Rose & Cross Chronicles Scroll 3 Pt2 by Philippe L De Coster BTh DD (2013).pdf

Sovereign Order of the Elder Brethren Rose  Cross

Founded by Pope John XXII of Avignon (France) in 1317

Philippus-Laurentius, Grand Master (1975-)

Rose  Cross Chronicles

Scroll Three, Part Two

Documents belonging to O.S.F.A  C

Arranged by Philippus-Laurentius, General Grand Master

Knights Templar from Jerusalem to Europe

(Special attention to the Commandery Languedoc-Roussillon)

By the early middle ages, Jerusalem had become a major place of pilgrimage,

but difficulties were encountered by travellers passing through countries

constantly in turmoil. The route passed through lands divided by wars, and then

across seas infested with pirates. This made the venture extremely risky.

On reaching the Holy Land, Christians were harassed, sometimes captured and

held for ransom by the local inhabitants.

In 1095 the Pope Urbain II called for the first Crusade to recapture the tomb of

Christ in Jerusalem. After the conquest of Jerusalem, Knights who participated

in the first crusade, to obtain free access to Christ's tomb and maintain this for

all Christians, decided to remain in Jerusalem, and founded the Kingdom of

Jerusalem, choosing a King from amongst their own. (King Baudoin 1 of

Jerusalem). As a result the flow of pilgrims to Jerusalem increased during the

12th and 13th centuries.

A new religious order, the Hospitallers of Saint John of Jerusalem was created

by these early monk/knights. Their initial mission was to lodge and look after

the pilgrims. A large hospital, which was run on Greek lines and divided into

wards, was formed.

It was an immense building, and was a tribute to the devotion of the Knights.

With the introduction of relatively sophisticated Arab medical practices,

European knowledge of medicine was considerably enlarged. The proximity of

the original hospital buildings to the Church of Saint John the Baptist seems to

have led to the choice of Saint John the Baptist as its patron saint.

The earliest Master known to historians was a certain Gerard (later Beatified),

whom it is said, came from Martigues in Provence.

Then in 1118, the order of the Knights Templar was founded, by Hugh de

Payen, a vassal knight of the Count of Champagne, in collaboration with Andre

de Montbard.

Together with seven other knights they presented their plans to the King of

Jerusalem, Baudoin II to form the Order of the Temple whose mission was to

ensure the security of the pilgrims in the Holy Land. Theirs was a monastic

order and they protected pilgrims along the route to Jerusalem. They dedicated

their cause to pilgrims and took on the name “the Poor Knights of Christ”

The original nine Knights are generally thought to be.

 Hugues de Payens, a vassel of Hugh de Champagne. A relative to the St

Clairs of Roslin

 Andre de Montbard, Uncle of Bernard of Clairvaux, and another vassal of

Hugh de Champagne

 Geoffroi de St Omer, a son of Hugh de St Omer

 Payeb de Montdidier, a relative of the ruling family of Flanders

 Achambaud de St Amand, another relative of the ruling house of Flanders

 Geoffroi Bisol

 Gondamare

 Rosol

 Godfroi

Gondemar and Rosol were Cistercian monks. The Cistercians and the Knights

Templar were closely linked by ties of blood and shared many of the same

objectives.

Hugh, Count of Champagne is also thought to have taken a leading part in the

forming of the Knights Templar although his position is unclear, as he would

have come under the direct control of a man, who, under normal circumstances

was his vassal.

In a document held in Seborga in northern Italy it is claimed that a monastery

was founded there by St Bernard of Clairvaux, and it was he who nominated

Hugues de Payens as the first Grand Master, and, that Abbot Edouared of

Seborga consecrated him in that position.

After their formation they were granted part of the Al-Aqsa Mosque, which was

built on the site of the original Temple of Solomon, as their headquarters.

Almost immediately and for the next nine years they were involved in secret

excavations beneath the Temple. It is believed that the Knights in 1118 found a

secret room beneath the Temple Mount, apparently, knowing exactly what they

were looking for and where to find it.

The access tunnel descended vertically downwards for eighty feet through solid

rock before radiating in a series of tunnel under the ancient temple. Almost

immediately they became an enormously rich, and powerful organisation.

Years later these tunnels were re-excavated by Lieutenant Warren of the British

Royal Engineers, who found just a few small artefacts of the Templars.

The mystery of why these tunnels were built remains to this day.

Did the first Knights have some documents that led them to find treasure under

the Temple when they arrived in Jerusalem?

Did they find the Ark of the Covenant? Just what they found is the subject of

legend.

Chartres Cathedral

Chartres Cathedral, that

was largely built with

money from the Templars,

has carvings, of what is

believed to be the Ark

being drawn by a couple

of oxen, by the North

door.

The Ark of the Covenant

was designed as a chest -

vessel - box - or container.

It was allegedly the chest

in which Moses placed the

Ten Commandments.

This question has plagued historians and treasure hunters for centuries. For

hundreds of years there have been rumours that the Knights Templar were not

only the defenders of the faith, but were also the guardians of the Holy Grail.

The Templars benefited, from numerous donations and organised a network of

Commanderies throughout Europe and the Holy lands both rural and urban.

Revenue from their rural domains helped pay for the upkeep of large fortresses,

capable of sheltering up to 2000 men, which served to maintain the Kingdom of

Jerusalem for the Christian world.

The Templars left their imprint on the Languedoc-Roussillon .

In the Languedoc finance came

from farming and especially

from its flocks of sheep, which

were to be found on the vast

grasslands of the Larzac which

estimates say formed thirty

percent of their income.

Commanderies were built, and

some of the best examples are

Cavalerie

and

Couvertoirade

which

were

fortified, practically all identical and remarkably well-preserved.

The Knights Templar - or Poor Knights of Christ were a monastic order. They

took solemn vows of poverty, chastity and obedience, and chose as their uniform

a simple robe bearing a red cross.

The Templars became one of the wealthiest and most powerful organisations the

western world has ever known, with a great variety of assets.

During the 12th and 13th centuries the Order acquired extensive property

throughout Europe but especially France. It developed an extensive network of

thousands of preceptories and commanderies. Kings and aristocratic families

gave the order thousands of properties, including ports mills, churches, farms,

villages, monasteries and so on to assist the Templars in their Crusades.

Particularly within the first decade of growth

following the Council of Troyes in 1129, the

Order was given lands in nearly every part of

Europe. The ultimate extent of the Templar's

international empire at its height was probably

unknown even to certain Kings.

A lot of wealth was donated by individuals and

kept in the Templars treasuries, and could not

be moved without the owners permission. This

led to an early form of banking. They were

certainly amongst the earliest to provide

arrangements for the safe movement of money across Europe.

In the 13th century the Templar treasury virtually served as the French royal

treasury. Nobles and even Kings were lent large amounts of money, as were

certain Popes.

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