Zena Halpern

We begin this brief post with evidence of the presence of the Templars in the ancient tunnels of Jerusalem where they made a world shaking discovery that set in motion a mission to northeastern America.

A Twelfth Century Templar Cross Was Found in a Cave in an untouched tunnel beneath the Temple Mount, Jerusalem. It was discovered “in situ” in the one and only investigation of this underground area under the most difficult and dangerous expeditions.

From the 12th to the 19th centuries this vast area of tunnels, cisterns and secret passages lay untouched for almost seven hundred years until the intrepid explorer Colonel Sir Charles Warren K. C. M. G. of the Royal Engineers became the first man and last man to ever penetrate into the ancient subterranean area beneath the sacred area of the Temple Mount in Jerusalem.

From 1867 to 1870 Col. Warren, with permission from the ruler of the OttomanTurks, began to dig shafts some 130 feet deep removing the rubble of centuries until he reached bedrock in certain areas. In his 427-page book “The Recovery of Jerusalem” published in 1871 he described the shafts he dug, vaults, caverns, tunnels and any pottery or artifacts he came across in detail.

The unique discovery of 1868 was the Templar Cross. Col Warren described a “sculptured slab” in a “hewn cave” built into the wall. He wrote that the cross was “ coupled with a fleur de lis and part of a wreath.” (235: 1871) It was photographed and is in his book. Reproduced above.

The importance of this early image of the four equal arm cross, symbol of the Templars which was carved in the 12th century is valuable evidence that the Templars were exploring in the vast area of tunnels below the Temple Mount.

But what were they searching for? Danger lurked in every tunnel but the Templars had a goal. What was it? The answer is found in “The Templar Mission to Oak Island and Beyond, Search for Ancient Secrets: The Shocking Revelations of a 12th Century Templar Manuscript,” which I hope to publish this winter.