Random Interesting Theories Historians Have Proposed About Knights Templar (11 items)

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  (#5) They Kept Their Secrets - Including The Holy Grail - In Rosslyn Chapel

  Before Sinclair departed for North America, it's believed he hid many of the Order's treasures in Rosslyn Chapel. The chapel construction began in 1446 in Scotland and was at the behest of the Sinclair clan. It still stands today, and is considered one of the finest pieces of architecture in Scotland. Among its many architectural features are 213 cubes with inscriptions in them. 

  Many believe these inscriptions are Order-related, and even skeptics have found them fascinating and strange. Some say the inscriptions are a code to what lies beneath the chapel. At one time, it was speculated the Holy Grail, the mummified head of Jesus, the crown jewels of Scotland, and a vast amount of treasure were stored in a tomb underneath the temple. No entrance to any tomb has ever been found. 
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  (#4) They Found America Before Columbus

  As the story goes: In 1492, Columbus sailed the ocean blue. But was he the first to officially discover America? Some believe the Knights Templar traveled to North America at least 100 years before Columbus made his infamous journey. 

  Researchers Tim Wallace-Murphy and Marilyn Hopkins wrote a book about the subject titled Templars In America: From the Crusades to the New World. They believe Henry Sinclair (sometimes referred to as St. Clair), Lord of Roslin and member of the Order, set sail to America in 1396 and left proof of their visit off the Atlantic coast of both the United States and Canada. Sinclair is said to have assimilated into a native tribe in Canada where he later died. 
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  (#1) Their Execution Was To Cover Up Information About The Blood Line Of Christ

  One theory popularized in modern culture - specifically in Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code - is that the Knights Templar were not killed because King Phillip didn't want to pay them what he owed them. Instead they were killed for what they knew about the secret bloodline of Christ - specifically that Jesus and Mary Magdalene were married and had a child. 

  The secret society that held this knowledge was called the Priory of Scion, which had deep connections to the Knights Templar. It's said all of Jesus's alleged descendants were killed off by the Roman Catholic Church. Because of this they knew they also had to kill anyone with knowledge of their existence - including the knights. Some say this was partially motivated to keep Jesus as a Christ figure and to allow Paul to ascend to power over Mary Magdalene and her decedents, presumably the children of Jesus. 
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  (#10) They Predicted And Possibly Caused 9/11

  Conspiracy theories about the terrorist attacks on 9/11 are a dime a dozen, so it should come as no shock many believe the Knights Templar had some sort of involvement. Theorists break down the connection between the Knights Templar and the numbers nine and 11. For instance, the Order was founded in 1118, and 1+1+1+8 = 11 and the original order had nine knights. There are a slew of other numerical connections theorists make between the Knights Templar and 9/11 which you can read about here.
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  (#7) The Friday The 13th Superstition Began With The Knights Templar

  The Knights Templar were arrested on Friday, October 13, 1307 on the orders of French King Philip IV. At the time, Philip owed the knights a substantial amount of of money. Instead of paying up he accused them of being heretics and devil worship - something that would stick with the Knights Templar throughout history - and had them arrested. They were subsequently burned at the stake. 

  While many point to Friday the 13th's origin as lore from the Bible, some say the fear of the day actually is derived from the knights's arrests. 
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  (#11) The Knights Lived On As Freemasons And Helped Defeat England in Scotland

  After the capture and suppression of the Knights Templar, there are legends the order went underground in Scotland. They eventually joined Robert the Bruce’s army in the fight against England. When he won Scottish independent they joined the new Royal Order of Scotland in 1314. The King established a Grand Lodge of Freemasons whose leader was a former Knight Templar. 

  The Knights Templar were also called the Order of the Temple of Solomon. They and the Freemasons clubs that sprung up in the 17th century both centered on the Temple of Solomon. The Freemasons freely borrowed from the Knights mythology and popular imagination continues to insist they (and their wealth) are connected. The Knights were an explicitly Christian oriented group with serious vows similar to other Christian monks. The Freemasons had a more general belief in a higher power and accept members from all faiths. 

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