Graham Phillips
& Jodi Russell
The Templar Relics
n the early twelfth century, the Knights Templar are said to have discovered three ancient relics among the ruins of the Temple in Jerusalem. Believed to have belonged to the biblical King Solomon, these sacred objects—a spearhead, a crystal, and a ring—were regarded as holy weapons once wielded by the archangel Michael. They were last recorded at the Templar headquarters in Paris in 1307 and disappeared after the French Templars were arrested on charges of heresy.
The three relics, together with other Templar treasures, are believed to have been smuggled out of France and taken to the Convent of Christ in Tomar, Portugal, the Templars’ last stronghold in Europe. When the Portuguese king later seized control of the fortress, the relics vanished once again. Graham and Jodi subsequently uncovered a reference suggesting that the last Templars of Tomar had been granted sanctuary at Spring Wood Priory, near Biddulph in north-central England.
Searching for the lost Templar relics, Jodi and Graham examine mystical Templar symbols at the Convent of Christ, Masonic-style emblems in a secret chamber, and coded messages hidden in an Elizabethan manor. Ultimately, their research leads to a Victorian secret society in central England and an extraordinary trail of enigmatic clues its members left behind.