. Today one might think of that facility as an eleventh century M.A.S.H. unit. This primitive effort marked the beginning of the public general hospital system we know today throughout the world.
Following the strict interpretation of the Gospel message, this care was extended to cover wounded on both sides of the conflict, as well as anyone else who sought aid. Because of their religious motives, these men took the name "Order of St. John" for their association because John of Jerusalem had traditionally been associated with healing. They called themselves "servants of the sick", but to others, they were known as "Knights of the Hospital", or "Hospitallers".
