The Shield And The Sword Author:Ernle Bradford The Knights of St. John, also called the Knights of Malta, trace their origin to Jerusalem where they began in charity and penance. But when they embraced the church militant, they made themselves preeminent in the Mediterranean. They were the master mariners, navigators and builders of their time. Malta lay astride the sea lanes of antiquity. ... more »Thus when the Knights occupied and fortified the island they threatened Turkish expansion. In 1522 the Turks set out to destroy them, a task to which they brought great numerical superiority. Nevertheless, they failed...and a legend of invincibility attached to the Knights, a legend which in some measure endures to this day.« less