036 Mysteries of the Knights Templar

The mysterious Knights Templar may have been disbanded over 700 years ago, but they have
sparked the imagination and left a legacy that still influences popular culture today. They served the
poor, assisted pilgrims and despite their humble beginnings, became vastly rich and established
banking. Some mysteries, though, remain unsolved. Let’s consider some of these.

1) Once the Templars took possession of the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, they took their name from it, but before they reconstructed Solomon’s Temple on the site of the Al-Aqsa Mosque, they excavated for holy relics. Some believe that these relics included the Holy Grail and the Ark of the Covenant there and this indicated God’s blessing upon them. Others also believe the relics gained them their riches.

2) Some believe the Knights possessed the head of Saint Ursula, which was venerated. William of Arreblay witnessed a ceremony in Paris where a silver head sat on an altar at the center of adoration. He stated that the head had two faces. Others stated that it was the head of Baphomet.

3) History records that all Templars were arrested on Friday 13 October 1307. However, there were 3000 estimated Templars at that time and we only know the fate of around 600 of them. Records do not record what happened to the rest of them and even some who were captured have question marks against their fate.

4) One of the most well-preserved Templar churches is found in the remote area of Luz, France. Whilst the nearby Castle of Saint Marie sits in ruins, the Templar church of Gavarnie is immaculately preserved, protected by crenellated walls, towers, ramparts, and gateways. The entire church, though, is built on the edge of the Gavarnie Cirque, in the midst of canyons, crags, and mountains. The church contains 12 skulls, which are the heads of executed Templars who lived there when the order for execution went out. Locals believe that every year, the ghost of the Templar Grand Master de Molay enters the church and asks if there is anyone there who is willing to fight for the order and the temple. Apparently the skulls each answer “None, the temple is destroyed.”

5) The Collegiate Church of St. Matthew and located in Midlothian, Scotland (commonly known as the Rosslyn Chapel) contains incredible stone carvings and seemingly mystical symbolism. In the 1700s, Father Richard Hay wrote about the secrets hidden in the Church. He said that beneath it lay vaults and a network of tunnels leading to the temporary resting place of 12 Knights Templar. Some believe that these will awaken when the world needs them again.