They defended the Holy Land for 200 years before a fall from grace. Now watch as the archaeologist unearth their city of Tortosa, now in the suburbs of modern day Tartus in Syria.
The popularity of "The Da Vinci Code" has once again renewed interest in the Knights Templar, the warrior monks of the Crusades who have become synonymous with mystery and historical intrigue. Who were they? And why do they still have such a powerful hold on our imagination?
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The first of a new documentary series debuting Monday, July 10, 9-10 p.m. EDT on cable's History Channel, "Lost Worlds," clears away the fog of legend surrounding this Christian military order that plays a prominent role in such works of pseudoscholarship as "The Templar Revelation" and "Holy Blood, Holy Grail."
Officially known as the Poor Knights of Christ and the Temple of Solomon, the Templars were founded in the 11th century to provide safe passage to pilgrims en route to the Holy Land.
While touching on some sensational aspects of the Templars – their arcane initiation rituals and rumors of idolatry and sodomy – the program's overall tone is sober and scholarly. And while no direct reference is made to those aforementioned best-sellers, the assembled experts correct the spurious claims in their pages.
For instance, the round structure of Temple Church in London, built by the Templars, does not denote a pagan significance, but mirrors the circular architecture of the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem. Also, as if it needs saying, the Templars did not discover the Holy Grail under the Temple Mount. They did, however, establish the world's first international banking system.
The program could have included more of the personages and history of the order rather than focusing almost exclusively on its military campaigns and remarkable engineering feats, though the computer graphics used to recreate the marvels of Templar masonry – their impregnable stronghold in the Syrian city of Tortosa and the imposing citadel of Chastel Blanc – are impressive. The program also highlights the craftsmanship of the Hospitalers – a rival religious military order – in their stone fortress of Krak des Chevaliers, amazingly intact after so many centuries.
In its brief treatment of their downfall, the documentary does, however, present a more historically accurate picture, assigning primary responsibility for the Oct. 13, 1307, mass arrest of the Templars to King Philip II of France rather than Pope Clement V. (In discussing these events, there are some brief descriptions and fleeting images of torture, as well as an assortment of battle violence throughout.)
The program suggests that by shrouding themselves in secrecy, the Templars set themselves up for all kinds of misrepresentation by conspiracy theorists and occult writers.
Future topics on "Lost Worlds" include Atlantis, the real Count Dracula, Hitler's "supercity," ancient Egypt and early Christianity.
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