'The Temple and the Lodge' links Knights Templar and modern freemasons

I recently finished reading a book that I’ve wanted to read for a long time, “The Temple and the Lodge” by Michael Baigent and Richard Leigh.

Published in 1991 by Arcade Publishing, this 306-page book attempts to establish a link between the Knights Templar and modern day freemasons.

Many of you will remember from your World History class that the Knights Templar were a powerful order of warrior monks that were formed to serve as guides and protectors for pilgrims traveling to the Holy Land from Europe during medieval times. Over the ensuing years, the Templars grew in wealth, power and influence and were eventually accused of heresy by the Catholic leaders. The Templars became the object of official suppression in 1307 and were wiped out by their enemies.

In “The Temple and the Lodge,” the authors claim that a number of Templars escaped to Scotland, where they took secret refuge and helped the Scottish people fight for independence from the English. During this time, according to the book, they helped form modern Masonic lodges as a way to further their goals and promote the ideals of tolerance and fairness.

From Scotland, the Templars supposedly extended their influence to the New World, where they helped kick off the American Revolution and create the United States of America. The book also discusses prominent American freemasons like George Washington and Benjamin Franklin.

I have to confess that this is not my first exposure to Baigent and Leigh. I also read – and enjoyed – 1982’s “The Holy Blood and the Holy Grail,” which they co-wrote with Henry Lincoln.

Many of you may be familiar with “The Holy Blood and the Holy Grail” because Baigent and Leigh sued “The Da Vinci Code” author, Dan Brown, in 2006 for copyright infringement, claiming that Brown got many of his ideas from “The Holy Blood and the Holy Grail.” Baigent and Leigh lost their case and subsequent appeal in March 2007. Leigh died seven months later.

Other books that Baigent and Leigh wrote together include:
- The Dead Sea Scrolls Deception (1991)
- Secret Germany: Claus Von Stauffenberg and the True Story of Operation Valkyrie (1994)
- The Elixir and the Stone: The Tradition of Magic and Alchemy (1997)
- The Inquisition (1999)
- Erceldoune & Other Stories (2006)
- Grey Magic (2007)

They also wrote “The Messianic Legacy” in 1986 with Henry Lincoln.

Books that Baigent has written on his own include:
- Ancient Traces: Mysteries in Ancient and Early History (1998)
- The Jesus Papers: Exposing the Greatest Cover-Up in History (2006)
- From the Omens of Babylon: Astrology and Ancient Mesopotamia (1994)
- Racing Toward Armageddon: The Three Great Religions and the Plot to End the World (2009)

In the end, I found “The Temple and the Lodge” to be interesting and entertaining. How many of you have read this book? What did you think about it? Have you read any of the other books written by Baigent and Leigh? Let us know in the comments section below.