“It is true, Excellency. When the Christians breached the walls, every Jew fled to the main synagogue.”
“What happened?”
The Jew struggled with his emotions. “The Christians set fire to the building. Anyone who was not burned to death was butchered as they tried to escape.”
“Muslims were treated no better, Samuel. The Christians promised refuge in Al-Aqsa Mosque. Once the faithful had crowded into the mosque, the Christians broke in and slaughtered every one of them. Then they proceeded to cut open their bellies.”
“Why?”
“There was a rumor that Muslims had swallowed gold coins to hide them from the Christians.”
“Hassan, in battle, men do terrible things.”
“Who knows that better than I, Samuel?”
Ben Eleazar was concerned that he had offended his friend. “Great One, I meant no offense.”
“I am not offended. When you lead men into battle, you kill because you must. But you kill soldiers. In Jerusalem the Christians killed defenseless women and children. For them it was a holy war — a jihad against the enemies of their God.”
“You speak truly, Hassan. When the butchery and mutilation had ended in Jerusalem, their priests gave thanks to their Lord for their victory. They even quoted from the Torah: ‘This is the day the Lord has made. Rejoice and be glad.”’
“Are these Christians human or are they wild beasts without compassion for others?”
“Hassan, your armies are only a day's march from Jerusalem.”
“My soldiers will not repeat what the Christians did there, if that is what you are suggesting. Christian, Jew, or Muslim—we are all people of the book. If they surrender, I will not lift my sword against them.”
Gerard reached Jaffa safely and took passage on an English ship, the Brigantine, which was scheduled to stop in Cyprus. Fortunately for Gerard, the captain of the ship, a heavyset Yorkshire man, was also a confrater of the Order of the Temple. He had made a vow to assist the work of the order and provided Gerard with ample food and money for the journey.
A severe winter storm in the Mediterranean, however, forced the Brigantine to take shelter in the port of Tripoli. While there, word came that Jerusalem had fallen to the Saracens. As people heard the news, panic spread throughout Tripoli. Wealthy merchants paced up and down the harbor front, begging for passage to Cyprus or Italy for themselves and their families. As the days passed, the merchants became more insistent; what had begun as entreaties gradually became threats. The captain of the Brigantine worried that a group of desperate merchants might commandeer the ship for their own purposes. Being a prudent man, the captain caught the high tide and sailed out of the Tripoli harbor during the night. He later explained to Gerard, “I'd rather face a Mediterranean storm than a pack of armed and desperate merchants.”
When the Brigantine arrived in Cyprus, Gerard wasted no time before seeking an audience with Jacques de Molay.
CHAPTER XIV
THE PARCHMENT
THE GRAND MASTER brightened as the young Montelambert entered the room. “Gerard! I've thought of you many times during these last months. Hassan surrounded Jerusalem before I could get back to the city.”
“When I returned to Jerusalem, Grand Master, I learned what had happened.”
“These are dark days. The loss of Jerusalem has been a terrible blow for Christendom. The seneschal and over sixty members of our order were killed during the siege. Many were friends.” The grand master fought back his tears.
“And the women and children—did Hassan slaughter them?”
“They were spared. But enough talk of Jerusalem! What did you find in the cave?”
“More than I expected.”
“‘More than you expected!’ What do you mean?”
Gerard laid the parchment scroll in front of de Molay. “Grand Master, I discovered this Hebrew census record buried in the cave. I have translated it into French.”
“Let me see it.” Gerard handed de Molay the translation. After he finished reading it, de Molay threw the document on the table in front of him. “Gerard, this is a crude joke.”
“I wish it were.”
“Then your translation must be wrong.”
“No, Grand Master. I compared my translation with the Hebrew text several times. There is no mistake.”
“Then this parchment is a blasphemy against God and his holy Church. The rule given to us by St. Bernard counsels ‘if any brother does not take the vow of chastity he cannot come to eternal rest nor see God.’ If this is true, how is it possible that Jesus... ?”
“Grand Master, I cannot answer your question.”
Gerard was suddenly drawn back to the night of his initiation. He remembered the litany spoken in the chapel. “I am not who I appear to be. When you come, then will you understand who I am.” Could these words be a clue to understanding the parchment?
“Listen to me carefully, Gerard. As a Templar, you vowed obedience to me as grand master of the order. Under pain of damnation, never divulge the contents of this document to anyone.”
“Yes, Grand Master.”
“With Jerusalem lost, this parchment could lead to chaos in the Church. It could convince Christians that we were fighting in Palestine for a false God — that all the Church has taught us about Jesus is wrong.”
“I understand.”
“Many months ago, you told me about the symbolism of the Cross, how it has two bars. I have thought often about what you said. Today we must attend to the horizontal bar in order to protect God's holy Church from division and scandal. Leave the parchment with me.”
“As you wish, Grand Master.”
Gerard handed the parchment to de Molay, bowed, and left the room.
The grand master bent over and looked carefully at the census record. If Gerard's translation is accurate, this piece of parchment puts into question thirteen hundred years of belief about the man Jesus was. The parchment also questions the legitimacy of the apostolic succession of the papacy—that Jesus left the Church to be governed by the successors of the Apostle Peter. But if Jesus had children of his own, perhaps he would have wanted their descendants to govern the Church, not the elected bishops of Rome.
De Molay walked to a casement window and looked out to the sea. He knew that there was something else at stake here — the very survival of the Order of the Temple. The Italian city-states were arguing that the Templars should be disbanded, now that Jerusalem and the Holy Land had been reconquered by the Saracens. Used strategically, this manuscript could protect the Order of the Temple from any such fate. As he stared again at the parchment, de Molay remembered the Latin motto of the order. Non Nobis, Domine, Non Nobis Sed Tuo Nomini Da Gloriam — “Lord, give the glory not to us, not to us, but to your name.”
Jacques de Molay left Famagusta, Cyprus, on a Templar galley bound for France. As befitting his station, a large retinue accompanied him — Gerard de Montelambert included. When they reached Marseilles, the Templars boarded flat-bottomed barges for the trip up the Rhone to Avignon where Pope Clement had taken up residence. De Molay politely refused the pope's invitation to accept lodging in the Palais des Papes.
“We have a commanderie in Villeneuve just across the river from the Palais,” the grand master wrote the pope. “The simple quarters of my order will be adequate for my needs.”
The Templar commanderie lay on a bluff overlooking Villeneuve. The barges carrying de Molay's entourage arrived quietly at the docks of the town. The grand master insisted that there be no panoply to mark his arrival. Even the Bishop of Avignon was politely asked not to come to greet de Molay.
Gerard was assigned the job of transferring provisions from the Templar barges to horse carts for the trip up the hill to the commanderie. As Gerard bent down to lift a heavy chest onto one of the carts, a large hulk of a man stood over him, blocking out the sun. Gerard knew immediately who it was.
“Brother Michael!”
“By the bones of St. P
eter, what are you doing here, Montelambert? And a Templar, no less.”
The two men embraced.
“How long have you been in Villenueve, Brother Michael?”
“When the Crusaders abandoned Tortosa, the grand master ordered me here. I must admit I prefer Tortosa to Avignon.”
“Why is that?” asked Gerard.
“In Palestine snakes crawl; here they walk.”
CHAPTER XV
EXTRTIN
THE LARGE OAKEN chair all but engulfed the small frame of Bertrand de Got, formerly Archbishop of Bordeaux and now the Vicar of Christ, Pope Clement V. To be chosen Bishop of Rome and Supreme Pontiff of the Roman Catholic Church was an honor bestowed on few men. Devout Catholics believed that the Holy Spirit inspired Clement's selection. Clement, however, knew better. He owed his election not to the Holy Spirit but to a man — King Philip IV of France. Wanting a French pope, Philip had bought the final votes needed to give the election to Clement. In return for his election, Philip had already forced Clement to move the papal household from Rome to Avignon. Clement knew there would be new demands to come.
A knock on the door made Clement look up from the letter he was reading. An elderly cardinal entered the room. “Ah, Pierre, thank you for coming so quickly.” Cardinal Pierre de Saone was the camerlengo of the Church and Clement's most trusted adviser.
“De Saone, this letter just arrived from the Patriarch of Constantinople. It is dated June twenty-ninth.”
“The feast of Saints Peter and Paul. What does the Patriarch want?”
The pope looked upset. “He threatens a schism unless the Western and Eastern Churches reach some accommodation on the status of the Bishop of Rome and the Patriarch of Constantinople.”
“What ‘accommodation’ does the Patriarch want?” The cardinal asked the question sarcastically.
“He proposes that we both have equal status in the Church. Each would have a veto over the other in doctrinal and ecclesiastical matters. He concludes by saying that, just as Peter and Paul settled their differences amicably, the two of us must do the same for the good of Christianity.”
“What the Patriarch proposes is out of the question, Your Holiness. You are the Vicar of Christ on earth. The Patriarch must accept the primacy of the Bishop of Rome.”
“Of course I cannot accept the Patriarch's demands. But his threat of a schism is still ominous.”
“I know it is, Holiness.”
“These are desperate times, de Saone. The world seems to be coming apart. The infidels have reconquered Jerusalem, and Christ's tomb is again in shackles. The remaining crusaders in Palestine stream back to Europe defeated and demoralized. Here in France, Philip maneuvers to take more and more power from the Church. Already he has forced me to move my household here to Avignon. Who would have believed that one day the Bishop of Rome would sit captive in a French city! But I dare not oppose Philip. You saw what he did to my predecessor Pope Boniface. These papal vestments are no protection from Philip's anger.”
“The Archangel Michael would strike Philip dead if he ever dared harm you, Clement.”
“Let me tell you a story. Remember the recent deportation of the Jews from France.”
“Of course. Phillip expelled them so he could confiscate their wealth.”
“When he first told me of his plans for the Jews, I objected in the strongest terms. I threatened to place France under an interdict and forbid the distribution of the sacraments. I told him the interdict would remain in place until he relented and allowed the Jews to return to France.”
“And what did he say to that?”
“Here is what he said: ‘Boniface placed France under an interdict and look what happened to him. If you follow his lead, Clement, there will soon be another Frenchman on the Throne of Saint Peter.’ What do I do, de Saone? I am not as brave as Boniface. I fear Philip.”
“You are right to fear him. Philip stops at nothing to get his way. Yield to his political ambitions. Flatter him — call him the new Charlemagne. But you must not let Philip gain control in matters of religion. You are the Vicar of Christ and the conduit of his graces, not King Philip.”
“It sounds so easy when you say it, Pierre.” Clement poured himself a glass of water. “Philip is not the only problem that must be dealt with. Jacques de Molay has come from Cyprus to see me. He wishes to discuss the future of the Order of the Temple now that Jerusalem has fallen to the Saracens. But I fear that the grand master comes with something else on his mind. I do not trust him.”
“You are right to be cautious, Holiness. What is good for the order is not always good for the Church.”
“I trust your judgment in these matters, Pierre. Stay to hear what he says.”
A servant knocked on the door to the pope's chamber. “Your Holiness, the grand master of the Templars waits outside,”
“Show him in.”
Clement rose from his chair to greet his famous guest. De Molay genuflected before the pope and kissed his ring. “Your Holiness, it is good of you to receive me so soon after my arrival in Avignon.” Clement opened his arms expansively. “The grand master of the Temple is a welcome guest in our palace. I only wish I could welcome you more appropriately. Philip forces me to live in this crowded pigsty of a city. The streets are so dangerous that members of the curia have built skyways from their houses to the Palais des Papes.”
De Molay smiled. “I have seen them throughout the city.”
“On top of everything else, this dingy palace that Philip has provided me is too small for my household. But, Grand Master, I am sure you did not come all the way from Cyprus to listen to my complaints. You know, of course, Cardinal de Saone. I have asked His Eminence to join our discussion.”
“I know the camerlengo's reputation for wisdom and unswerving devotion to the Church. He has always been a loyal friend of our order.”
De Saone quickly grew impatient with the customary rounds of diplomatic niceties. “Your order has also contributed much to the work of the Church, Grand Master. But now tell us why you have come. Although the spring sun is warm in Avignon, I do not think it was the weather that brought you here.”
“You are right, Your Eminence. I am here for a reason.” De Mo-lay turned and addressed Pope Clement directly. “As you are aware, Holiness, I have asked to speak to you about a matter of the gravest concern to my order and to Christendom. The holy places are again in Saracen hands. The crusading armies have returned to Europe. Two hundred years ago, your blessed predecessor Pope Urban rallied all of Europe to the banner of the Cross. For a time, the Tomb of Christ was in Christian hands. I beg you, Clement, follow the example of Pope Urban. Preach a new Crusade. Western Christendom must retake what it has lost.”
“Grand Master, I am told you are someone who is both realistic and skilled in the art of diplomacy. You know as well as I that there can be no Crusade at this time. There have been six already. The kings of France and England are preoccupied with matters here in Europe. They have neither the money nor the inclination for new adventures in the Holy Land.”
“But, Your Holiness, you could bend them to your will. Threaten them with an interdict.”
“For all your reputation as a shrewd diplomat, de Molay, I am surprised at your naïveté. There will be no Crusade. I do not have the power to convince any of the kings of Europe to join in such an effort.”
“You are the Vicar of Christ, Your Holiness. I must insist that you reconsider your decision.”
“‘Insist!’” Clement bristled when he repeated the word. “Do not forget to whom you are speaking, Grand Master.”
“Your Holiness, I wish to show you something that may change your mind.”
De Molay unrolled an ancient parchment scroll and laid it on a table. “This parchment was discovered several months ago in Palestine by a young Templar. It is written in Hebrew. I understand Your Holiness is fluent in Hebrew so you might wish to read it for yourself.”
The pope sat down at the table where de
Molay had unrolled the manuscript. “I will not indulge you much longer, Grand Master.”
After studying the manuscript for several minutes, the pope suddenly stopped. His face grew pale and his body trembled. Clement handed the parchment to Cardinal de Saone. “This writing, de Molay, is the product of the Devil. It is rank heresy. If you or any of your Templars believe in such things, then you should be excommunicated from the Church.”
“Your Holiness, what I believe — for the moment at least — is irrelevant. What is relevant, however, is the parchment. As of this moment, just four people know the contents of this document — three of whom are presently in this room. And so it will remain — on one condition.”
“And what is that, de Molay?”
De Molay looked squarely at Pope Clement. “That you call for a new Crusade to free the Holy Places.”
The pope was shocked at de Molay's challenge. “And if I refuse?”
“The contents of the parchment will be revealed. You can imagine the impact it will have on the papacy, Your Holiness. If there is a bloodline of Christ Our Savior, many devout Christians will believe that his descendants, and not Peter's successors, should lead the Church.”
“Who would believe you, de Molay?” Clement looked contemptuously at the grand master. “We all know that many in your order are capable of forging this Hebrew document. That is what the people will believe. As for this claim that issue was born to Jesus and the Magdalene, it is simply preposterous. In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus says that He chose to be celibate. The faithful will not believe that, despite His words, Jesus had relations with a woman. He was God.”
“But he was also fully human, Holiness.”
The pope became visibly agitated at the grand master's words. “Don't engage me in theological debate, Grand Master.”
“Your Holiness, that was not my intent. But there is more to this than may meet the eye. There are political overtones to this parchment.”
“Political overtones?”
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