The Templar conspiracy – An introduction

There is a theory that history repeats itself in cycles, and a consequence of this is that it is often valuable to consider historical events as a means to understanding modern situations. To this end it is perhaps worth considering one of the greatest mysteries of mediaeval Europe, the rise and fall of the Order of the poor fellow-knights of Christ and of the Temple of Jerusalem, or as they are more often referred to, The Knights Templar. Founded in the 12^th Century and endorsed by the Catholic church the order was created specifically to provide protection for pilgrims travelling to the Holy Lands from the Islamic Ottoman Empire. Founded by Hugues de Payens and provided with quarters by King Baldwin of Jerusalem, the Knights began from a base within the ruins of the Temple of Solomon and were a group of nine Knights devoted to the Christian Church and to the defence of Christian enclave in Jerusalem. Founded on the principles of poverty and chastity in the monastic tradition, the first members of the order were well connected through St Bernard of Clairvaux, the nephew of one of the founding Knights and it was through this connection that the order received its Papal blessing.

The order quickly became a popular charity amongst Christians and received grants of money and land from wealthy pilgrims. In addition, the order quickly developed a reputation for valour in battle, primarily based around their refusal to countenance surrender in combat. This reputation led many new Knights to request entrance to the order, and in the process of joining they gave their lands and wealth to the order. The rapid expansion and development created an opportunity for the growth of a network of forts, castles and fortified churches throughout the Holy Land and across much of Europe, particularly in France, Germany and Great Britain. Through the network they were also able to create an entirely new financial system based around protecting travellers from robbery. Before departing on a journey, a wealthy traveller could deposit funds with a local Templar outpost and receive a promissory note that could be redeemed from another outpost on arrival at the destination, thereby minimising the amount of money that travellers had to carry. The Templars would retain a small percentage of the transaction and over time built up vast estates and huge wealth.

By the 14^th Century the order was in a position to be one of the largest financiers of the mediaeval period and provided funding for, amongst others King Phillip IV of France, and it is this vast wealth and power that raises questions regarding the order and its demise. Even at the time there were stories of the Templars conducting excavations as part of their occupation of the Temple Mount in Jerusalem and rumours that they had discovered incredible religious relics and documents including the Ark of the Covenant and the Holy Grail. It was thought that these discoveries along with documents pertaining to the life of Christ had given the Templars incredible power within the Church and that this was in part responsible for their demise. In 1307, on Friday 13^th October in a simultaneous operation across France Templar strongholds were raided by the French Army under the orders of Phillip IV supported by a Papal edict from Pope Clement accusing the order of Heresy and Idolatry. The Knights of the order were arrested including their leader Jacques de Molay, and under extreme torture confessed to crimes including spitting on the cross, denying Christs divinity and worshipping a severed head or Baphomet. The leaders of the order were executed by burning alive and the lands and wealth of order were claimed by the French King, with a suitable donation to the Church.

The story of the Templar Knights and the mystery surrounding their discoveries in the Holy Land, their rise to power and the brutality and severity of their demise raise many questions that researchers and historians have been arguing over for the last six hundred years and over the coming weeks we will be examining some of the best theories and discussing the key evidence of the Templars, their history and their legacy which is still being felt today.