The Knights Templar were one of the most important military orders in the history of Europe.
Their rise and fall is the subject of many studies, legends, and even conspiracy theories. Their stamp on history remains a marvel.
In a new National Geographic documentary, Doctor Albert Lin investigates one of the most important Templar sites in Israel to see if there is anything new that can be learned.
Tunnels That May Have Been Used To Transport The Knights Templar’s Lost Fortune Discovered https://t.co/WQPCMAIDfo pic.twitter.com/Ji8qbnRgLR
— Coleman Daniel (@investmentworl1) October 26, 2019
The Knights’ history is closely tied to the Holy Land and the Crusades, so it does not come as a surprise that the film was shot in the great city of Acre, a modern-day Israeli port.
Acre was the base of operations for the legendary Templars after their Jerusalem headquarters were lost to Saladin as he conquered the city in 1187.
For over 100 years, Acre was under the knights’ control, and Lin, along with his team investigated what remains, both hidden and visible, of their bases.
The researchers used a Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) tool, which allowed them to see what remained buried underneath the ground without having to dig.
“I’m in Israel in search of the Knights Templar. These warrior monks are the stuff of legend, and so is their gold,” Dr. Lin said in the NG documentary. “During the Crusades the Knights Templar battle for God, gold, and glory. Somewhere in the modern city of Acre lies their command center, and possibly their treasure.”
Dr. Lin’s team was able to find tunnels located beneath the city along with a guardhouse, showing how the knights may have transported their treasures from the port to their treasure tower.
What is left of the tower, however, is buried under dirt and rocks. At the moment, there is no plan to excavate further as there has been no confirmation the Templars’ treasure is there in reality.
The order was forced to abandon Acre in 1291 when the city was conquered and moved its base to Limassol, Cyprus. In just a decade, their control of the region was lost.
With the total loss of control of the Holy Land by the Crusaders, support for the military order began to weaken, and the Templar’s fate turned for the worse.
When King Phillip IV took the throne of France, the royals were deeply indebted to the knights, but the king decided not to return any favors as the order was no more.
Rumors about the Templar’s waning public trust spread like fire and without this support the king arrested and tortured members of the order, extracting false confessions for the benefit of Pope Clement V, who officially broke up the Knights Templar in 1312.
Take a glimpse at this marvelous discovery in the video below.
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