Learn about Freemasonry in The Templar Revelation

This article reviews The Templar Revelation: Secret Guardians of the True Identity of Christ by Lynn Picknett and Clive Prince. First published in 1997, this book increased in fame after references to it in Dan Brown’s bestseller, The Da Vinci Code. The work investigates da Vinci’s ‘heresies’ and traces them back beyond the Renaissance to the beginnings of Christianity in the first century AD. The authors redefine the characters of their “three main protagonists”–Jesus Christ, Mary Magdalene, and John the Baptist.

The new truth about Jesus and ancient symbols (also important to Freemasons) became popular with the The Da Vinci Code book and movie. What does The Templar Revelation offer to lovers of Freemasonry? Here are a few tidbits of the great history that this book retells.

The strength of this work lies in weaving the explanation of Freemasonry and other societies seamlessly into the complex account of how the identity of Christ was protected for twenty centuries. The reader finds many ideas to ponder as he gets pulled into the fascinating lore of Masonry. First, Picknett and Prince establish human connections between early societies and today’s Freemasons. Examples include the ideas that membership offers “material and social advancement” and that all shared an appreciation of the sacred geometry of the Temple of Solomon. Second, the book reveals insights about symbols of Freemasonry through placing concrete examples in the context of Masonic lore. In one example, commonalities exist between Sauniere’s church in Rennes-le-Chateau, France, with the traditional floor (black-and-white chessboard) and ceiling (blue with gold stars) of a Masonic lodge.

Third, the book examines the arguments of how Freemasonry developed and explores whether the connection between Masons and Knights Templar. For example, the modern conventional order of Masons is Grand Lodge, and it arose in 1717. Per the authors, Freemasonry “had already become a glorified dining club” and did not need secrecy because there were not many left. Finally, the end of the book offers an appendix on “Continental Occult Freemasonry” or how the movement dispersed from the islands of Britain to the European continent.

Overall, The Templar Revelation is a fascinating read that will lead the reader to further research. As a source on understanding Freemasonry, it is valuable, relying upon historical examples, logical arguments, and arguments of other scholars. Lovers of Freemasonry should not miss this intellectual treasure.