Synopses & Reviews
A comprehensive examination of the enigma of the Templars and their lost treasure based on original source documents.
• Considers the possibility that the medieval castle of Gisors hides the Templar treasure.
• Examines all the evidence for a secret order within the Templars, whose heretical ideology brought down the wrath of King Philip of France.
When French King Philip the Fair ordered the arrest of the Knights Templars and the confiscation of their property in 1307, the Templars were one of the most powerful forces in Europe, answerable only to the Pope. It was also one of the richest, despite its knights' vow of poverty. Yet not a penny of their immense treasure was ever found. The hunt for this lost treasure has centered on a number of locations, among which is the medieval city of Gisors, a site on the Normandy and French border that is honeycombed with complex underground passageways and chambers. Mysteriously, all attempts to discover what may be concealed in these subterranean corridors are rigorously discouraged by contemporary authorities.
The enigma of the treasure is but one of the many unsolved mysteries concerning this order that continues to haunt our imaginations. Who were these "poor knights of Christ" who made denial of Jesus a requirement of acceptance into the order? What were their true purposes and what was the nature of their secret that drew the wrath of the king of France down on their heads? Was there really a treasure and, if so, what was it--material wealth or something more powerful, such as the Holy Grail or the secret to the philosopher's stone? Was there a secret order within the order that authorized the heretical practices for which they were condemned? In a search for answers to these and other questions, Celtic and medieval scholar Jean Markale goes back to original source documents in an attempt to clear away the baseless assumptions that have sprung up about the Templars and to shine new light on their activities.
Review
"I've never read such a complete, well documented, history of the Templars." Gnostic News, October 2003
Review
"There's no doubt in my mind this is the most accurate book ever written about the Knights Templar." John Gilbert, The Temple of Gnostic Yoga, October 2003
Review
"Markale goes far in bringing the Templars back to life with one of the most illuminating books on the subject." Frank Joseph, FATE, November 2003
Review
"I've never read such a complete, well documented, history of the Templars."
Review
"There's no doubt in my mind this is the most accurate book ever written about the Knights Templar."
Review
"Markale goes far in bringing the Templars back to life with one of the most illuminating books on the subject." < b=""> Frank Joseph <> , < i=""> FATE <> , November 2003
Synopsis
A comprehensive examination of the enigma of the Templars and their lost treasure based on the original source documents
About the Author
Poet, philosopher, historian, and storyteller, Jean Markale has spent a lifetime researching pre-Christian and medieval culture and spirituality. He is the author of more than 40 books, including andlt;iandgt;The Druids, The Pagan Mysteries of Halloween, Merlin, Women of the Celtsandlt;/iandgt;, and andlt;iandgt;The Epics of Celtic Irelandandlt;/iandgt;. He is a specialist in Celtic studies at the Sorbonne and lives in the Brittany region of France.
Table of Contents
andlt;Bandgt;The Templar Treasures at Gisorsandlt;/Bandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt;Part 1andlt;/Bandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Iandgt;The Sitesandlt;/Iandgt;andlt;BRandgt;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160; 1and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160; The Shadow of Gisorsand#160;and#160;and#160;and#160; andlt;BRandgt;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160; 2and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160; The Glory Days of Gisorsand#160; andlt;BRandgt;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160; 3and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160; The Treasure of Gisorsand#160;and#160;and#160;and#160; andlt;BRandgt;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160; 4and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160; The Temple Is Elsewhere and Everywhereand#160; andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt;Part 2andlt;/Bandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Iandgt;Who Were the Templars?andlt;BRandgt;andlt;/Iandgt;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160; 5and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160; The Founding of the Templarsand#160; andlt;BRandgt;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160; 6and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160; The Evolution of the Temple andlt;BRandgt;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160; 7and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160; The Templars on Trialandlt;BRandgt;and#160; andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt;Part 3andlt;/Bandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Iandgt;The Mystery of the Templarsandlt;/Iandgt;andlt;BRandgt;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160; 8and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160; The Secret Rule of the Templeand#160;and#160; andlt;BRandgt;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160; 9and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160; The Mysterious Head andlt;BRandgt;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160; 10and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160; The Denialand#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160; andlt;BRandgt;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160; 11and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160; The Symbolism of the Templars andlt;BRandgt;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160; 12and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160; The Temple and the Grailand#160; andlt;BRandgt;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160; 13and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160; The Temple in Ruinsand#160;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Iandgt;Index andlt;BRandgt;andlt;/Iandgt;