"In this fast-paced historical detective work, bestselling author Freddy Silva uses rare sources to upturn history and uncover the Templars' greatest and least-known accomplishment. Conventional history claims that in 1118 nine men formed a brotherhood in Jerusalem called the Knights Templar. But what if it could be shown that not only was this group greater in number, but they existed far earlier, and together with a secret group of monks named the Order of Sion they planned one of the most daring endeavors in history: the creation of Europe's first nation-state. But what motivated the Templars to establish this virgin territory 2000 miles west of Jerusalem? Was it related to a discovery under Temple Mount, a secret that required protection from the Church and for which the knights would rather die than reveal? What did their inner brotherhood know about an ancient esoteric practice called 'raising the dead'? Why did they build initiation chambers? Why the obsession with John the Baptist and Mary Magdalene? Why did Portuguese Templar Masters vow to protect a holy bloodline? And could their most famous chapel be the actual resting place of the one object most associated with the knights - the Grail? This original, eye-opening account will engage and surprise even the most seasoned Templar enthusiasts"--Publisher's description.

Overturns the long-established historical narrative about the origins and purpose of the Knights Templar • Explains how and why the Templars created Europe’s first nation-state, Portugal, with one of their own as king • Reveals the Portuguese roots of key founding members, their relationship with the Order of Sion, the Templars’ devotion to Mary Magdalene and John the Baptist, and the meaning and exact location of the Grail • Provides evidence of Templar holy sites and hidden chambers throughout Portugal • Includes over 700 references, many from new and rare sources Conventional history claims that nine men formed a brotherhood called the Knights Templar in Jerusalem in 1118 to provide protection for pilgrims traveling to the Holy Land. Overturning this long-established historical narrative, Freddy Silva shows that the Order of the Temple existed a decade earlier on the opposite side of Europe, that the protection of pilgrims was entrusted to a seperate organization, and that, in league with the Cistercian monks and the equally mysterious Order of Sion, the Templars executed one of history’s most daring and covert plans: the creation of Europe’s first nation-state, Portugal, with one of their own as king. Including over 700 references, many from new and rare sources, Silva reveals Portugal, not Jerusalem, as the first Templar stronghold. He shows how there were eleven founding members and how the first king of Portugal, a secret Templar, was related to Bernard de Clairvaux, head of the Cistercians. The author explains the Templars’ motivation to create a country far from the grasp of Rome, where they could conduct their living resurrection initiation--whose candidates were declared “risen from the dead”--a secret for which the Church silenced millions and which the Templars protected to the death. Placing the intrepid Knights in a previously unknown time and place, Silva’s historical narrative reveals the Portuguese roots of key founding members, their relationship with the Order of Sion, the Templars’ unshakeable devotion to Mary Magdalene and John the Baptist, and how they protected a holy bloodline in Portugal. He also provides evidence of secret Templar holy sites, initiation chambers, and hidden passageways throughout Portugal, often coinciding with pagan and Neolithic temples, and explains how their most important site forms a perfect triangle with the Abbey of Mont Sion in Jerusalem and the Osirion temple in Egypt. The author also reappraises the meaning of the Grail and reveals its exact location, hidden in plain sight to this very day.

Traces the movement of the Templars’ secret treasure across North America to where it still resides, protected by a sacred lineage of guardians • Explains how the Templars found refuge with Native American tribes, intermarrying with the Natives to continue the Holy Bloodline and further the lineage of guardians needed to protect their treasure and secrets • Reveals new evidence for the existence of Templar settlements and monuments across North America and how these reactivate the continent’s sacred rose lines • Pinpoints the exact location of the Templar/Holy Bloodline treasure Many have searched for the lost treasure of the Knights Templar, most famously at Oak Island. But what if the treasure wasn’t lost? What if this treasure--necessary to sanctify the Temple of Solomon and create a New Jerusalem--was moved through the centuries and protected by a sacred lineage of guardians, descendants of Prince Henry Sinclair and the Native American tribes who helped him? Drawing on his access as Grand Archivist of the Knights Templar of Canada and his own role as a descendant of both Sinclair and the Anishinabe/Algonquin tribe, William Mann examines new evidence of the Knights Templar in the New World long before Columbus and their mission to protect the Holy Bloodline of Jesus and Mary Magdalene. He reveals the secret settlements they built as they moved westward across the vast wilderness of North America, evading the European Church and Royal Houses. He explains how the Templars found refuge in the Sacred Medicine Lodges of the Algonquins, whose ceremonies and rituals bear striking resemblance to the initiations of Freemasonry. He reveals the strategic intermarriages that took place between the Natives and the Templars, furthering the Holy Bloodline and continuing the lineage of blood-guardians. The author explores how Sinclair’s journey from Nova Scotia across America also served to reactivate the sacred rose lines of North America through the building of “rose castles” and monuments, including the Newport Tower and the Kensington Rune Stone. Pinpointing the exact location of the Templar treasure still hidden in North America, the author also reveals the search for Templar sanctuaries to be the chief motivation behind the Lewis and Clark expedition and the murder of Meriwether Lewis.

Places and books like Rosslyn Chapel and The Da Vinci code have focused attention on Scotland's Knights Templar. Who they were and what they did has been touched upon, but never properly explored until now. They were close advisors to Scotland's early kings; they were major property owners and respected landlords in a harsh and unforgiving time; and they were secretive and arrogant. But did they really flee from France to Scotland just prior to their arrest in 1307? Did they fight with Robert the Bruce at Bannockburn? In The Knights Templar and Scotland Robert Ferguson intertwines Templar and Scottish history, from the foundation of the order in the early twelfth century right up to the present day. Including a comparison of the arrest of the Templars in France with the Templar Inquisition at Holyrood, and an examination of the part they played at Bannockburn, this is an essential book for anyone with an interest in history of the Knights Templar.

Historian Ralls has written an authoritative source book on the fascinating history behind the most famous military religious order of the Crusades--the Knights Templar. This encyclopedia also includes a wealth of information on the key Templar people, places, events, and more.

Sifting myth from history, Piers Paul Read reveals the Templars ¿ the multinational force of warrior monks, in their white tunics with red crosses over chainmail. They were not only unique among Christian institutions but constituted the first uniformed standing army in the western world and became pioneers of international banking. Expropriated by Philip IV of France in 1307, and confessing under torture to blasphemy, heresy and sodomy, the Order was finally suppressed by Pope Clement V in 1312. In a narrative that incorporates the story of the crusades and the many colourful characters who had links with the Templars, Piers Paul Read examines the question of their guilt and identifies their relevance to our own times. 'A highly readable and nicely paced book that draws on the lessons of modern historical scholarship while also communicating a sense of narrative excitement and drive' 'Evocative, measured and engaging' Evening Standard 'Magnificent in every way' Mail on Sunday

FROM THE TEMPLE OF SOLOMON TO THAT OF THE FREEMASONS: Three thousand years ago, in Jerusalem, a brutal murder took place. Nevertheless, the chain of events it set in motion is still felt to this day. On the distant end of that spectrum is Hiram. He was the Phoenician builder of Solomon's Temple, and whose death is central to the Masonic Third Degree. But who killed him, and why? And what was truly lost after his murder? On the other end is George: A young Mason in present-day Cyprus, struggling to unravel the origins of the institution he just joined. Was modern Freemasonry really created by English medieval stonemasons? And what do all its secret handshakes and passwords still protect? In the centuries separating them, were the Knights Templar. History tells us they got disbanded after their arrests in 1307. But were they? Or did some Templars survive and kept on secretly protecting an ancient holy relic their Order had discovered two hundred years earlier?