THE TEMPLARS AND BAPHOMET

In his book, "Das Jesus-Complot", the german historian, Dr Elmar R. Gruber, tells how the templars succeeded to recover the shroud of Christ, during the fourth Crusade, in 1204.

This famous sheet of linen, well-known as the Turin Shroud, kept the prints of Christ, naked after the Deposition. The shroud has been turned down on the body of Christ in such a manner that the Christ’s chest and back kept perfectly visible, will all the injuries of the Passion.

The Templars wanted to possess this shroud because, according them, its existence prooved that Christ has not died on the cross -as normaly teached- and that he has survived to his injuries.

During their secret ceremonies, the templars were used to thank a Christ saved from the crucifixation.

This believe explains why the templars trampled the cross sacred, during their initiatory rites. According Dr Gruber, the shroud was the core of their secret worship: Baphomet.

Nowadays, the painting of a beared face decorates always the walls of the church of Templecombe, in Somerset, which is an ancient church of the Templars.This preserved painting represents the face printed on the Turin Shroud which appears to be the model.

The French King, Philippe Le Bell (1285-1314) took profit of their particular worship for arresting them and robbing their treasure and proprieties.
The master, Jacques de Molay, was tortured despite his great age. Being roasted alive with his companions, he called down a curse against the French king. The curse realised because all the lineage of this king extinguished in a terrible and pitifull way. The history of this curse has been reported in a famous book: "Les Rois Maudits" (The Cursed Kings").

WHO WERE THE TEMPLARS?

In 1119, nine French knights were in charge of protecting the pilgrims who want to go to Jerusalem. They founded the Order of the Knighthood of the Temple and became official in 1130. These knights were christian warrior monks organized under the form of a powerful army, settled in Jerusalem, who obeyed to the catholic Pope. Their mission was to protect and to extend the christian empire in the countries of the Orient. During two centuries, the Templars gain a great reputation and power. But their return in Europe, in 1291, didn’t suit to everybody, particularly the European kings and the Pope. Indeed, the Brotherhood of the Templars, with 30 000 knights, had accumulted an immeasurable treasure and acquired a power which frightened the european kings, even the Pope. In order to steal their treasure, the french King, Philippe le Bell, threw in jail all the Templars of his Kingdom and killed the major part of them. Some of them, succeeded to escape and poured out into Europe.
Several small groups succeeded to find a place of safety in Portugal and went on to perpetuate the saint old Order under new names and forms. Nowadays, the country of Malta is well-known by their perpetuation : till today, are existing the Knights of Malta who are the modern heirs of this old brotherhood.

For those ones who want to face the mystery of this antic brotherhood, I recommend to visit Temple Church, located in London, near the Inns of Courts, Fleet Str. and the Thames. Temple Church has been built during the XIIth century and had inside 9 recumbent statues (tombs) representing the Templars. This church is the exact copy of the Temple of Jerusalem.