The possession of Jerusalem by a Christian power during the period of the Latin kings (see above, history of Jerusalem), gave birth to the two great orders of knighthood, that of the Temple, and that of St. John of Jerusalem; the former of which was distributed throughout Europe, and the latter — known also under the name of Knights Hospitallers (q.v.) — first fixed themselves at Rhodes, and afterwards dwindled into the little society of the Knights of Malta (q.v.). The Teutonic order sprung up at Acre in 1191, and its grand masters, who became hereditary, were the ancestors of the house of Brandenburg and the kings of Prussia. (See TEMPLARS).
The Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological, and Ecclesiastical Literature was edited by John McClintock and James Strong. It contains nearly 50,000 articles pertaining to Biblical and other religious literature, people, creeds, etc. It is a fantastic research tool for broad Christian study.
John McClintock was born October 27, 1814 in Philadelphia to Irish immigrants, John and Martha McClintock. He began as a clerk in his father's store, and then became a bookkeeper in the Methodist Book Concern in New York. Here he converted to Methodism and considered joining the ministry. McClintock entered the University of Pennsylvania in 1832 and graduated with high honors three years later. Subsequently, he was awarded a doctorate of divinity degree from the same institution in 1848.WikipediaRead More