A brother of the Order-a medieval secret society uniting noble families in a sacred bond-Sir Hugh de Payens has emerged from the First Crusade a broken man seeking to dedicate his life to God. But the Order has other plans for him: to uncover a deadly secret that could shatter the very might of the Church itself.

The first thrilling novel in Raymond Khoury’s New York Times bestselling Templar series.In 1291, a young Templar knight flees the fallen holy land in a hail of fire and flashing sword, setting out to sea with a mysterious chest entrusted to him by the Order's dying grand master. The ship vanishes without a trace.In present day Manhattan, four masked horsemen dressed as Templar Knights stage a bloody raid on the Metropolitan Museum of Art during an exhibit of Vatican treasures. Emerging with a strange geared device, they disappear into the night.The investigation that follows draws archaeologist Tess Chaykin and FBI agent Sean Reilly into the dark, hidden history of the crusading knights—and into a deadly game of cat and mouse with ruthless killers—as they race across three continents to recover the lost secret of the Templars.

The Order of the Temple, founded in 1119 to protect pilgrims around Jerusalem, developed into one of the most influential corporations in the medieval world. It has retained its hold on the modern imagination thanks to the dramatic events of the Templars' trial and abolition two hundred years later, and has been invoked in historical mysteries from masonic conspiracy to the survival of the Turin shroud. Malcolm Barber's lucid narrative separates myth from history in this full and detailed account of the Order, from its origins, flourishing and suppression to the Templars' historic afterlife.

The ancient order of the Knights Templar possessed untold wealth and absolute power over kings and popes . . . until the Inquisition, when they were wiped from the face of the earth, their hidden riches lost. But now two forces vying for the treasure have learned that it is not at all what they thought it was–and its true nature could change the modern world.Cotton Malone, one-time top operative for the U.S. Justice Department, is enjoying his quiet new life as an antiquarian book dealer in Copenhagen when an unexpected call to action reawakens his hair-trigger instincts–and plunges him back into the cloak-and-dagger world he thought he’d left behind.It begins with a violent robbery attempt on Cotton’s former supervisor, Stephanie Nelle, who’s far from home on a mission that has nothing to do with national security. Armed with vital clues to a series of centuries-old puzzles scattered across Europe, she means to crack a mystery that has tantalized scholars and fortune-hunters through the ages by finding the legendary cache of wealth and forbidden knowledge thought to have been lost forever when the order of the Knights Templar was exterminated in the fourteenth century. But she’s not alone. Competing for the historic prize–and desperate for the crucial information Stephanie possesses–is Raymond de Roquefort, a shadowy zealot with an army of assassins at his command. Welcome or not, Cotton seeks to even the odds in the perilous race. But the more he learns about the ancient conspiracy surrounding the Knights Templar, the more he realizes that even more than lives are at stake. At the end of a lethal game of conquest, rife with intrigue, treachery, and craven lust for power, lies a shattering discovery that could rock the civilized world–and, in the wrong hands, bring it to its knees.

A knight in the Holy Land. A woman in the frozen north. A war that kept them apart. . . Among the last bastion of God's holy warriors determined to save Jerusalem from the Muslims, Arn Magnusson of the Knights Templar is renowned as a man of compassion, strength, and faith, even among the enemy Saracens–Saladin and his Muslim followers. Yet, neither time nor distance can lessen Arn's pain of separation from his beloved Cecilia; confined to a cloister back home in western GÖtaland, his betrothed, the mother of their newborn son, is a pawn in a war between clans vying for control of the crown. And when an accident of fate brings together Arn and Saladin, an unlikely friendship is forged that will alter the course of the Templar knight's life, and the history of Jerusalem itself.

When a Vatican exhibit attended by archaeologist Tess Chaykin is stormed by four masked horsemen dressed as Templar Knights who steal a particular artifact, FBI anti-terrorist specialist Sean Reilly teams up with Tess for an investigation that takes them through three continents. A first novel. 40,000 first printing.

A leading specialist in the history of this legendary medieval order now writes a full account of the Knights of the Order of the Temple of Solomon, to give them their full title, bringing the latest findings to a general audience.

The Knights Templar\nThey had all joined taking three vows: poverty, chastity, and obedience…for they were monks: warrior monks, dedicated to theprotection of pilgrims in the Holy Land -- until stories spread by anavaricious king who wanted their wealth for his own destroyed the order.\nThere was one knight, however, who escaped the stake, vowing justiceas he watched his innocent brothers die.\nA Dark Justice\nCold-blooded murder has transformed Simon Puttock's official obligation into something horrid -- and he will need the able assistance of his friend, Sir Baldwin Furnshill, to draw a criminal out. A former Knight Templar, Sir Baldwin knows much of duty and servitude -- and of evil freely indulged in thename of godliness or greed. Now justice must be served,even if their search exposes extortion, foul corruption,rule by fear…and killers willing -- even eager -- to shed more blood.

An international bestseller certain to appeal to fans of The Last Templar?the thrilling first book in a sweeping medieval trilogy On the eve of the last Crusade, two men?s destinies will come together as two great civilizations go to war. Amidst conspiracy and intrigue in Europe, Will Campbell, a young knight, risks his life to recover the stolen Book of the Grail. Hidden within its pages are the heretical plans of a secret society within the Knights Templar. Meanwhile, the former slave Baybars Bundukdari and his army have taken over Egypt and Syria, and are planning a new Holy War to bring the Crusaders to their knees. With breathtaking battle scenes, memorable characters, and a riveting mystery at its center, Brethren (being published simultaneously with book two, Crusade, in hardcover) is a heart-stopping historical drama that brings the Middle Ages vividly to life.

An ingenious code hidden in the works of Leonardo da Vinci.A desperate race through the cathedrals and castles of Europe.An astonishing truth concealed for centuries . . . unveiled at last.As millions of readers around the globe have already discovered, The Da Vinci Code is a reading experience unlike any other. Simultaneously lightning-paced, intelligent, and intricately layered with remarkable research and detail, Dan Brown's novel is a thrilling masterpiece—from its opening pages to its stunning conclusion.

In 1307, the Templars in France were arrested by King Philip IV's officials in the name of the Inquisition, their property seized and the men charged with serious heresies, including the denial of Christ, homosexuality, and idol worship. Confessions, extracted under torture, were brought before royal and papal tribunals, but in 1310 a number of Templar brothers mounted a defense of their Order. Malcolm Barber's fascinating account, assessing the charges brought against the Order, once again puts the Templars on trial.

A Warrior Of Immortal PowersHe was a mighty Scottish warrior who lived in a world bound by ancient laws and timeless magic. But no immortal powers could prepare the laird of Castle Brodie for the lovely accursed lass who stood before him. A terrible trick of fate had sent her 700 years back in time and into his private chamber to tempt him with her beauty—and seduce him with a desire he could never fulfill. For this woman he burned to possess was alsothe woman he had foresworn to destroy. A Woman Caught In The Mists Of TimeWhen Lisa felt the earth move under her feet, the fiercely independent 21st-century woman never dreamed she was falling...into another century. But the powerful, naked warrior who stood glaring down at her was only too real...and too dangerously arousing. Irresistibly handsome he might be, but Lisa had no intention of remaining in this savage land torn by treachery and war. How could she know that her seductive captor had other plans for her...plans that would save her from a tragic fate? Or that this man who had long ago forsaken love would defy time itself to claim her for his own....

The medieval historian who revealed The Real History Behind the Da Vinci Code uncloaks the Templars. In the year 1119, these noblemen found their calling as protectors of the faithful on a dangerous pilgrimage to newly conquered Jerusalem. Now, historian Sharan Newman elucidates the mysteries and misconceptions of the Templars, from their true first founding and role in the Crusades to more modern intrigues, including: - Were they devout knights or secret heretics? - Did they leave behind a fantastic treasure-hidden to this day? - How did they come to be associated with the Holy Grail? - Did they come to America before the time of Columbus? - Does the order still exist?

1291 AD, Acre. As the city burns under the onslaught of the Sultan's men, the Falcon Temple sets sail, carrying a small band of knights and a mysterious chest entrusted to them by the Order's Grand Master. But the ship vanishes without a trace...Present day New York. At the Metropolitan Museum, four horsemen dressed as Knights Templar storm the gala opening of an exhibition of Vatican treasures and, in a brutal and bloody attack, steal an arcane medieval decoder. For FBI agent Sean Reilly and archaeologist Tess Chaykin this is just the start of a deadly game of cat and mouse as they race across three continents in search of the ruthless killers - and a centuries-old mystery...

This book presents the fascinating history behind the most famous military religious Order of the Crusades--the Knights Templar. Written by leading Templar authority and medieval historian Dr. Karen Ralls, this sourcebook of hundreds of entries features a wealth of information on the key Templar people, places, events, symbols, organization, daily life, beliefs, economic empire, and trial. The Knights Templar Encyclopedia provides a comprehensive view of the facts about this powerful medieval Order, A to Z. Meticulously gleaned from scholarly sources over a period of sixteen years, the encyclopedia covers key areas about the medieval Order itself, and also, other major medieval topics of increasing interest today and how they specifically relate to the Knights Templar -- i.e., the Grail, the Black Madonnas, King Arthur, Templar sites, Rosslyn Chapel, key Templar symbolism, seals, and relics, Gothic cathedrals, Mary Magdalene, the Jolly Roger flag, alchemy, Freemasonry, the Guilds, chivalry, stained glass, Bernard of Clairvaux, the origins of the Order, Templar archives, Assets, Treasuries, Loans, Maritime trade and ports, Farms, Feast days, to name but a few entries. Several key Appendices are included: a Templar Chronology of Events; a list of Grand Masters; a list of Popes during the time of the medieval Order; a list of the charges against the Templars; key Templar Sites; and Illustrations. In addition, a special 'Recommended Reading' section, from scholarly sources, under specific subject headings to further aid the reader, is also included.

The Templars were members of a monastic order established in 1099 after the success of the First Crusade. Enjoying the support of both the Church and the laity and vowed to poverty, chastity and obedience, these 'fighting monks' were the vital defenders of the holy places of the Latin States in Palestine and Syria. A unique collection of translated sources documenting the origins of the Order and the circumstances of its suppression and dissolution. Offers a valuable insight into the lives of those who joined, supported, and attacked this most fascinating and enigmatic of institutions. Examines the many and varied facets of the Order's activities during the twelfth and thirteenth centuries. There is no other book of translated sources devoted in its entirety to the Templars.

A history of the Knights Templar discusses this unique Order of fighting men, their dedication to God, war, and the defense of Palestine, the age of the Crusades, and the end of the Templars

This book is an essential exploration into the history of a legendary group of Crusaders, which are prominently featured in Dan Brown's recent best seller, The Da Vinci Code. The Knights Templar rose from humble beginnings to become the most powerful military religious order of the Middle Ages. Formed to protect pilgrims in the Holy Land, they participated in the Crusades and rapidly gained wealth, lands, and influence. Seemingly untouchable for nearly two centuries, they fell from grace spectacularly after the loss of the Holy Land. In the ensuing centuries the Templars have exerted a unique influence over European history; orthodox historians see them as nothing more than soldier-monks whose arrogance was their ultimate undoing, while others see them as occultists of the first order. With clarity and ease, Martin navigates between the orthodox and the speculative, the historical and the myth, to bring alive the story of the Templars. Like those other legends of the Middle Ages—the characters of the Arthurian tales—The Knights Templar holds captive the imagination of all those intrigued by conspiracy and how history and myth intertwine to become the stuff of legend.