1. Many Treasure Hunters still Seek the Legendary Treasure of the Knights Templar
The Knights Templar gain cultural prominence in every generation. They were the subject of Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade when the rogue archeologist embarked on a quest for the Holy Grail. Many believe that they were the predecessors of the Freemasons, who continue to hold their secrets, which they used to construct the democracy of the United States. But what most interests Knights Templar enthusiasts is the legendary treasure, possibly from the Temple of Solomon, that they supposedly hid.
Only about 10% of the Knights Templar were subjected to the imprisonment and tortures of King Philip IV. Many of them lived outside of France or received word of what would happen and fled. All told, there may have been thousands who survived the events of 1307. However, they no longer had a leader and would have to fend for themselves. And any treasure that they may have had – the Holy Grail, the Ark of the Covenant, wood from the real cross, documents, gold, or anything else – would have to be kept secret.
Some believe that the Knights Templar may have traveled to the New World. The evening before Friday the thirteenth in 1307, there was a fleet of 18 ships belonging to the order docked at a harbor in France. The next day, the fleet had disappeared, and there is no documentation as to what happened to them. Circumstantial evidence suggests that a group of knights may have carried their treasure onto the ships and set sail for shores beyond mainland Europe. Many of them had descended from the Vikings, so the theory suggests that they first sailed to Iceland, then Greenland, and finally to the New World, long before Columbus. Some believe that the purported treasure at Oak Island in Nova Scotia is of Templar origin, seeing as there is Templar iconography around the site.
Others believe that the treasure may be buried somewhere in the crypts of Rosslyn Chapel in Scotland. Scotland was excommunicated from the Catholic Church at about the same time as the order fell in 1307 when its king, Robert the Bruce, killed one of his opponents in a church. It may have been seen as a haven for those fleeing the church. Circumstantial evidence suggests that they may have come into contact with the Sinclair family, the proprietors of Rosslyn Chapel, where they buried their treasure. Some have even tried to engage in a rogue excavation of the crypt, but they were met with legal resistance.
Whatever the case may be, nothing keeps a good story going like a modern treasure hunt. So we still enjoy reading and theorizing about the Knights Templar today.
Where did we find this stuff? Here are our sources:
“Secrets of the Knights Templar.” Documentary by The History Channel.
“Who were the Knights Templar?” by Elizabeth Nix. The History Channel. October 17, 2012.