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The Real Da Vinci
Code: George Smart and the Knights Templar (Cont.) A_P: How long did this take? GS: It only took a short number of years. He caused the premature exit of one of the popes and installed one of his colleagues in that office. He used that to turn the Vatican against the Templars. A_P: Prior to that, the Vatican got along with the Templars? GS: Well, the Vatican would have differences with them, at times, but not much until Philippe. A_P: What ultimately turned the tide against the Templars? GS: One of the milestones was when the Western world lost the Holy Land again. The Templars were a central player in the Holy Land. They coordinated military operations, owned forces, and carried out operations. They were not the main army but were much like today’s Rangers or Navy Seals, the special forces of their time. They were an easy target to blame. While the organization itself wasn’t secret, a lot of their rituals and activities were, which raised suspicion. They could conduct business any way they liked and were absolved of restrictions from anyone. They were responsible only to the Vatican. They had the highest form of what we would now call diplomatic immunity. A_P: The public became suspicious of the Templars because of their clandestine behavior and because of King Philippe’s finger pointing, then? GS: The losses in 1291, the ambition of the French King Philippe, all of this was leading up to October 13, 1307, our legendary “Friday the 13th.” That is when King Philippe sent orders for all the Templars to be arrested on the following day; however only a fairly small number were arrested in France. It is believed the Templars got wind of this plan and escaped with most of their men and their treasure, hence another mystery. Many escaped to friendly countries. For instance, Portugal took them and renamed them as different monks. There were some executions, but mostly just arrests. Generally anyone who recanted was let go or fined. A_P: After 8 years of research, what have you discovered? GS: I have a strong knowledge of the prevailing theories and the most likely sites where new information is going to be discovered. A_P: Do you suspect any specific locations? GS: Rosslyn Chapel in Scotland and [sites in] Nova Scotia, Canada are the more likely sites where new information will be found. People have been digging in Nova Scotia since 1795, but they have as yet been unable to negotiate a series of booby traps. The shaft they have been digging was rigged to use nearby water to flood itself if excavated to a certain level. They have found a few artifacts in the tunnel. All these sites have great tourist value. Once a site has been identified as a possible repository, it immediately gets caught up in local politics and economics and whether to excavate or not. There are always concerns for preservation of the sites. For instance, if they allow excavation at Rosslyn Chapel, the place would be completely overrun if something was found. The concerns for what will happen to these historic sites have to be considered should something of consequence be located. A_P: Obviously, controversial theories that suggest Mary Magdalene as the wife of Jesus and a surviving bloodline can prove pretty inflammatory among Christians. Have you experienced any hostility in your search for answers regarding Jesus and the role of the Knights Templar in guarding such materials and information? GS: I assumed that there would be a tremendous amount of disagreement on events and their interpretation. In writing the book, if there was a big question as to the nature and validity of a specific piece of information, I would put a source to indicate that this is a more accepted fact. The controversy is more about the conclusions you would draw than the facts presented because the facts aren’t conclusive. A_P: You reference the legendary story of Catholic forces entering the city of Beziers during one of countless purges of non-Christians at the time. They ask their commander “How do we know whom to kill? There are so many women and children.” The commander replies, “Kill them all. God will know his own.” Does a book like yours shed light on how these atrocities are in direct conflict with the teachings of Jesus? GS: Jesus was Jewish, never a Christian. Peter and Paul formed the church with Jesus as a role model. It is that church that cost many people their lives. Again, I don’t want to pick on the church. Many organizations get so strong and powerful, that they will eventually abuse their power. A_P: Are the Masons descendants of the Knights Templars? GS: Unfortunately, despite many claims, there are no direct connections between the Templars and the Masons. The Masons use Templar structure, rituals, pieces of the Templar organization, if you will. They based their order on the template of the Templars. As far as direct succession of people from one organization to another, we haven’t discovered that yet. A_P: What audience will most appreciate your book? GS: Unlike books like The Da Vinci Code, my book is not a thriller, not a book most people will take to the beach to read. But if someone has a passion for this material, they are going to love my book. What was fun for me was that I turned a bibliography into a timeline, so all the sources of information from previous Grail hunts to the present are listed. A_P: What are your future projects? GS: I hope to be involved with one of the excavation projects, should it go ahead. I would like to chronicle what happens day by day at the site, not just what is found. The allure is not just the discovery but also the journey of the hunt. I think people want to know as much about the seekers as the things they seek. [Also] I will speak about the book. Any organization or group who is interested in my talking about the book in a public forum is welcome to contact my publicist and we’ll get that set up. My Web site is www.georgesmart.net.
Freelancer Kristen
Twedt writes about everything from religious scholars to toe fungus,
although some fungi refuse to take her calls. Visit her Web site at
www.kristentwedt.com.
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