Bernard realized that, in order to further increase its power, the Templar Order needed to become an ally of the Catholic Church. He sent nine of his trusted men to the Holy Land, searching for Solomon's Temple in Jerusalem. Nine years later, they returned and Bernard reformed the Templar Order. Together with Hugues de Payens, he formed the Latin Rule and eventually gained support of the Church, ensuring that the Templars would be confirmed during the Council of Troyes in 1129; thus forming the official Order of the Knights Templar.