Turning The Templar Key

Robert Lomas is a real-life Dr. Robert Langdon! Co-author of The Hiram Key, the bestseller that Dan Brown notes as his inspiration for the Roslin Chapel–set climax of The Da Vinci Code, is a renowned freemasonry historian and truth-seeker. In Turning the Templar Key, Lomas reveals the origins of the Knights Templar and the historical context for Dan Brown’s thrillers. Buy this book if you couldn’t get enough of The Lost Symbol and want to discover more about the exciting and mysterious symbols, puzzles, codes, and characters that were derived from Lomas’ research and writings. Lomas investigates the facts, challenges the conspiracy theorists, and guides you on an inspiring and complex quest to uncover the truth, explain the motives, and document—for the very first time—the genesis of the Templar Freemasonry.

Were the Templars wiped out or did they survive by starting new Orders to preserve their secrets? Why were the Knights Templar forcibly disbanded? What happened to their legacy? Did they survive disguised as other Orders?

About 60% of the content of this revised edition was first published in 2007 to mark the seven hundredth anniversary of the destruction of the Knights Templar in 1307, under the title Turning the Templar Key. I have revisited that material to create this new edition that is a fuller discussion of How, Where and Why Freemasonry started and returns to the issue of whether the Knights Templar had anything to do with the genesis of Freemasonry. The main questions which I posed myself when I wrote Turning the Templar Key were. 1. Did the original Knights Templar survive their apparent destruction and morph into Freemasonry? 2. Are the Masonic Knights Templar the legitimate successors of the original Order of Knights Templar founded in Jerusalem and disbanded in 1307? Whilst investigating these questions, and explaining and discussing them in Masonic lectures, I uncovered the real history of Freemasonry. I discovered how it came to have such a strange legacy of mythical histories, including the persistent and popular idea that Masons are really Knights Templar in disguise. The original book, which had to meet the anniversary of the destruction of the Templars did not leave enough space to tell the full story. Large sections of the purely Masonic material had to be cut out to meet the publication dead- lines and that is something I have always regretted. As I have since uncovered more detail I decided to revisit the book and write this revised and extended edition. This edition focuses purely on the role Templarism played in the development of Freemasonry. Whilst writing it I decided to remove a lot of material which was concerned with the ancient origins of major Masonic mythical themes and symbols (I do intend to revisit those chapters on Symbolism and write a revised and extended volume on the Ancient Origins of Symbolism). I have added more historical information about Freemasonry and if you are interested in where the Craft really came from, and how it developed, then this book will enlighten you.

Robert Lomas is the bestselling co-author of The Hiram Key and other international bestsellers on Freemasonic mysteries. Many say he is the model for Dan Brown's hero, Robert Langdon.The Lost Key contains revelations that only an initiate of the highest orders of esoteric Freemasonry is in a position to make. Here is the truth behind the hints in Dan Brown's The Lost Symbol that Freemasonry is concerned to reawaken the hidden potentialities and powers of the human mind.The thrilling narrative of this new book follows a candidate for initiation as he rises through the different grades of initiation, taking part in ceremonies that are sometimes terrifying but always revealing of new knowledge and presenting new mysteries which will only be solved when the next stage of initiation has been achieved. Dramatic episodes include the re-enacting of an ancient murder from 3,000 years ago in full gory detail, lowering the candidate on the end of a rope into a dark vault under the floor of the temple, holding a dagger to the candidates naked breast, and making the candidate attend his own funeral.In the secret teachings revealed to some high-level initiates, there is a type of instruction which seems curiously similar to religious and mystical teachings. Astrology, angels, chakras and the powers of the mind to operate independently of the body, such as in remote viewing, are all a part of Freemasonic lore.Robert Lomas is both a physicist - he teaches physics at Bradford Unversity - and a Freemason. Here he reveals to a wider public and also explains these secret teachings for the first time. He shows that while they are dismissed as superstitious by campaigners for atheism such as Richard Dawkins, they are very much part of the strange, paradoxical world opened up by the latest thinking in quantum physics. This is why he prefers to call them 'Supranatural'.

An illustrated guide to ancient Masonic symbols and how they have shaped our world throughout history. For more than five hundred years, the symbology of Freemasonry has fostered a secret stream of radical ideas running just beneath the surface of popular culture today. These ideas, illuminated by public symbols hidden in full view, have influenced and shaped the society we have today. Despite this ongoing record of inspiration, no illustrated guidebook to the basic ideas of Masonic Symbology has even been published and the story remains mysterious—until now. This authoritative guide reveals how this symbology has been the backdrop to key historical events in the history of humanity from ancient times and how, in more recent times, inspired leaders have harnessed the symbols’ power to bring about change in society. Renowned Freemasonry historian Dr. Robert Lomas takes you inside the Secret Order and shows you how Entered Apprentices first learn their craft, and how continual exposure to these mystical symbols can change the way you think. You’ll explore the six mysterious Tracing Boards that are at the heart of every Masonic Grand Lodge, ending with the final, most mystical symbol, known as “the Centre.” Let The Secret Power of Masonic Symbols be your personal guide and show you how these symbols have made their indelible mark on the past, and how they will continue to influence society in the future.

The ability to write to a high standard is a key skill that is often overlooked in the business world. This short book from an international, best-selling author offers a practical guide to conceiving, researching and writing a business or management dissertation. Robert Lomas offers an inspirational treatise that will awaken the quest for knowledge among his readership. The book helps business students to frame their research questions in a more helpful manner in order to achieve their research aims and write in a clear and top scoring way. Topics covered include collecting and measuring data, using business statistics, planning research projects and the real mechanics of writing a dissertation. Masters students across business and management will benefit enormously from reading this book, not just in adding serious value to their dissertations, but also helping to improve their writing skills throughout their business careers. This book includes a foreword by Mark Booth.

Many people have heard of Freemasonry, but few have any idea what it is, what it does, or why it exists. Freemasonry is not a religion, but rather a spiritual self-help society whose declared purpose is to help members become better citizens, and it has a strong track record of doing just that since it began in Scotland in the 15th century. Freemasonry For Beginners explores the objectives and teaching methods of Freemasonry and describes its influence on society in the past, present, and future. It recounts the origins of the movement in Scotland and its spread to North America and the rest of the world. Not least of all, it shows how Masonic teachings have helped so many members over the centuries learn the skills to become leaders in society, science, and the arts.