His aim is to reveal the true story of the Freemasons the search for Clues will take him around the world archaeologist Kate Raphael from Israel she is searching for vestiges of the legendary Knights Templar Donald Richie from Washington deciphers the secret symbols that are hidden all over the American Capital I joined Herbert A late Summer’s Day in Hamburg in the venerable Church of sank Miche the members of what is probably the biggest secret society in the world are celebrating a jubilee 275 years ago the Freemasons established their first Lodge in Germany the fraternity’s elite have come to Hamburg to celebrate the anniversary
For the first time a camera has been allowed to film their ritual meeting normally such assemblies are off limits to the outside world Wide there are 5 million Freemasons in some countries where the society is banned members risk their lives when they meet what kind of people are these Freemasons who operate in secret and who have always been persecuted what sort of knowledge do they take into their launches and why is the outside
World kept in the dark about the organization a hidden parallel world exists in our midst one with its own special symbols and strange rituals winter Historian Marian fusel has spent years studying the Freemasons he knows a great deal about the secret society The Legends have centered on the Freemasons for centuries because members must not disclose what happens inside a temple they’ve taken a vow of silence naturally this provokes Outsiders to come up with all kinds of suspicions and assumptions so it’s hardly surprising that time and again in their history the
Freemasons have been accused of involvement in all kinds of dark Deeds this secret society selects its members Mozart belonged to the fraternity as did Johann Wolfgang fingerta But so did Walt Disney and Winston Churchill jazz legend Louis Armstrong was also a member as was George Washington one of the founding fathers of the United States what goes on behind the locked doors of a Freemason Temple is it really just a case of good person being turned into a better one
Many critics are convinced that in reality the strange rituals bear testimony to less Humane goals every Freemason takes a vow of silence nothing must be leaked to the outside world in the past however several Brethren have spoken out as a result we were able to reconstruct some rituals a
Freemason begins his career as an apprentice later he becomes a journeyman and only after that is he elevated to the rank of a master in the ceremonies the candidate dies symbolically to be reborn in the circle of his secret Brethren spine to Outsiders the ritual seems bizarre
But to the Freemasons it is important because it forges a bond you can’t become a member through your own will or efforts you have to be selected that’s also the special status that is conferred it’s not like deciding to join a club you have to be chosen and
This fact alone boosts a person’s self-esteem and elevates their status It’s often a person’s mentality that prompts them to accept the offer to join a secret society the need to cut oneself off from others to belong to the elite to know more than people in general frequently the motives are highly egoistic orders like the Freemasons fulfill the dream of individuality in a
Mass Society and candidates are prepared to accept a great deal for the certainty of being something special the initiation right binds each individual Freemason to the fraternity foreign London the British capital is at the Hub of the Freemason movement The Freemasons Hall is home to the world’s oldest Grand Lodge Has come to visit this terrible building is regarded as the world headquarters of Freemasonry will the historian find out more here about the true aims of the fraternity hopes for some answers from John Hamill according to Hamill’s visiting card he is responsible for special questions Everywhere fusel sees objects and symbols which offer an insight into the freemason’s beliefs John Hamill knows the legend surrounding his secret society the internet is full of murky conspiracy theories the Freemasons are said to have been responsible for the French Revolution the first world war is also on the list
Of their dark Deeds for a long time we ignored the conspiracy theories we ignored the outside world and we paid for it in the short term and but delighted now that we’ve we’re reversing it and and we’re back out being open and transparent with people and with this building is open to
The public anybody can walk in but if that’s the case why are Freemasons not allowed to talk about what happens inside their temples And what role is played by the ancient Oriental pictures and symbols which decorate the massive bronze door to the holiest of holies they show people constructing a building Pointing to the ancient Roots the Freemasons referred to in front of the Masters chair is pentagram the Five Points stand for wisdom Justice strength moderation and diligence Rectangular forms show the importance of geometry which fundamentally regulates human activity or so the Freemasons believe The temple is based on a legendary model the Temple of Solomon in Jerusalem which is mentioned in the Bible it too had pillars like those next to the Master’s chair over eight meters high the pillars known as yachin and Boaz flank the entrance to the Temple of Solomon
The building was intended to express something of a divine nature Jerusalem today are there any indications here as to why Freemasons Revere the Temple of Solomon so much our search leads us to where it all began to the Temple mount at one time the Temple of Solomon towered up in the heart of Jerusalem the Temple Mount is equally sacred to
Christians Jews and Muslims Kate Raphael is one of Israel’s leading archaeologists she knows a great deal about the history of the Temple mount she also understands the importance of King Solomon’s Temple King Solomon’s Temple is the first that was built in the first time the capital was established
So it’s the first time since the Jewish people left the desert established the capital and King Solomon’s Temple was the first house of God for the first time built in stone no other building is as steeped in Legend as this one Temple its dimensions are described in the Bible
But that is the only source no remains have ever been found Kate Raphael is about to descend into the underworld of the holy city close to the Wailing Wall there is a Labyrinth of tunnels she and her colleagues pay regular visits to this place which is so rich in history she is convinced that down here is where the supporting walls of King Solomon’s
Temple must have stood before it was destroyed in 586 BC but what made the building so special why do Freemasons try to copy the edifice as yet there are no answers to be found down here only a stone’s throw from the Temple Mount archaeologists collect what has been removed from the system of
Galleries in recent decades it’s the overburden from various evacuation campaigns researchers know that each shovelful could contain an important clue towards helping them to learn more about the history of the Temple mount Every day they come across relics of the distant past Gabriel barque is in charge of this exceptional Treasure Trove for archaeologists we have Rich fines which are uh even an arrow ahead of the army of Nebuchadnezzar which was shot in the destruction of the tumble mile we have
Seals seal Impressions we have Pottery in abundance and even inscribed materials so we have enough material from first temple period to uh to justify much activity upon the Temple mount in that time the Divine construction plan which makes the Temple of Solomon so unique is described in the Bible
It is accessible to everyone including Freemasons but it was others who brought the legend of the temple to Europe in the early 11th century the Crusaders set out from Europe for the Middle East their mission was to drive out the Muslims and take possession of the holy sites of Christianity
Bloody battles were fought and 1099 the Crusaders captured Jerusalem the Crusaders were the first Europeans able to explore the Temple mount no one knows what they sought Beneath The Wailing Wall Divine Knowledge from the king’s Solomon’s Temple or precious relics perhaps One thing is certain even the Crusaders were fascinated by the Temple Mount and its history so it was understandable that the temple should play a central role in the founding of a new order its members called themselves the poor Knights of Christ and of the Temple of
Solomon or for short the Knights Templar the men took the vows of their order before the patriarch of Jerusalem they promised to live in poverty Chastity and obedience the Templars quickly developed into one of the leading orders of knights they saw themselves as an elite as the spirit of Christianity
Soon no one knew the tunnels beneath the Temple Mount better than the Templars did the Templars discover the legendary treasure from the Temple of Solomon in the galleries or did the knights use the tunnels to hide the riches they had accumulated over time Kate Raphael knows that some people are still searching for the legendary treasure of the Knights Templar whatever that treasure might be in reality relics gold perhaps or as some suspect the Holy Grail or perhaps it could be secret knowledge of King Solomon’s Temple which the knights revered so much the tempers were aware
Of the possibility the the Treasures of the temple were still in the location they ruled the Temple mount for 80 years they could have searched for this Temple more than anybody that came after them but we have no evidence we don’t have archaeological evidence we we have no historical evidence that they ever
Found anything and took it with them to Europe as years passed the Templars became more and more powerful they did not feel accountable to any worldly Authority back then the order acted just like major International corporations do today the Knights Templar manufactured goods and engaged in trade and financial operations
From the 12th century their network of facilities spanned Western Europe Templars had become a confraternity that had sealed itself off hermetically the knights clandestine activities were to have an impact in Europe with our dark legend of the Temple of Solomon the Templars influenced the secret societies that came later like the Freemasons
In London the British Knights Templar built their own church Temple Church circular Interiors modeled on the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem the church was blessed personally by the patriarch of Jerusalem in 1185. Paris for many years the French Capital was the headquarters of the order of the Knights Templar for centuries no one knew where the seat of the order had been located then in 2011 a construction unit discovered the remains of its legendary headquarters it was a world sensation
Prior to that only street signs had given any indication of a society shrouded in mystery in Paris my official hopes to find out whether there is a link between the Knights Templar and fraternities like the Freemasons his research has brought him to the National Archives stored here are original documents from
The days of the Templars a historic treasure that could help Marian fussel in his research Has spent many years studying the documents it’s still seems astonishing that this Mighty International Organization should have disappeared virtually overnight The exact reasons for the trial of the Templars and for the persecution of the order are still the subject of speculation today one possible reason could be the military power it possessed members of the order were trained professionally and retained their weapons even in times of Peace So they constituted a serious
Military threat even in their own country constituting a challenge to the king’s Monopoly on the use of force but it was not only the templar’s military clout there was a thorn in the French King side he too had his sights set on the night’s alleged treasure and so Philip the beautiful forged a
Plan to destroy the Templars At dawn on October the 13th 1307 Philip had his troops store in the templar’s residences and arrest the knights the day has gone down in history as Black Friday since then Friday the 13th has been regarded as unlucky it was the beginning of a swift end for the Templars
For late medieval Europe it was a shock comparable today with the sudden collapse of the entire banking system foreign wanted to eradicate the Knights Templar the historical files tell the details Philip the beautiful simply concocted the allegations that were supposed to justify his brutal course of action against the Templars
In the initiation ritual the new Templar had to spit on the cross three times and deny Christ three times novices had to kiss the other members on the mouth on the navel and on the buttocks homosexuality was one of the classical accusations leveled at Heretics ever since the third Century Heretics had
Been accused of being homosexual of being in League with the devil and of worshiping Idols at their meetings it was alleged the Templars worshiped a bearded head and even a black cat these concocted accusations proved disastrous for the Templars no one knew anything about the inner life of the order
The general public was taken in by the lies in this case the strict secrecy they upheld meant the death penalty for the ones so proud Knights template template in Paris on March the 18th 1314 Jacques de mole the fraternity’s last grand master was led to the stake
He never disclosed the secret of the legendary Templar treasure rumors were Rife the Templar ships it was claimed had set sail from La Rochelle heading for an unknown destination with the treasure on board just a myth Perhaps Jean demolay knew the truth when he was executed The king had him burnt on damp Willow a particularly horrific punishment because the wood burns poorly [Applause] Foreign on that day the order was officially crushed and yet numerous Tales describe how the Templars lived on in secret under a new guise after the order was smashed some Templars it is said found a new home in Scotland Ever since then this country on the fringes of Europe has been seen as a stronghold of clandestine societies but is there any real proof that this is where the French Templars fled to historian Mayan fusel is on his way to the kilmartin valley on the West Coast Fuso believes that a cemetery might
Yield Clues For this expert on secret societies be able to use them to reconstruct what happened to the Templars after the trials Fussell has found something unusual ancient gravestones decorated with swords Knights and armor and flowers symbols of the Knights Templar the London gravestones that seem to date
Back to the 14th and 15th centuries is particularly exciting first and foremost they depict noble knights some researchers see these gravestones as an indication that those laid to rest here might have been Templars the Templars came to Scotland and were buried here in the 14th century
If the knights found a new home in Scotland couldn’t the order still exist there today within their ranks the knights could well have handed down their secret knowledge of the Temple of Solomon and its Treasures scarcely anyone has played more with this possibility than best-selling author Dan Brown
‘s novels and the screen adaptations of them have fascinated Millions played by Tom Hanks and Audrey Tatu when they visit Roslin Chapel in Scotland in search of the Holy Grail Dan Brown’s leading characters come across mysterious symbols so this is it the gift at the end Josh Christian Egyptian Masonic pagan Templar crosses
Period located near Edinburgh Roslin Chapel is something of an enigma a feature Dan Brown made skillful use of he saw the chapel as a literary Melting Pot of religions and secret societies Marian fusel is also familiar with the Legends centered on the church it was commissioned by Sir William
Sinclair who had the church decorated with numerous secret symbols including statues of knights foreign the Lamb of God a symbol found on many Templar seals thistle then spots two pillars that seem familiar to him seen them once before somewhere the same pillars stand in the Freemasons temple in London Murray and Fussell has returned to the Freemasons Hall obviously at some time in the past the Templars inspired the Freemasons with their knowledge of the Temple of Solomon John Hamill is showing the historian symbols which testify to a Fascination for precise architecture these include a compass and a square
The origins of Freemasonry are largely unknown a fact which leads time and again to speculation modern research tends to see its origins in the bow Hutton movement of the Middle Ages and the environment of Cathedral Architects and within this movement which was organized on a guilt basis structures developed which led to Modern
Freemasonry in the late Middle Ages the members of the church Mason’s lodges covered the entire continent with a network of magnificent Cathedrals like those in shot cologne and Salisbury Architects and the bow hunting guild enjoyed immense privileges they had their own laws secret hand signs revealed who was a member and what
Rank they held In England these Architects referred to themselves as Freemasons they moved from Cathedral to Cathedral offering their services and those days ordinary folk lived in dark low huts so for them the gothi cathedrals built by the master stone masons the Freemasons were architectural miracles Hooten or a secret society of knowledge
These weren’t simple Masons but Architects an intellectual Elite in other words who had access to monarchs who were at the very Apex of society this had nothing to do with some low trade but people who had specific technical expertise and who naturally were also able to exercise a certain
Degree of power in society does this mean in fact that fugitive Templars and ambitious Architects got together Marian fusel has received permission to view historical documents in the secret society’s internal archives they include the statues of the fraternity and the founding document of the world’s oldest Grand Lodge it points
To a decisive transition the document was signed in 1717 by a certain Mr Anthony Sayer gentleman so the first Grand Master was no longer a Craftsman but an educated figure from a comfortable middle class background Association had developed further into a class spanning fraternity but why What do large Brethren experience in their clandestine meetings what does this elitist Circle which operates in secret actually plan The Freemasons sought the proximity of the Rich and Powerful of their day for the individual this could well have been just as fascinating as the appeal of secrecy foreign developed into something of a fad it became very attractive for the social Elite to become members mainly because
There was a great need at the time for class-spanning sociality to be able to freely exchange views with others in secret to discuss issues of all kinds beyond the bounds of politics and religion the Freemasons were able to satisfy this need for sociality to a particular degree yeah close commercial links saw Freemasonry
Spread from London to Hamburg in 1737 the first German Lodge was founded the loge storm war and Germany too the Freemasons immortalized themselves in Monumental buildings and sought greater influence and Power But the authorities found their ideals dubious they suspected the Freemasons of pursuing Anarchy and subversion King Frederick William the first of Prussia demonized the Freemasons he feared the competition from this exclusive Society but not even the Monarch could prevent the fraternity from Gaining a footing amongst the elite
At a secret meeting in Braunschweig even the king’s own son was accepted into the order in the course of just one evening the Brethren elevated Frederick the great to the level of Master Was the inclusion of the elite part of a secret plan geared to gaining control of the world why else should the society go to such lengths to ensnare those with power it’s fascinating to note how quickly the Freemasons succeeded in acquiring numbers even from the highest echelons of society and in finding numerous
Supporters even among the most powerful figures in Europe so we’re not talking simply about some Bourgeois Association even the nobility and ruling princes were also a part of the Freemasons time and again the Freemasons were associated with dark Mysteries these rumors culminated in the bizarre mindscape of Heinrich Himmler the head
Of Hitler’s SS was looking for the Holy Grail and suspected that it was part of The Treasure of the Knights Templar Himmler reckoned that the Freemasons were closely linked to the old order and that through them he could acquire the coveted treasure so in January 1937 he had the Freemasons
Lodge near the ouster Lake in Hamburg pulled down foreign ER felt totally justified in destroying the fraternity’s temple the national socialists saw the Freemasons as part of a huge World conspiracy that had to be combated Prayers of the order had performed their rituals in the temple in Hamburg for 200 years but then the Nazis banned the secret society Being a Freemason in Third Reich my risking your life And their search for the great secret the fraternity was believed to have kept the Nazis had the Freemasons Temple demolished Brick by Brick Himmler was obsessed with esoteric ideas he surrounded himself with diviners and had archaeologists with the German ancestral heritage Society research occult themes the Freemasons did not fit
In with the image of the ancient Germanic religion which was to be used henceforth to explain the world the Nazis didn’t find any treasure in the Hamburg Lodge but they did cause serious harm to the secret society as long as they were in power the Freemasons had to go underground
Professor rudiger templin is Germany’s leading Freemason as he heads for the lodge he looks no different from an ordinary businessman it’s only inside the building that the Brethren put on their cremations dress the apron has its origins in the Bal Hutton Church Mason’s lodges it protected the stonemasons from flying
Chips the top hat is an ancient symbol of Freedom the white gloves represent pure and spotless Acts The real secret is the emergence and growth of a person’s character in Freemasonry starting with the initiation experience that’s something you need to have experienced personally it’s hard to describe that is why the search for a secret will always remain futile is it this occlusion that Spurs the imagination and engenders conspiracy
Theories but why all the secrecy if there is nothing to hide [Applause] all right the fact that the Freemasons are not as insignificant as they sometimes claim is evident in Washington DC is the capital of the world’s leading economic and military power also the center of a secret world government has some claim scarcely any other City on our planet
Our secret fraternities as active as they are here some presidents are known to have been members of several secret societies at once do the fraternities clandestinely determine the guidelines of American policy Marian fusl has come to Washington D.C to gain an impression of how far secret societies have infiltrated American politics
His first stop is the capital he has arranged to meet Donald Ritchie the U.S Senate’s Chief historian Richie knows the capital like the back of his hand he tells his colleague that it was constructed by Freemasons who immortalized themselves in the building hundreds of times over thrown in the famous dome is no less a figure than George Washington himself the Freemason who here has ascended into
Heaven in Godlike fashion led the capitals foundation stone Key Circle strove to emulate him one-third of the generals in the American war of independence Belong To The Secret order foreign first will find signs and symbols of the kind the Freemasons also used the heart of the world superpower seems like a set in stone tribute to the secret society
Even today American presidents are still sworn in on the same Freemasons Bible in which George Washington once took his oath of office the last president to be sworn in with this Bible was George Bush Senior High George Herbert Walker Bush so help me God congratulations but in whose interest does the president Act
Does he serve the American people or the secret fraternity Democratic power is given only for a limited period but the members of a secret society belong for life Mr presidency too is sometimes like an order one problem is that you almost need a split personality because of the
Various loyalties involved with the oath of office the state rightly demands total loyalty and the scrupulous performance of Duties this can result in conflict with the objectives of some secret societies there are three million Freemasons in the United States the capital’s biggest temple is located only a stone’s throw from the White House
The Founding Father of the United States George Washington after whom the capital is named is honored with his own Monument built by Freemasons it stands impressively in Alexandria near Washington D.C Not only Monumental buildings be entire capital in fact is said to have been laid out in line with a secret plan drawn up by the Freemasons the Lodge’s Brethren are believed to have immortalized themselves everywhere historian Donald Ritchie knows these dark theories but neither he nor Marian fusel can see the most impressive
Symbols from the ground that is only possible from the air Satellite perspective it becomes clear what conspiracy theorists have detected on a city map they have identified a pentagram a compass a cross and right angles all of which are Freemason symbols Foreign did the fraternity really immortalize itself in the layout of the streets the Kiplinger library is the oldest in Washington here historians are allowed to examine plans dating back to the time when the city was founded it turns out that city planner Pierre lafong himself was not a Freemason
However those who commissioned him most certainly were and they wanted clear geometrical lines in the urban layout but we cannot say whether they directly commissioned Freemasonry symbols like pentagrams and Compasses we have a great long history of conspiracies and speculation and it affects our politics it affects affects
Everything else and so I it doesn’t surprise me at all that people can look at this and see something that perhaps wasn’t intended at all but but fits their plan in 1982 the suspicion that the Freemasons do not exist solely for reasons of self-discovery and personal development received fresh impetus after
Pedestrians in London made a horrific discovery hanging from a nylon cord under black Friar’s Bridge was a body the Dead Man Came From Italy his name Roberto cavi The trail led to Rome to the Vatican Roberto cavi was the Pope’s Banker his brief was to increase the church’s multi-billion dollar Fortune My invisal has good reasons for his interest in the kavi murder case why had Roberto Calvi traveled to London where he met such a dreadful fate Perhaps journalist Mario Guarino knows the answer followed the coffee case for many years that is how long the official investigations took They revealed that the Pope’s Banker belonged to a secret fraternity its name propaganda due known for short as P2 but what was the nature of the secret society P2 was a kind of parallel government it didn’t want to bring down the government instead the aim was to penetrate it with
Deputies Senators businessmen and bankers the P2 had control of the finances many banks were headed by members of the P2 president through his investigations Marian fusel opened up a can of worms Initially the propaganda due was just a simple freemason’s watch then it was infiltrated by criminals the secret meetings were held in the hotel Excelsior In Italy the lodge is notorious initially the Brethren still supported social projects but in calvy’s day the lodge had long since changed and become a dangerous Network whose true goals no one really knew about did Ultra ride Puppet Masters want to make propaganda due Italy’s secret government States it was driven by Fierce
Anti-communism and a craving for money and power later in its judgment a court ascertained that the men who met in the Excelsior were financing other criminals Terror was to be used to create a Charged overheated atmosphere which the lodge Brethren would then utilize for their own ends up Roberto Calvi operated amongst unscrupulous Wheeler Dealers who wanted to change Italy in 1980 a bomb planted at bologna railway station killed 85 people Two years previously the president of the ruling Christian democrats Aldo moral had been abducted and murdered here too there were links to propaganda doing was the aim to pin the blame for the attacks on the Communists it’s hard to work out what was really behind all the accusations
Propaganda due remained shadowy what is clear however is that politicians bankers and mafiosi met here they forged plans and did Crooked deals okay that’s Alberto Calvi wanted to profit from this network the head of the Bunko hamboziano was supposed to provide the church with fresh money to support the struggle of
Christians in Eastern Europe Investigators today suspect that coffee borrowed money from the mafiosi in propaganda DUI in order to speculate but prophets failed to materialize the mafia wanted its money back Calvi realized too late that he had made a pact with the devil and there was no getting out of it or was it merely the criminal
Environment that fascinated Roberto cavi about propaganda due the suspicion has been confirmed often enough also through trials that criminal elements belonged to this secret society that criminal wheeling and dealing was also part of the activities of this Association that those who perhaps weren’t criminals when they entered the society definitely planned to accept
Certain advantages that they said it wouldn’t hurt to have links with this milia too especially in Italy where the mafia has probably infiltrated every organization already in the end his contacts with the mafia prove fatal for Roberto cavi his bank had outstanding debts of around 750 million euros
In his desperation the banker wrote a letter to the Pope he accused the pontiff of leaving him in the lurch a few days later Roberto cavi was dead hanged from a bridge the Carvey murder trial ended with acquittals for the accused but questions Remain the case shows that secret
Societies can also be dangerous Propaganda Dewey was banned but the proceedings had no effect on the Freemasons as a whole even though they are often accused of being the breeding ground of evil especially as no one knows for certain what happens behind their closed doors from the point of view of conspiracy
Theorists those who like to believe in the power of secret societies such an acquittal changes nothing indeed it generates even more suspicion that this judgment too was engineered there’s actually no escape from this conspiracy fixation my belief is that if organizations which are regarded as secret have any power at all this power
Is founded on Legend and not on their actual activities foreign societies have been around for a long time they hold a mysterious appeal but what are their real goals precisely what are they planning we can only guess much can be explained much is a banana
Yet for a long time to come people will continue trying to bore their way into the inner workings of these secret orders
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