Product Description

The location of the Ark of the Covenant is a mystery that is thousands of years old.

This book recounts the investigation of a secret in the south of France. As the investigation developed, it became apparent that this puzzle involved Freemasonry ... and was uncovering a grand conspiracy.

The Questions ...
Are the Knights Templar and Freemasons related?
Do they still exist today?
If they were the guardians of the Ark of the Covenant, where is it now?
Is there anything else, apart from guarding the Ark, that these people are trying to achieve?

And the Clues
The importance of the angle 33
Nineteenth-century survey map of Jerusalem
Codes hidden within the Masonic Royal Arch ritual,
Masonic Grand Officers' jewels & the Grand Master's jewel
The fascination that the Masonic ritual compilers had with the number 3
The sacred symbol yodh from the ceiling of the Great Temple in the Grand Lodge of England

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1214792 in Books
• Published on: 2001-08-15
• Released on: 2007-05-21
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 448 pages

Review
Not since Hancock's Sign & the Seal has so plausible and logical a theory been put forth -- Stephen Dafoe, Grand Historian for the Sovereign Great Priory of Canada Knights Templar

About the Author
Patrick Byrne started work as a structural engineer, moving into major civil engineering project management. Ten years ago he became chairman of a training company. At the age of 49 he took a part-time Masters' degree at De Montfort University Leicester in Human Resource Management. Patrick is still an active Freemason after thirty years. He lives in Leicestershire, England. He is married with four children and four grandchildren.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
Preface
Like many others I have been curious about the Rennes-le-Chateau area for over ten years, ever since I read Holy Blood, Holy Grail by Baigent, Leigh and Lincoln. But it wasn't until I read The Tomb of God by Andrews and Schellenberger that I realized that there might be a connection between Freemasonry and a mountain on the northeastern slopes of the Pyrenes in the Roussillon region of southern France. My first thoughts were that perhaps the solution to the Rennes-le-Chateau mystery lay within the Masonic ritual and that likewise the "long lost secret," which all Freemasons are taught to seek, might be tied up with Rennes-le-Chateau. This particular puzzle has literally captured the imagination of millions. The manuscripts, though, which point to a solution were supposedly found in a "hollow column" and this adds a strange Masonic "dimension" to it.

My early discovers quickly confirmed that the location of Pech Cardou is encoded within the Masonic ritual and my first reaction was that I had stumbled onto a Masonic secret from a higher rank than those that I hold. My inquiries in this area soon allayed my fears and my natural curiosity did the rest, driving me over the next two years to a solution of the puzzle. As I progressed with my research and more fellow-Masons became aware of where my findings were going, I was asked more than once, "Why are you doing this?" I am a "middle ranking" Freemason, and this question has caused me more than a little reflection; I have therefore devoted a few pages of this preface to explaining why I have decided to publish my findings.
At an early stage my research was providing evidence that beneath this Masonic ritual encoding of geographic landmarks identifying Pech Cardou, there appeared to be something else equally intriguing. It appears that particular lines of longitude may have been allocated to mark the resting-places of something of immense importance on its journey from the East to the West.

It is strange how this investigatiton expanded from the early discoveries of codes within the Masonic ritual to encompass much of France and particularly Paris. In the process, what had been a background curiosity became the focus of a large part of the last two years of my life. I am, however, convinced that this information is not so much a secret of Freemasonry, but more a secret of which Freemasonry is but a part.

My next comments are of necessity made from the perspective of an English Freemason; I am, after all, English and my Masonic activities come under the jurisdiction of the Grand Lodge of England. That a few people who already know of the secret which I have uncovered are Freemasons is beyond doubt, but I suspect that this probably accompanies their membership in Freemasonry, rather than being the result of it. Which brings me back to the question of whether I should publish my findings, which are unavoidably heavily laden with Masonic ritual and symbolism, and this has caused me some self-doubt. It has proved impossible for me to unfold this story without disclosing some Masonic ritual, in fairness, not as much as recent U.K. television programs. My problem is that I come from the "I prefer our ritual to be mysterious" side of the debate. An eminent Masonic colleague put it very well in saying that "our ritual is like a present - it should be nicely wrapped so that it comes as a pleasant surprise to any new candidate." There is, however, a considerable difference between disclosing our ritual, which might indeed take some of the "shine" off the initiation of candidates, and an open debate on our historical origins.

Freemasonry generally is passing through a difficult period. In the U.K. it is currently subject to discriminating laws on disclosure that do not apply to similar organizatitons. In the U.S.A, membership is also falling. Whether these matters are transient or signal the onset of a more profound change for Freemasonry, no one really knows. This investigation will show that the raison d'etre of Freemasonry has been subject to continual watering down, and if you do that to any organization, the membership may eventually question why they joined.

The other problem for Freemasonry, the current public unease that Masonry is a secret society, probably owes much to the "hangover" of the quite proper obsessive secrecy of the war years. In recent times, the senior ruling body of English Freemasonry, The United Grand Lodge of England, has gone to considerable lengths to make Freemasonry more open. Indeed, the second most senior person in English Freemasonry, Lord Farnham, the Pro Grand Master (and the "Pro" is not an abbreviation), recently stated that the only secrets in Freemasonry are the passwords and associated signs given to identify one's status as a Freemason. The problem here is that this openness removes one of the attractions for joining Freemasonry, the boost to one's self-esteem of being admitted to a secret that others don't know.

The concept of Masonic secrecy certainly does not bear the test of time. After the creation of The United Grand Lodge of England in 1717, indeed right up until the first quarter of the last century, public parades in full regalia were commonplace. These parades only stopped because the general population found the sight of hundreds of middle-aged men parading through the streets in aprons a matter of ridicule: plus ca change plus c'est la meme chose.

Customer Reviews

RLC: another approach. A bit heavy but worth a deep reading
I bought this book soon after I saw it on-line.
There was something which attracted my attention; I had just got Hancock's "The Sign and the Seal" Italian translation and was thinking about reading it when I found this book. The combination between the Knights Templar and the Ark of the Covenant sounded interesting to me. The book, actually, is quite interesting and confirms a statement: there is something around that area.
Many are the evidence Byrne brings in order to confirm his findings, and sometimes this bunch of prooves is a little boring. Nevertheless, it demonstrates the author's good faith and enthusiasm.
The interesting combination involving numbers, Masonic degrees and hidden treasures reaches a very high intellectual level, demonstrating how these Knights mastered the art of using numbers, locating places and code messages.
The history of the Knights Templar has definetely a hidden face, and this book, as John J. Robinson did in his marvellous "Born in Blood", on one side confirms the connection between them and Freemasonry.
The only risk the reader may run is not to finish the book, considering the many facts Byrne provides. Those who know a lot about Rennes le Château may also think Byrne insists a little too much on his conclusions and really descharges Andrews and Schellenberger's final conclusions - as well as others - a little too easily, but in the very end the great interest about Rennes le Château is that all theories lead more or less to the same place with different conclusions. Byrne is no exception. Pointing to the same site Andrews and Schellenberger reached, it is only the "treasure" which is different.
Last but not least, Byrne is an active Freemasonry; thus, from that point of view, he knows more than others.

utter rubbish
Having read a lot of conspiracy theories over the last few years I can say without a doubt that this is probably one of the worst books I have ever read. Whilst some books create tenuous links supported by few actual facts, this author invents facts all on his own and then presents them as empirical research. I have no doubt that Mr Byrne has had an interesting time researching this book, and (as others have mentioned) there are some items of historical note presented in a highly readable way, this book should be taken no more seriously than Dan Brown - and has about as much a basis in fact as the aforementioned authors own books.

In short, if this was sold as a work of fiction then it would be reasonably entertaining, as a conspiracy theory book it borders on lunacy, and considering it as a work of research should result in someone being incarcerated.

speculation
The chapters on Templar history were the best I have ever found.
Very good stuff. Beyond that ... well, let's say the author may
be the very paragon of speculative Masonry.