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Templar Revelation Hb

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The Priory of Sion, Rennes-le-Chateau, Freemasons, Rosicrucians, Cathars, Isis, Black Madonnas, John the Baptist, Mary Magdalene, Hermes Trismegistus ... and many more subjects are examined in The Templar Revelation.

If it sounds like the book is unfocused, that is likely to be your impression while reading it, at least for quite a few pages. There is a thread linking all these topics: Picknett and Prince are trying to trace the predecessors and descendants of the Knights Templar, who were cruelly suppressed early in the 14th century. They also probe the nature of the secret knowledge said to have been possessed by the Templars and their various offspring.

The connections aren't always easy to follow, and for awhile at least you're likely to find yourself at sea as the authors switch from one subject to another in kaleidoscopic fashion. In fairness, the evidence does seem by its nature to be complex and often ambiguous. Prepare to bring patience when you open the book; eventually, a sort of mosaic picture does emerge.

Picknett and Prince have certainly gone the whole nine yards in researching the material, quoting from hundreds of written sources and describing their conversations with people who might shed some light on the subjects, and they describe their own travels to relevant sites in the south of France.

Organization is not their strong point, but otherwise they are good writers who don't share the weakness of many occult researchers for trafficking in the obscurity and mystification endemic in the material they study. Further to the authors' credit, they appear to weigh the value of the evidence, and are not averse to rendering skepical judgments on some of it. Still, you are constantly presented with deductions that seem like quite a stretch of the imagination based on the minuscule evidence. And while the numerous references are impressive, a doubter could argue that quoting from multiple crackpot writings adds no credibility.

Whatever you make of all this -- and I confess I'm far from sure what conclusions to draw -- The Templar Revelation suggets convincingly that there has been throughout Western history an "underground" of individuals and organizations dedicated to preserving secret and often heretical beliefs challenging orthodox Christianity. And even if, in the end, you give this study a Scottish verdict of "not proven," you will respect the authors' sincerity and find this historical tour of occultism stimulating.

As one who judges a book by its cover (as well as its content), I must highly commend the designer of the Corgi Books paperback. (If you have the American edition it may be different, but I hope not.) The main image is an embossed Templar seal overlaid with a version of the ankh; the title in gold foil raised lettering; and the entire cover laminated for an ultra-smooth, almost silky feel. The sensuous surface is a brilliant invitation to the mysteries with which the text deals.

This book is exciting because it is a real follow-up to the theories presented in Holy Blood, Holy Grail (by Baigent, Lincoln and Leigh), the all-time best of the "alternate history" books. It was the earlier book that caused many Christians to shed their naivete about the origins of their religion and to question whether Jesus had, in fact, died on the cross. Since that book, other writers have joined the fray and put forward theories of Jesus surviving the crucifixion. Like the Holy Blood, Holy Grail authors, Picknett and Prince say Jesus was married to Mary Magdalene, but unlike the previous work, they do not say the two went together to the south of France. They concentrate instead on Magdalene and the many legends of her presence in France. They too allude to an explosive "secret" preserved by that shadowy organization known as the Priory of Sion.

In this ambitious and controversial work we find much more on the legends of France concerning Mary Magdalene and her possible connection to Jesus and the Christian Church. The authors also delve into the mystery of Rennes le Chateau, the story which originally inspired Baigent, Lincoln and Leigh to do the investigation which led to their theory of a Jesus who was married and whose descendants founded the Merovingian dynasty. Since that time, other books have also questioned the standard story of Christian beginnings, and have even revived the idea that historical Jesus did not exist.

I recently visited a wonderful exhibit on the Dead Sea Scrolls that came to the Grand Rapids (Michigan) public museum which featured actual pieces of the scrolls along with many representations of the Essene community at Qumran, thought to be the origin of the scrolls. The Dead Sea Scrolls are important because they they shed light on the religious and political ideas of the time just prior to Jesus' public life. Some of the material from the scrolls seems "Christian" but actually predates the Jesus movement. This, like the material in The Templar Revelation, seems to show that the central ideas of Christianity were not new. Other authors have shown that the "suffering savior," the "dying and resurrected god" and "eating the divine flesh and blood" themes were present in many pagan religions of the era.

Picknett and Prince take the idea further and show that the roots of Christianity could be, not in Judaism, but rather in the Egyptian religion, especially the cult of Isis and Osiris. For instance, Osiris was killed on Friday and resurrected three days later by the power of his wife Isis, who then conceives their son, Horus. Even more parallels with Christianity can be found in the basic beliefs of the Isis religion, which emphasized repentance and confession. It was not Jesus who originally brought these ideas (both Egyptian and Gnostic) to the Jews, but another character who figures prominently in occult circles, John the Baptist. John is seen by the authors as a rival of Jesus who founded a substantial movement that continued to exist and even exists today. His followers have never believed Jesus was devine.

The most exciting part of this book is the material the authors collected in their travels though France. They found numerous churches dedicated to Mary Magdalene, John the Baptist and the mysterious Black Madonna. The devotion to the Magdalene is especially interesting, since the legends of her presence in this area are so common and there are numerous claims by local townspeople to have her remains or some relic of her. The shrines to Mary Magdalene are frequently at sites formerly associated with Isis. However, after laboriously providing many examples of these themes, the authors never quite pull it all together. They show what seems to be a connection with the Hermetic tradition embodied in the Knights Templar and the Freemasons, but fail to produce any "smoking gun." What was the secret knowledge of these organizations that caused them to hold John the Baptist and the Magdalene in higher regard than Jesus? It was, they say, the knowledge of the Female principle once so important to ancient religions. They devote a whole chapter to the history of "sacred sex" and show how it was practiced in Egypt and persisted through the undergound stream kept alive by organizations like the Templars and Masons. They tell us nothing about the political agenda of these organizations, or the reason for the continued secrecy (after all, there is no more Inquisition).

While I find much of the material illuminating, the book is ultimately disappointing. They tell us that Jesus was a rival of John; he was a practitioner of magic and/or the Egyptian religion. His message was altered by the male-dominated Church which covered up the truth about the important role of Magdalene. The authors constantly point out how ignorant most Christians are about the origins of their own religion. Since Christianity emphasizes "faith" (belief with no proof), why should the existence of proof that Jesus survived the crucifixion and was married and had children make any difference? It's interesting how these books, no matter how persuasive, seem to change nothing.

I was hoping to finally learn the agenda of the Priory of Sion and the secret of Rennes le Chateau. I want to know what really happened to Jesus. The books waltzes tantalizingly around all these topics, but never delivers the goods. It does not reveal any Great Truth. But of course, that was always too much to ask.

After reading the Da Vinci code I found myself wanting to explore more factual work regarding the mystery of the Holy Grail, the Priory of Scion, and Mary Magdalene. I was surprised, and a bit intimidated to find that there were literally dozens of books on the subject.

Taking a stab, I stared with "The Templar Revelation" by English authors Lynn Pickett and Clive Prince. This is, I think, a good jumping off point for people as it delves into many of the mysteries surrounding all of the above subjects in relation to the true identity of Jesus Christ.

You will read about the founding of the Knights Templar, and how there may have been much more behind their founding than trying to retake the holy land and convert the heretics. Did they actually know the secrets of Jesus Christ and are the ones protecting the true history? Was the Templar inner circle actually the founding members of the Priory of Scion?

Much of the book is spent discussing the mystery of Mary Magdalene. Various theories are discussed such as Mary actually being married to Christ and actually being his most trusted apostle. One theory goes that it was Mary who actually carried on Christ's church after his death, and her work was subsequently covered up by the church and the Gospels that speak of her (such as the Gnostic gospels and Gospels of Phillip) were purposely left out of the new testament.

You'll explore relations to worship of Mary Magdalene to the Egyptian cults of the Goddess Isis, and of the startling similarities between Christ's death and resurrection and similar stories of pagan gods death and resurrection. Startling to say the least.

Then there is the mystery behind the French Abbey of Rennes-Le-Chateau. A strange and provocative mystery about the priest who seemingly had endless wealth to build a very strange abbey filled with both Christian and pagan symbolism. Where did he get this money from? Was it a secret treasure he found? Was he funded by some mysterious benefactor? Could he actually have uncovered the secret remains of Mary Magdalene, long buried on the site?

The theories come rapid pace in this book and it's sometimes difficult to keep them all straight. The authors do not forward any particular theory, but rather try to lay them all out with as much fact as possible. It certainly gives one to pause and certainly devout Christians may have some big problems with the idea of Jesus being married, fathering children, and possibly embracing pagan beliefs.

Among the most interesting and somewhat chilling proposals is what seems to be a concerted and diligent effort on the part of the catholic church to not only erase, but to rewrite history. There's no doubt that Gospels were written around the same time as those included in the new Testament, that were left out purposely.

As I said, it's a good jumping off point to explore some of these theories and there are many more books out there that delve into greater detail on these various ideas and concepts. But it's definitely a fascinating read.

This is primarily a book about Jesus, the development of Christianity, and the origins of certain heresies and secret or occult traditions. The authors share some interesting theories concerning Jesus, Mary Magdalene, and John the Baptist, supporting their ideas with some thought-provoking evidence from a wide range of sources. Special attention is afforded to the beliefs and traditions of certain well-known secret societies and religious sects.

The first half of the book is less compelling than the second, and deals with a few of the more curious historical characters, myths and legends that are often associated with these topics, and the authors offer a few novel insights. It is worthwhile persevering until the second half of the book, which presents some very interesting theories and is rich in intriguing scraps of information, scriptural contradictions, conspiracy theory, and unsolved mysteries.

Despite the title, the main focus of the book is not the Templars. However, anyone with an interest in the Templars, the history of the crusades, or the occult, should appreciate that experts continue to debate whether or not the alleged Templar heresy was genuine; where the heretical ideas originated and how they might have fitted in with the pursuits of a medieval Christian monastic military order. Some light is shed on these questions in this text, although the authors inexplicably seem to avoid actually stating some of the connections that they appear to be alluding to...

This book is easy to follow, informal and sometimes entertaining, packed with interesting information and ideas, and I would suggest it to any reader who would like to read around the subjects discussed.

Picknett and Clive make bold assertions about "secret" revelations they researched regarding religion and the 'occult' knowledge and practices of the Knights Templar, Freemasons, and Cathars. These groups are presumed to have based their beliefs and religious practices to the time of Solomon and the ancient religion of Egypt, Osiris and Isis. While it is not a scholarly work in the strict scientific sense of the word, these authors do a fine job of connecting symbols, paintings, sculpture, and ancient church architecture to religious practices that do not conform to what was the common practice at the time. This reader is convinced they have revealed some of the "mysteries" upon which the secret societies and groups of the past based their esoteric knowledge. They include a fascinating mix of myths, legends, and "Indiana Jones" type archeological research associated with religion, which captures the reader's attention and keeps it transfixed as a complex maze of detailed revelations are brought forth for the reader's examination.

Some of the most complex connections made in the book relate to the information about why John the Baptist is held in high regard by the Knights Templar and Priory of Sion. In fact, the Grand Masters are often refered to as "John". Another interesting fact is that in the south of France, there are many "Black Madonna" sites where a church is often built to honor the Mary Magdalene. The authors connect the "Black Madonna" cults to the goddess worship of Isis which was the predominant religion of the area before Christianity. They also connect the concepts of fertility and goddess worship to secret practices within some of the societies. There were two levels of membership in the societies, the outward stated one, and an inner "secret" level, where only those who were initiated could understand and practice certain sexual rites. There are assertions that Jesus and Mary Magdelene may have been married or,if not married, were participants in some secret rituals of this nature. There are references to gnostic writings which intimate a very different level to their relationship than is depicted in the New Testament version. The role of women as Apostles in the New Testament has been diluted. based on the prevalent Jewish dominant cultural view at the time. The religious questions the authors raise and possible connections they make do point to some fallacies in current religious practice, although there is no scientific proof to the relationship assertions. The findings of the Nag Hammadi scrolls in 1945, have been now revealed to the public. They shed a new light on the religious outlook of different groups of people who were living during the time of Jesus ministry, both before and after the crucifixion and resurrection. His life and teaching is given new meaning ... While this reader can not accept at face value the "true identity of Christ" as presented by the authors, indeed, there is room for more research. The New Testament books as carefully selected and edited versions of books that were copied and recopied from the past, do not reveal the full measure of Jesus life and teachings either. This was a fascinating book which read partly like a mystery which explained myths and legends, partly like a sociological research paper, and partly like an archeological exploration of religious symbolism and practice. Since it mixes so many unlikely topics, the reader needs to keep an open mind balanced with some healthy skepticism. Highly recommended. Erika Borsos (erikab93)

I can't remember the last time I read such an enlightening history book. The authors' scholarship is impressive, and their theory is absolutely stunning. The authors' premise is that Christianity is an offshoot of Egyptian religion. If this is indeed true, it would explain (albeit not completely) why so many of pagan/mythological themes exist in Christianity. Furthermore, the book convincingly asserts that the early Christian fathers competed with other Judaic sects for preeminence and at the same time felt the need to differentiate themselves from the other religious movements. In presenting supporting evidence for this, the authors provide an explanation as to the origins of some of Christianity's more peculiar characteristics - emphasis on the male, misogyny, mind/body duality, and loathing of the flesh. The book explains how the heretics may have understood the not-so-firm origins of Christianity, and how such knowledge threatened the legitimacy of the established Church. Hence, the Church felt a greater need to punish deviance (which would explain the Inquisition and the Church's general intolerance of bold - especially scientific - ideas during the last 2000 years. Finally, I never felt that the conventional history books gave an adequate explanation for the birth of the Renaissance, which seemed to have sprouted into existence in full bloom after more than a millenium of austerity. The theory presented in this book suggests a more plausible explanation for the birth of the Renaissance and its bold new glorification of humanity: that the heretical/gnostic elements, which had existed in the undercurrents throughout European history, gained momentum and manifested itself as the Renaissance. In short, the book's theory sheds new light and understanding on the developments of the 2000 years of European history.

After finishing "the Da Vinci Code" , I was sufficiently intrigued by the topic to acquire some follow up reading material , and this was one of the works that seemed most relevant to the "sacred feminine" topic raised in Dan Brown's book. I also purchased the "Gnostic Gospels" at the same time , but have not made much progress on that front.

I read the entire book over the period of a week, and re-read several of the chapters selectively. The first impression one takes away is the individual chapters seem to be somewhat disconnected , but by the end of the book everything starts to fall into place better. Then a selective re-reading seems to reveal the true focus of this study. Those with a strong Christian set of beliefs will have alot of difficulty in accepting many of the authors' assertions , since a great deal of the "occult" information presented is , by traditional standards , heretical.

The authors take a somewhat slow paced journey through the John the Baptist and Mary Magdelene stories , and attempt to link the Black Madonna shrines in southern France with the Egyptian Isis cult. Much of what is presented is conjecture , but a great deal of rather scholarly thought and logical eveidence is presented to make a compelling case for their hypotheses.

Later chapters deal with the Knights Templar , the Rosicrucians , the Masonic lodges , and the Priory of Sion (Zion). Reference is made to the "documents secret" found recently in France that indicate the historical Grand Masters of the Priory of Sion were all brilliant and otherwise famous men in intellectual disciplines. Leonardo da Vinci , Robert Boyle , Sir Isaac Newton , and Claude Debussy are a few of the well known names included.

The authors also raise the issue of the Inquisition and the supression of heresy as a political matter. In the early days of the Christian belief , other groups were competeing for the hearts and souls of men besides the Church of Rome. It also lends insight into the male dominated hierarchy of the early church , which felt itself threatened by the Gnostics and the cult of Mary Magdelene.

I rated this book only 4 stars based on the following : subject matter and content of the work 5 stars ; presentation in a readable form 3 stars. Not an easy book to read , but worth the effort : 4 stars overall. I recommend that this be viewed as a starting point for those truly interested in the occult or supressed religeous viewpoints of the "heretics". It might just startle you! Just for grins , have an art book of Leonardo da Vinci's works at hand , you will definitely find it helpful.

The authors of this book claim they didn't start their research with any pre-conceived opinions but they do seem to have made some rather big leaps in logic. They refer to the New Testament, as we know it, as propaganda written and included in the canon to create the Christian belief system as it has been handed down to us. There may be some truth to that statement but they seem more than willing to quote from it when it serves their purpose. Many of their "revelations" are not new, such as Jesus' relationship with Mary Magdalene, but the theory that Christianity has it's roots in ancient Egyptian religion was new, at least to me.
All of that being said, I actually enjoyed the book even though the evidence presented for the "revelations" is less than convincing. It did cause me to re-evaluate the evidence on which I base my own belief system and that is something we should all do from time to time.

I would recommend looking elsewhere if this is the reason why you are looking at this book. It does skim the surface of many of the societies that deal with the occult legends and Grail lore, however...it touches on them briefly, leaving the reader wanting a bit more regarding these societies.

That being said, I did like the book, not love it. I started it once and had to put it down due to a few preposterous stories that peppered the book. (Is the shroud of Turin really Leonard da Vinci? Yes! According to the authors) Then again I picked it up because I remembered some interesting points: the correlations of Pagan holidays with the birth of Jesus, the crucifiction, resurrection, etc...of course I didn't need to read this book to figure that out. But Mary Magdalene and her story was what really interested me, her purported journey to Alexandria and then Provence or Languedoc, and the cult of the Black Madonna. Also the information regarding architechture I found very interesting and I will never look at the cathedrals of Europe in the same way. The mystery of Rennes-le- Chateau I found fascinating and would like to read more about it.

I think if one can read between the lines and sift through some information, this book provides some very fascinating perspectives of the life of Jesus, his relationship with Mary Magdalene, the relationships between MM and the apostles, and the evolution of the Catholic church and some occult groups. I found the bibliography to be rather impressive and have used it to review other books for future purchases.

Over all, this book isn't bad. I felt that the author's did try to look at more than one perspective and ended up proving their theories. Whether your theories and theirs dovetails...it remains to be seen.

When reading this book, I made a point of disproving every thesis. And it worked excellent - every point the authors are making can be explained otherwise, quite according to the mainstream history.
When the authors argue about occult Christianity being spread in medieval Europe, why can't the same events be explained by well-known attachment of the population to ancient cults? They choose to forget that the rites they mention include not only Magdalene-like goddess, but many other deities as well, without any parallels in the NT.
Some of their conclusions are just funny. For example, they believe that John was the only baptizer in Judea, because his name is THE Baptist. By this token, Judah the Galilean must be the only person in Galilee.
Many assertions are plain inaccurate, like when they write that ritual washing was unknown to mainstream Judaism - contrary to many mikvah pools existing around the Temple.
Wild suppositions, made by the authors, after a few pages tend to be presented as certain things, and the authors proceed to build their theory upon them.
The level of scholarship involved is clearly seen in the Bibliography section. The total number of books is ridiculously small, and even of those most belong to alternative historians.