The Templar Revelation: Secret Guardians of the True Identity of Christ (Paperback)

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.

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.

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.