Freemasonry and the Knights Templar

Freemasonry and the Knights Templar 16146_image002 When most historians discuss the history of Freemasonry, they trace its origins back to the eighteenth century, where it was officially established in England. However, its roots extend back to the Crusades, specifically to the twelfth century, where a mysterious order was formed under the name of the Knights Templar. Although the apparent motive of the Crusades was religious, the economic factor played a strong and undeniable role; Europe was suffering from extreme poverty at the time, and travelers to the East, especially the Middle East, spoke of the wealth and prosperity in these countries, fueling the desire of European peoples to conquer them.

When Pope Urban II called upon the kings, princes, and peoples of Europe in 1095 AD to rescue the Holy Land in Palestine from the hands of the Muslims, everyone responded to his call, and thus a Crusader army was formed. The evidence that the religious factor was not the sole motivation is that this Crusader army plundered the cities it passed through, even if they were Christian cities; for example, the city of Constantinople (Istanbul), which was one of the most famous Christian cities, was subjected to a great plunder by the Crusader army during the Fifth Crusade.

Soldiers of Jesus

We will not delve into describing the brutality that characterized these armies and the numerous massacres they committed against Muslims, as that is a lengthy topic and not our focus here. However, we can say that when these armies reached the city of Jerusalem in 1099 AD and captured it after a short siege, they carried out a horrific massacre against its inhabitants, both Muslims and Jews. One can refer to the book “August C. Krey” to learn about the atrocities committed by the Crusader army in Jerusalem.

However, the important task for the Crusader army became to maintain control over the lands they had conquered, which extended from Palestine to the region of Antioch. They established a Crusader state there, and thus some military orders emerged, whose members migrated from Europe to Palestine and initially lived a monastic life, but they trained for combat to fight against the Muslims. However, one of these orders took a different path… this order later became known as the Knights Templar and was formed in 1118 AD. It was also referred to as the “Poor Soldiers of Jesus and the Temple of Solomon.”

Knights Templar

This order began with nine members and then expanded. The reason why this order was associated with the Temple of Solomon is that they established their headquarters on a hill near the ruins of the Temple of Solomon. These poor soldiers quickly amassed great wealth by guarding Christian pilgrims visiting Palestine and charging them large sums of money.

The poor soldiers turned into wealthy ones, and this order began engaging in usurious lending practices, to the extent that they are considered among the first to establish a type of usurious banking system with the issuance of promissory notes. However, it must be noted that these Knights Templar were among the harshest people towards Muslims and participated in the most brutal massacres against them. Therefore, when the hero Salah al-Din al-Ayyubi defeated the Crusaders in the Battle of Hattin in 1187 AD and recaptured Jerusalem from their hands, he pardoned most of the Christians but did not spare the Knights Templar and executed them.

Although the Knights Templar weakened in Palestine after the defeat at Hattin, they maintained their existence in Europe and even gained more influence over time, especially in France, to the extent that they became a “state within a state” in many European countries, causing concern among kings and rulers.

The Unraveling of the Knot

Finally, the French King Philip and Pope Clement V declared the prohibition of this order and the arrest of its members in 1307 AD. Although some managed to escape, most of its members were apprehended. During the lengthy trials that followed, these individuals confessed that they had indeed abandoned the Christian faith and had insulted the Lord Jesus and his mother. Therefore, their leaders, including the “Grand Master” Jacques de Molay, were executed in 1314 AD, and the rest were imprisoned, unraveling the knot of this society in France.

However, these trials and executions were unable to eradicate the Knights Templar. Some managed to escape from France and sought refuge in Ireland under the rule of King Robert Bruce, who was the only king in Europe outside the jurisdiction and influence of the Pope. There, they reorganized their ranks once again, but they found a new way to hide from sight and continue their activities secretly. They infiltrated the organization of the “Freemasons,” which was one of the strongest civil societies in Britain at the time, and quickly gained complete control over it. The name of this society was then changed to the “Freemasonry Lodge.”

Continuation of Activities

Thus, the Knights Templar did not disappear but continued their activities and beliefs under the roof of the “Freemasonry Lodge.” Freemasons in Turkey acknowledge this connection between the Knights Templar and Freemasonry. It is sufficient to refer to the article published in the Turkish Freemasons’ magazine “Mimar Sinan” issue 77 in 1990, pages 78-81, written by Ender Arkun under the title “A Quick Look at the Efforts of Freemasons in Intellectual Development.” In other words, today’s Freemasons, with their beliefs and philosophy, are an extension of the “Knights Templar.”

But what is the philosophy and beliefs of the Knights Templar? Why did they deviate from the Christian faith and turn to a deviant and misguided belief? What led them to this deviation when they were residing in Jerusalem?

Two British Freemason authors, Christopher Knight and Robert Lomas, conducted extensive research on the roots of Freemasonry and published it in their book “The Hiram Key.” They agree that the origin and foundation of Freemasonry can be traced back to the Knights Templar, but the more important question is: “What are the roots of the beliefs of these knights?” These authors state that there is no evidence that the Knights Templar were protecting Christian pilgrims. However, there is strong evidence that they conducted numerous excavations near the ruins of the “Herod’s Temple” (which was built as a reconstruction of the Temple of Solomon in the same location).

Secret Traditions

The French historian Gaetam De Laforge sheds light on this matter and states that the primary goal of the Knights Templar was to find writings and artifacts that explain the preservation of ancient Jewish and Egyptian secret customs and traditions.

The authors of the book “The Hiram Key” state that the research and excavations conducted by the Knights Templar near the ruins of the Temple of Solomon were not in vain, but rather they obtained certain things that were sufficient to change their perspective on life. They reached the “Cabala,” which is a branch of Jewish esoteric teachings, and thus deviated from their Christian beliefs.

The Cabala encompasses a type of teachings that seek the secret and mystical meanings found in the Torah and other sources of the Jewish religion. When researchers and historians delved into the origins of the “Cabala,” they were surprised to find that these teachings are based on a pagan philosophy that existed before the Torah and then infiltrated the Jewish religion. The Turkish Freemason Murat Ozgan Ayfer refers to this in his book “What is Freemasonry?” and states: “No one knows for certain how and when the ‘Cabala’ was born, but it is known that it is related to the Jewish religion and carries a metaphysical form and esoteric teachings. Although it is mentioned as Jewish esotericism, most of its teachings are ancient and existed before the emergence of the Torah.”

Deviation of the Mind

The Jewish historian Theodur Reinach describes the Cabala as the secret poison that entered the veins of the Jewish religion. Another Jewish historian, Salomon Ranch, describes the Cabala as the worst deviation of the human mind.

But why was the Cabala considered the worst deviation of the human mind? Because it was closely related to magic, particularly black magic. The Cabala has been the most important foundation for all types of magic and most secret magical rituals for thousands of years.

But what is the source of the “Cabala”? Where did it originate? And how did it infiltrate the Jewish religion? From ancient Egypt… this is what the Jewish historian Fabre diolivet mentions, stating that some Jewish leaders and religious figures learned the traditions of the Cabala from ancient Egypt and passed them down from generation to generation as oral teachings.