The Templars and the Grail: Knights of the Quest [Paperback]

If you read but one book on the Knights Templar this year, this is truly the one to read...

It is quite the most readable, factual book about the Templars I have ever seen... Maj. Gen. Sir Roy Redgrave

From the Black Madonna to..the Ark of the Covenant..it's all in this book...fascinating!

...lays to rest some of the wilder stories about the Templars, but there are still plenty of mysterious connections left...

....a Templar tour-de-force...Dr. Ralls has created an important bridge between these two extraordinary and long-lived themes.

An open-minded look at the history, influence and mysteries of the Knights Templar...can be usefully read by anyone interested

A concise and easy-to-read survey of two richly symbolic and enduring aspects of the Middle Ages

A factual history of the medieval Templar Order...Informative and readable excursion into the ever-fascinating world of quest

Synopsis

Who were the mysterious medieval Knights Templar?

Why were they arrested and tortured in 1307?

What happened after their suppression, and to the fabulous treasure they were said to possess?

Why did imprisoned Templars create unusual carvings on the walls of Chinon Castle tower in 1308...images which are still undecipered today?

How does the 'mythos' of the Templars and the Grail live on today?

The powerful Knights Templar, famed monastic warriors of the Crusades, were believed to conduct mystical rites, guard the Holy Grail, and possess the lost treasures of Jerusalem. They were also bankers to kings trusted diplomats, farmers, business scions, and navigators.

Drawing on both academic and select popular sources, this book provides a solidly-researched, up-to-date academic history (Part One) while also examining a variety of popular theories about the Templars and their enduring mythos today (Part Two).

This book examines lingering questions about the Ark of the Covenant, excavations under the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, Rosslyn Chapel, women Templars, the Gothic cathedrals, the Grail romances, the Black Madonna, Council of Troyes, the 'Jolly Roger' flag, organization and structure of the Order, various New World theories, and much more.

It is a vital contribution to Templar history, Crusades studies, Grail literature, and also the enduring spiritual legacy of the medieval Templars. Appendices include a comprehensive Chronology of Events (1118-1571), list of Grand Masters, information on Templar sites, illustrations featuring Rosslyn Chapel (Scotland).

KAREN RALLS, PhD, FSA Scot., Oxford-based medieval historian and Celtic scholar, was Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Edinburgh and Deputy Curator of the Rosslyn Chapel museum exhibition for six years before continuing with specialist research at Oxford in 2001. She lectures worldwide, leads tours, conducts in-depth research, and has appeared on numerous TV documentaries, including the Discovery Channel. The founder-Director of Ancient Quest, her books include THE QUEST FOR THE CELTIC KEY (2002), INDIGENOUS RELIGIOUS MUSIC (2001), MUSIC AND THE CELTIC OTHERWORLD (2000).