How did a medieval Christian Brigade of Martyrs, hungry for death on the battlefield, come to inspire the many conspiracy theories of noble, mystical, warrior monks which pervades modern literature? How did a religious Order which was forcibly disbanded 700 years ago maintain such a grip on the modern Western imagination?  Freemasonry is a complex muddle of separate groupings, called ‘degrees.’ All Freemasons join the Order as a ‘Candidate’ and then take a series of three degrees to become a Master Mason. These are all taken within a ‘Craft Lodge,’ sometimes called a ‘Blue Lodge,’ after the color of a Master Mason’s apron. Any Master Mason who wants to learn more of the Craft then has to join new groups, which act like lodges, but call themselves by different names such as ‘Chapter,’ ‘Encampment,’ ‘Preceptory,’ ‘Conclave’ or ‘College.’ These are often referred to as the ‘higher’ degrees. Three of the main systems of ‘higher’ degrees are the “Ancient and Accepted Rite,” the “York Rite” and the “Royal Order of Scotland.” They all lead to different types of Templar degrees. Together they make up the Templar Masonry whose origins are revealed in this book. Why were the Knight Templar forcibly disbanded? What happened to their legacy? Did they survive disguised as other Orders? Returning to the unanswered questions of THE HIRAM KEY, best-selling author Robert Lomas uses newly available information to uncover the roles of Viking Pirate kings, Pretenders to the Crown of Scotland, Custodians of Holy Relics and Political Opportunists to reveal an unexpected story. Published at $17.99, now only $12.95!

TURNING THE TEMPLAR KEY: The Secret Legacy of the Knights Templar and the Origins of Freemasonry  By Robert Lomas.  384 Pages. 6x9 Paperback. Illustrated. Bibliography. Index.