Product Description

-Who were the medieval Knights Templar?
-How is their name connected to Solomon's Temple in Jerusalem?
-What does their red cross symbolize?
-Why were they suddenly arrested on Friday, October 13, 1307?
-What unusual relics or Grail did they harbor?

Today, as never before, interest in the Knights Templar is growing exponentially, especially since The Da Vinci Code. But who were these powerful knights of the Crusades? What is fact and what is fiction? And how did they become the wealthiest multinational corporation in the medieval West?

A first of its kind, Knights Templar Encyclopedia presents in convenient, readable, A-to-Z format, 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 authoritative sourcebook of hundreds of entries features a wealth of information on the key Templar people, places, events, symbols, organization, daily life, beliefs, economic empire, trial, and more.

The product of more than a decade of meticulous, scholarly research, this indispensable resource is for the general reader and specialist alike--for anyone, in fact, who is interested in the history and legacy of the powerful Knights Templar (1119-1312).

Knights Templar Encyclopedia includes photos and illustrations, an extensive bibliography, a historical time line, and a list of major European Templar sites.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #45416 in Books
• Published on: 2007-04-30
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 301 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9781564149268
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

Review
"Before heaven and earth and with all of you here as my witnesses....I declare, and I must declare, that the Order is innocent. Its purity and saintliness is beyond question." -- Jacques de Molay

From the Back Cover
"If you're looking for the one indispensable book about the Knights Templar, this is it."

--Robert Ellwood, professor of Religion Emeritus, University of Southern California, in praise of The Templars and the Grail

"Before heaven and earth and with all of you here as my witnesses....I declare, and I must declare, that the Order is innocent. Its purity and saintliness is beyond question."

--from the final recorded statement by Jacques de Molay, the last Templar Grand Master, on March 18, 1314, before he was led to the stake.

About the Author
Karen Ralls, Ph.D., medieval historian, international lecturer, and media consultant, was postdoctoral fellow at the University of Edinburgh for six years before continuing her specialist medieval research at Oxford. A member of the Oxford University Religious Studies Society, the American Academy of Religion (AAR), and the British Association for the Study of Religion (BASR), Dr. Ralls was also former deputy director of the Rosslyn Chapel Museum exhibition (1996-2001).

Originally from the United States, she has frequently appeared on the History Channel and the Discovery Channel, and in National Geographic TV documentaries. The author of The Templars and the Grail and other books, she has an award-winning Website...

Customer Reviews

A Ray of Light on the Templar Enigma
Confused about all the speculation & stories centered around the secret society known as the Knights Templar? Do you want to sort out the fact and fiction of Mary Magdalene and The Holy Grail? Find it hard to know just who to believe in all the so-called "codes" & "ancient mysteries?" Were the Templars guilty of witchcraft, Satanism & homosexuality as charged by The Church? Do you want FACTUAL history of the Templars presented in one well-written & engrossing format? Would you like a real encyclopedia of the subject that reads like an exciting novel?

Then get this book.

Inside you will find information about the history of not only the mysterious & romantic Templars, but also that of the Cathars, the journey of mystical relics, Gnostic sects & their persecution by The Church, the floor plans of the famous Rosslyn Chapel, Agnes Dei, and much, much more.

KNIGHTS TEMPLAR ENCYCLOPEDIA is a gem of investigative reporting & analysis, in contrast to which other books of similiar genre should be compared. It is a fully engaging & intelligent work.

The Secret History of Freemasonry: Its Origins and Connection to the Knights Templar
Holy Blood, Holy Grail
History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
Opening the Ark of the Covenant: The Secret Power of the Ancients, the Knights Templar Connection, And the Search for the Holy Grail
Bloodline of the Holy Grail: The Hidden Lineage of Jesus Revealed
The Stone Puzzle of Rosslyn Chapel: The Truth behind its Templar and Masonic secrets
Rosslyn and the Grail
The Gospel of Mary Magdalene
The Gnostic Gospels: Including the Gospel of Thomas The Gospel of Mary Magdalene (Sacred Wisdom)

Easy To Use Reference on the Knights Templar
When Dr. Ralls asked me to submit a few of my past photos for inclusion in her latest book, I had no idea she was working on an encyclopedia of the Knights Templar. However, I was delighted to see and read the final product of her research. It is at once both an excellent reference about the Knights and an easily readable narrative of who they were, their historical activities, places, and symbols.

While I first found myself reading the book from cover to cover, I now use it to look up specific subjects relating to the Templars. I find the guide very thorough for that purpose, and, as an experienced traveler, I find especially valuable Appendix E, the Selected List of Templar Sites. While Dr. Ralls' Bibliography is quite complete, as an avid researcher I particularly appreciate her inclusion of a section on Recommended Reading of books and articles organized by subject.

Karen Ralls is no stranger to the study of the Order of the Temple. When I decided to travel 4 years ago to England, Scotland, and France to study the sacred architecture for which the Knights are responsible, I was told to contact Dr. Ralls. I found she had not only been past deputy director of the Rosslyn Chapel Museum exhibition, but that she had been lecturing on medieval history at Oxford University. And, that's where I met up with her.

Also being a stickler for accuracy and details, Karen and I talked the same language. I got many good tips from her on where to concentrate my efforts in my own search, and I subsequently enjoyed reading her book The Templars and the Grail. Keep in mind that all this was before the arrival of the Da Vinci Code novel and movie. Dr. Ralls put me way ahead of the game, so to speak, and was instrumental in encouraging me to follow through on my lecture circuit about the meanings behind the art, architecture, and symbols of the Templars.

The Knights Templar Encyclopedia is a fitting culmination of many years of scholarly work by a fine academic historian. As I have, I think you will find it an enjoyable read as well as a stepping stone to your own further quest for knowledge about the mystical Knights of the Temple.

While this book is a milestone in the efforts of Dr. Ralls, we certainly know it will be followed by many other significant contributions from her in this field of study.

An excellent guide on the Templar trail!
Dr Ralls is an engaging and reliable source of information on the subject all too prone to modern myth-making. In lively and readable prose, she leads us on the trail of the Templars via solid historical evidence that avoids the marshes of speculation. Along the way, she offers us fascinating glimpses into related windows of 12th century culture and religion, including the Holy Grail, the Black Madonna and Alchemy. An excellent resource!