Sworn in Secret: Freemasonry and the Knights Templar

by Sanford Holst

This exceptional look deep into the early days of Freemasonry draws back the veil of secrecy surrounding this long-lived society. It was a true secret society before 1717, and most knowledge of events in those years became lost -- but some original documents and many isolated records remained. This wealth of material has now been brought together to shine a surprisingly bright light on the people who shaped Freemasonry and on the development of its secret symbols, rituals and practices. Masonry's controversial relationship with the Knights Templar and Vatican also takes on new and significant meaning. These are the people and events that made Freemasonry what it is --- a society with secrets.

Genres: History

390 pages, Paperback

First published March 30, 2012

About the author

Sanford Holst is a historian whose books bring the ancient Mediterranean to life. He wrote Amazon’s #1 book on the Phoenicians, as well as its fresh new second edition. Another of his books explores the influence of Solomon’s Temple on the sudden rise of the Knights Templar. He has presented academic papers at universities around the world, and is a member of the Royal Historical Society in London. He has explored archives and historic sites all across the Mediterranean and benefited from the work of many local experts. His informative websites are read by more than half a million people each year.

Reviews

[Hans · Rating 4 out of 5]

I admire the challenge that the author Sanford Holst took upon himself in looking deeper into Freemasonry's past finding some of the most intriguing missing links between the fraternity and the Knights Templar.

One of the aspects of the Templar-Mason connection that always bothered me was why would the Templars ever chose to hide out in a stone mason guild? This book suggests that to answer that question you have to go back even further into antiquity than both groups to the ancient sea-faring civilization of the Phoenicians.

While doing research into the Phoenicians the author discovered some patterns between the three groups that became more and more difficult to just write off as mere coincidence. The Phoenicians were an advanced cosmopolitan civilization that jealously guarded their secrets (so well in fact that we have almost no written records from them). They were the people who knew the "whose who" of ancient civilizations. If you needed something done or a temple or palace built you went to the Phoenicians. Highly skilled craftsmen, they could get it done.

Fast forward to the Crusades, the Templars after they are organized find a local group of non-Catholic Lebanese Christians who are willing and capable to help them out. These locals are non other than the descendants of the Phoenicians. The Templars setup Fortifications all over Lebanon. These locals don't serve as Knights but as the administrative class that helps build and maintain the vast holdings of the Knight's Templar. Then the Pope, under pressure from King Phillip the Fair of France, decides to disband the Templars, with threats against their lives where is the easiest place for these brothers to hide? The Administrative class of Templars, who were probably already members of local stone masons guilds, likely suggested that the Knights join them and through becoming clandestine manage to keep their fraternity and traditions alive.


This makes a great deal of sense to me because the 2nd thing that always bothered me about the Freemason - Medieval Stone Mason guild connection was why the European Aristocracy would ever want to join a working class guild. This connection to antiquity and the Knights Templar would make much more sense.

Freemasonry's central metaphors and symbols all have to do with King Solomon's temple and nothing to do with Europe. Strange for a so called European Medieval guild to not even mention any of their great works in Europe but instead focus solely on Jerusalem.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would have given it 5 stars if not for the fact that these patterns emerge and allude to these connections between the 3 groups is all heavily implied as there are simply no records to make definitive links. The author embarked on a brave attempt to bring these things to light and put forth a theory that hopefully future researchers will be able to pick up where he left off and one day find indisputable evidence of the connection.

[Steve Cran · Rating 5 out of 5]

Freemasons, where did they originate? Was it the guilds of stonecutter and worker In medieval Europe who became or evolved into the Freemasons? Or did their practices come from the Templar Knights after they were forcefully disbanded in 1308.? Author Sanford Holst contends that the organization of Freemasons comes from the Templars. Holst has written previous works on the Phoenicians. He includes some of tier history as well as he he seems think there is a link.

Starting off with a battle during Aamerica's war for Independence, George Washington helps an injured brother in need. This was one of the big concepts for both Templars and Freemasons. The Knights Templar were big on this concept as well as secrecy. Starting out during the Crusades with a mission to protect Christian pilgrims in the Holy Land. Hugh De Payens and 8 other Knights set out to the temple of Solomon with the popes permission . Later their ranks word grow as more junior noblemen sought to join this order as opposed to joining a religious order of monks. Most noted for being horse mounted warrior standing against Saracen Infidels, there were also other functions in the organization. The Warriors wore white tunics with a Red Cross . Yet they also had a band of clerics who were well educated, could read , write and balance the books. They wore green with a Red Cross. These are the guys that manage Templar owned estates, managed the money and just about kept the whole thing running.

A perfect fit for the clerical position were the Lebanese Christians who were proficient in languages, master negotiators, and knew how to keep a secret. They learned this from their Phoenician forebears. So it is they were absorbed into the Templar organization. When the Templars were forced to disband thanks to King Philip of France , the Catholic inquisition only caught a small fraction of the Templars. King philip wanted their money, but he did not get a lot of it. The money and the Templars vanished into a secret Underground Railroad .

At first it was thoughts that the surviving Templars morphed into the Masonic Stonecutter guilds and then to Freemason. Holst examines history, looks at group characteristic and explains the various connections between the groups as well as historical trends. He builds a strong case that the Freemason is an organization descended from the Knights Templar .

[James Crawford · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an extremely complete book going way back in history. It starts off talking about masonry, early masons and George Washington. It says there's not much known about the earliest days of masonry.

Then the book gets into the history part, starting off with the Phoenicians, who were tolerant of other religions. It talks about what they did, how they built things and their travels. Then there's the Minonian civilization and what happened to, moves on to Constantine the Great, the Crusades and Hugh de Payne and nine knights that became he first Knights Templar.

It talks about the Templars and Solomon's Temple, the levels of men in the Templars (knights, serving brothers and clerics), how Richard the Lionhearted was tied in to the Templars and how the Templars became a far-ranging group, defending Christian pilgrims and even running a financial system.

Here's where things go bad for them. They had money; apparently quite a bit of it (mostly from lands and gifts they were given.) The Church and the King of France wanted that money. They were willing to kill for it and that's just what they did. The attacked the Templars and took what they could from the ruins. Their goal was probably genocide but somehow the majority of the Templars had escaped their net.

The ones that were caught were tortured and burned alive at the stake.

Then the book talks about a trip to North America and has a lot on Roslyn Chapel. The Peasant's Revolt of 1381 is discussed and eventually this is tied in to the rise of Freemasonry. The Freemasons set up seven things to work on: grammar; rhetoric; dialectic (tell truth from falsehood); geometry; music and astronomy.

This is a straight fact book and is very, very brief about things like the Holy Grail and the 'royal bloodline.'

It's a very scholarly work that is very well done.

[Linda Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderfully factual.
Cleared up much of the pre-Jewish history that I knew so little about.
Found the connection between the Phoenicians and Templars a bit difficult to accept.
The fact that noblemen of Europe willingly joined workmen seems a step too far, even if they were hiding to save their lives.
However, an advantage for these knights was the acquisition of much knowledge, mathematical, architectural, moral, ..... . But many of these trained fighters were unable to read or write, yet, deliberately sought knowledge.
For me, the dilemma continues.
I will begin reading Phoenician Secrets soon in an attempt to gain further knowledge.
Many thanks sir for your fascinating book.

[Sherry Peters · Rating 5 out of 5]

From a Masonic family

This book was very informative. I grew up in a Masonic household and became a member of Eastern Star at the age of 18. The teachings have always governed my life, just as those brave men of old intended. I have always felt safe in a Masonic Lodge and knew that I could count on all my Masonic and Eastern Star sisters and brothers. I have been a member for 47 years and have learned so many things from this book. Thank you.

[Tiffany Duvall · Rating 5 out of 5]

Eye opening

Wow. The facts and references are mind blowing. Such history based on a simple standard. Too few live by these morals, yet some are taught without being sworn. A must read.

[Carol · Rating 3 out of 5]

History of masons

Interest in the Templars will keepmthe read moving through this book. Much detail could have been left out. Not much new is revealed but the organization of information is better done.

[Mark Livingstone · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enjoyable read

Holst describes the late years of the knights Templar and speculates how they became the free masons.
He includes a good amount of material that I haven’t seen anywhere else.
Overall, a wonderful book.

[Michael L. Milligan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sworn In Secret

This book gives the reader a solid understanding of the Stone Masons, Knights Templars and Free Masons relationship. There's so much information here that I will read it again two or three times. It's hard to put down. Very eye-opening.

[David Den Boer · Rating 5 out of 5]

FC Reading

Great catch up on Masonic history and I recommend it for any EA,FC,MM or interested parties to learn this fraternity’s history.

[Stella · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent read. I have a lot of friends and family that are Masons and have always been curious about their origin and that of the Knights Templar. I will be reading more about this society!

[Betty · Rating 5 out of 5]

Will be reading more on this secret society. My Father and several friend were and are Masons.

[Jim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very interesting reading

To me the information concerning the Phoenicians was of particular interest as I knew nothing of their involvement in history.
Very informative.

[Kevin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked this book up because I'm a member of the Freemasons and the York Rite. The highest degree in the York Rite is that of Knight Templar. The theory that the Knights Templar infiltrated the Freemasons is a fairly common theory (at least in my neck of the woods), but I wanted to hear the argument from someone who might take a bit more of a scientific, "logical" approach.

I did enjoy this book. It was very well-written and thought-out, and I appreciated the fact that Holst had travelled to many of the important Templar sites in England, Scotland and beyond. He really made the case that he did the appropriate research.

That being said, I still don't really buy the argument entirely. We're talking about a group (the Templars) which was disbanded in 1307 by order of the Pope. Holst argues that they laid low until the events that led up to the formation of the Freemasons. These events came to a head in 1717. That's a 400-year gap; you could fill that with just about anything. For me, it's just too convenient.