FINAL WARNING: The Curtain Falls
Master of the Knights, Geoffrey de Charney (who possessed the
Shroud of Turin, which was stolen from Constantinople), and two of
their highest officers were burned at the stake for trying to overthrow
the government. In England, Edward II joined in the denunciation by
arresting and torturing 140 knights, 54 of whom were burned at the
stake.Some of the remaining Templars fled to Portugal, where there were
protected by King Dinis II. Most however took refuge in Scotland,
where they stayed for 400 years, developing the Scottish Rite branch
of Masonry. In England, where the Templars established the first
modern Masonic lodge at York, it was identified as the York Rite; while
in France, it became known as the Scottish Rite. To signify the
accomplishments of the Order, it was made the highest attainable
degree in Masonry. It is said that “every true Mason is a Knight
Templar...”Meanwhile, the Prieuré de Sion existed for another 300 years, until
1619, when the historical record dried up.According to recent information, it is believed that Sauniere’s
‘treasure’ was actually the knowledge gleaned from the parchments,
that the crucifixion of Jesus was a set-up, and that He was alive as of
45 AD. Sauniere’s niece, Madame James of Montazels, inherited the
parchments in 1917, and kept them until 1965 when she sold them to
Capt. Roland Stanmore and Sir Thomas Frazier, who keep them in a
safe deposit box in Lloyds Bank Europe Limited of London. Only two
of the parchments have been released, the contents of the other two
have not been revealed.In the original sources concerning the Holy Grail, references are not to
a cup, but to a mystery.In the 1180’s, “Le Roman de Perceval” (or “Le Conte du Graal”), a
poem by Chretien de Troyes, chronicles one, Perceval, who seeks his
knighthood. At the castle of the “Fisher King” he sees the Grail, which
is golden and is studded with jewels. It is not linked to Jesus. Perceval
discovers that he is a member of the “Grail family” because the
custodian of the Grail is his uncle. Chretian died before completing his
work, and no copies exist. However, the story lived on, becoming