-Caveat Lector-
an excerpt from:
Emerald Cup-Ark of Gold
Col. Howard Buechner(C)1991
Thunderbird Press, Inc.
300 Cuddihy Drive
Metairie, LA 70005
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A very interesting Book. Talk about your long running tales/conspiracy theory.
A dash of Indy Jones & the Nazis with magic thrown in for a good measure. As
always Caveat Lector.
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Prologue
A Glimpse of What is to Come
On April 26, 1945 in the closing days of WWII, a specially designed and
heavily reinforced Junkers transport took off from an airfield known as
Hoerching which was located near Adolf Hitler's favorite city, Linz on the
Danube, (not far from where the Fuhrer was born). According to the plane's
flight orders (Reference 39), Hitler and some of the most important members of
his inner circle were scheduled to be on board. These persons included Dr.
Joseph Goebbels, his wife and 6 children, Martin Bormann, General Otto
Fegelein, General Wilhelm Burgdorf, Eva Braun and others. The aircraft landed
in Barcelona, Spain but none of the above individuals disembarked.
They had all elected to remain in Hitler's Berlin Bunker with the Fuhrer and
there they died (with the exception of Bormann). Fegelein had not remained in
the bunker by choice, but he did die there.
Although Hitler did not escape to Barcelona, he still intended to send some of
his personal treasures to that city by the last plane to leave Hoerching on
April 30, 1945 (the day he died).
One of the many items intended to be flown out of Germany was a special box,
four feet long and weighing over 100 pounds. It had been turned over to Dr.
Helmuth von Hummel by officials of an organization, which had been set up to
assemble art and other worthy objects for Hitler's projected museum complex at
Linz.
The box is said to have contained 2,217 extremely rare gold coins which "were
acquired from various religious orders and private collections, including that
of Baron Louis Rothschild". However, it seems more likely that they had once
been a part of the Treasure of Solomon and of Montsegur.
Helmuth von Hummel was none other than Martin Bormann's Chief Secretary and
Comptroller of all of Hitler's private funds. The gold coins had been placed
in his care on direct orders from Bormann.
The box never arrived at the airport from which it was to be sent to
Barcelona. It simply vanished.
By a curious coincidence, Mrs. Bormann was carrying a similar box, containing
an identical number of rare gold coins, when she was apprehended by Allied
Forces in northern Italy just after the war. It would seem that Bormann was
feathering his nest with Hitler's gold. ("JU-290 A-6: The History and The
Mystery" by Gregory Douglas, Military Advisor, Spring 1990).
"On May 2, 1945 an SS company moving under 'special orders', and made up
uniquely only of officers, blocked the Innsbruck-Salzburg road, in order to
allow the passage of a convoy coming down from the Berghof (Hitler's home on
the Obersalzberg)."
The column was headed into the very midst of the Allied advance and there was
an urgent need for great haste if it was to accomplish its mission before
being captured. It exited from the main highway at the junction of the Isar
River and its valley, where it picked up its flanking cover and made its way
into the high mountains. Far to the north, two U-Boats (the U-530 and the
U-977) slipped out of concealed bunkers and charted a course for Antarctica.
They were laden with treasure.
On this night, the once proud Third Reich was literally falling apart or, more
correctly, being torn apart. Berlin fell to Russian forces in the north and
the defense of Munich in the south collapsed before the onslaught of the U.S.
45th (Thunderbird) Division and other units. The war was effectively over at
this point but the official end did not occur for six more days. There had
been rumors of a final German defense of what was known as the "Alpine
Fortress" in the high Alps. Even though it was doubtful that such a redoubt
actually existed, Allied forces went plunging toward Innsbruck, Salzburg and
Berchtesgaden.
It was in the latter region that the mysterious SS convoy was carrying out its
last mission. No one knows who issued the "special orders" which impelled the
men of the convoy to complete their task but they did so with supreme
dedication.
By this time, all of the prominent treasure seekers of the Third Reich had
been dispersed. Hider, of course, had died in Berlin on April 30, 1945. Grand
Admiral Karl Donitz was the new leader of the remnants of the Reich on a
temporary basis. Heinrich Himmler had been stripped of power. Martin Bormann
and General Heinrich Muller were on the run, and Goring and Skorzeny were
hiding in the mountains waiting to surrender. There was no one left to direct
the concealment of the treasures of the Reich except Professor Karl Haushofer
and perhaps it was on his impetus that the commander of the secret convoy
completed his mission. Haushofer himself (the wizard of Germany), would die
the following year, but not before he related his death bed secrets to Julius
Schaub, Adjutant and confidant of Adolf Hitler.
When the convoy arrived at the foot of the Zillertal Mountain Pass, a small
group of select officers took possession of a number of heavy lead sealed
boxes. Following a brief ceremony by torchlight they took the path leading to
the Schleigeiss Glacier at the foot of the 9,000 foot high Hochfeiler
mountain. They buried the boxes in a ledge of snow at the edge of a precipice.
No one knows what the boxes contained. Some say they protect the Grail of
Montsegur. Others believe that it is here that the Treasures of Jerusalem will
be found. The raiders are gone but the Lost Ark of the Covenant endures in its
resting place within the mountain.
"The Occult and the Third Reich", 1974
pps17-19
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. . . In the time of King David, the capital of the combined kingdoms of
Israel and Judah was established at Jerusalem and the Tabernacle was
transferred to a near-by and more permanent abode after having been carried
about from place to place for hundreds of years.
When David died, in the year 962 B.C. his son Solomon ascended the throne and
within the next four years, he began the construction of a fabulous Temple.
Within the Temple, the Ark and its associated treasures, including the Emerald
Cup, found a well protected indoor resting place for the first time.
Solomon's Temple was built on a hill named Mt. Moriah and more specifically on
what had once been the threshing floor of a man called Araunah Oran, the
Jebusite. This was a sacred place because it was believed that Abraham had
built an altar on this spot on which he proposed to sacrifice his son Isaac.
The temple was completed in 957 B.C.
While excavating for the foundations of the temple, a surprising thing was
discovered. Beneath the threshing floor the hill contained a network of
ancient tombs, dwelling places and interconnecting passages. A massive town
wall still survives. The hill had been occupied by long forgotten tribes who
made this area their dwelling place since the early Bronze Age (about 3,000
B.C ). These chambers made a perfect hiding place for Solomon's immense
treasure which he had accumulated from his many conquests of various enemies
and which was derived in part from his mines in Africa. The secret underground
caverns also became a refuge to which the Ark of the Covenant and the Emerald
Cup were removed in times of danger. On these occasions the only entrance to
the catacombs was filled with sand to a depth of 30-50 feet and all signs of
the underground treasure rooms were obliterated. An added safety factor was
related to the location of the underground chambers. They did not lie directly
beneath the Temple or the palace but were situated under the broad expanse of
Solomon's vast stables where thousands of the king's finest horses were kept.
This area must have resembled the mythical Augean stables which Hercules was
assigned to clean as one of his monumental tasks. It seems that no one is
prone to search such a place- for buried treasure. However, there are
exceptions to all things.
The Treasure of Solomon
Since much of this book concerns the Treasure of Solomon it seems appropriate
to describe the glory of his reign and the sources of his great wealth as set
forth in the Holy Bible.
After Solomon became the king of all of Israel he went up to the high place at
Gibeon, for there was the Tabernacle of the congregation of God which Moses
the servant of the Lord had made in the wilderness. Here he offered 1,000
burnt offerings upon the altar of the Tabernacle.
In that night did God appear unto Solomon, and said unto him. Ask what I shall
give thee.
Solomon answered and said, O Lord God thou has made me king over a people like
the dust of the earth in multitude. Give me now wisdom and knowledge that I
may come before this people: for who can judge this thy people, that is so
great?
And God said to Solomon, because this was in thine heart, and thou hast not
asked riches, wealth or honor, nor the life of thine enemies nor has asked
long life, but hast asked wisdom and knowledge for thyself, that thou mayest
judge my people, over whom I have made thee king: Therefore, wisdom and
knowledge is granted unto thee, and I will give thee riches, and wealth and
honor, such as none of the kings have had that have been before thee neither
shall there any after thee have the like.
Solomon had not asked for riches but his wealth suddenly increased by leaps
and bounds. He began to gather chariots and horsemen and soon he had 1,400
chariots and 12,000 horsemen which he placed in "The Chariot Cities" and in
Jerusalem. He continued to buy chariots and horses from Egypt for 600 shekels
of silver for each chariot and 150 shekels for each horse. These he
distributed to his chief allies. He also purchased great quantities of fine
linen yarn "at a price" and "the king made silver and gold at Jerusalem as
plenteous as stones, and cedar trees made he as the sycamore trees are in the
vale for abundance."
When he determined to build a house in the name of the Lord and a house for
his kingdom, Solomon sent out 70,000 men to bear burdens, 80,000 men to hew in
the mountains and 3,600 men to oversee them.
And Solomon sent to Hiram, the King of Tyre, saying send me a man who is
cunning to work in gold, and in silver and in brass, and in iron, and in
purple, and in crimson and in blue that can teach his skills to the cunning
men that are within Judah and in Jerusalem.
And send me also cedar trees, fir trees and algum trees out of Lebanon for I
know that thy servants have the skill to cut timber in Lebanon and behold, my
servants will be with thy servants even to bear me timber in abundance; for
the house which I am about to build will be wonderful great.
And behold I will give to thy servants the hewers who cut timber, 20,000
measures of beaten wheat, and 20,000 measures of barley, and 20,000 baths of
wine and 20,000 baths of oil.
And the King of Tyre answered and said, I will send you the son of a woman of
the daughters of Dan who is skillful to work in gold and in silver, in brass,
in iron, in stone, and in timber, in purple, in blue, and in fine linen, and
in crimson; also to grave any manner of graving, and to find out every device
which shall be put to him.
Now therefore, the wheat and the barley, and the oil and the wine, which my
lord has spoken of, let him send unto my servants.
And we will cut wood out of Lebanon, as much as thou shall need: and we will
bring it to thee in floats by sea to Joppa; and thou shall carry it up to
Jerusalem.
Then Solomon numbered all the strangers that were in the land of Israel and
they were found to be 153,600.
And he set 70,000 to bear burdens and 80,000 to be hewers in the mountains and
3,600 overseers to set the people to work.
Then Solomon began to build the House of the Lord at Jerusalem on Mount
Moriah, where the Lord appeared to David his father, in the place that David
had prepared in the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite.
And he began to build in the second day of the second month, in the fourth
year of his reign.
Now these are the things where in Solomon was instructed for the building of
the House of God (the first Temple of Jerusalem).
The length by cubits was three score cubits (90 feet) and the breadth twenty
cubits (30 feet).
And the porch that was in the front of the House was 30 feet long and the
height of it was 120 cubits (180 feet). And he overlaid it with pure gold.
And the greater House he sealed with fir tree gum which he overlaid with fine
gold and set thereon figures of palm trees and chains.
And he beautified the House with precious stones and the gold was the pure
gold of Parvaim.
And he covered the House, the beams, the posts and the walls and the doors
thereof with gold and he engraved cherubims on the walls.
And he made the most holy House (the Holy of Holies or inner sanctum) 30 by 30
feet in dimensions and he covered it with fine gold amounting to 600 talents
(69,600 pounds, or about $18,000,000 dollars by ancient values and nearly one
billion dollars on today's market). The weight of the nails alone was 50
shekels of gold. And he overlaid the upper chambers with gold.
And in the most holy House he made two cherubims. And the wings of the
cherubims were 20 cubits long (30 feet), reaching from wall to wall.
And he made the vail of blue, and purple, and crimson, and fine linen, and
wrought with cherubims thereon.
Also he made before the House two pillars of 30 and 5 cubits high (53 feet)
and the capital that was on the top of each of them was 5 cubits.
And he made chains, as in the oracle, and put them on the heads of the
pillars; and made 100 pomegranates and put them on the chains.
And he reared up the pillars before the Temple, one on the right hand and one
on the left, and called that on the right hand Jachin, and the name of that on
the left Boaz.
Moreover, he made an altar of brass, 20 cubits (30 feet) the length thereof,
and 20 cubits the breadth thereof and 10 cubits the height thereof.
Also he made a molten sea of 10 cubits from brim to brim and 5 cubits the
height thereof and it stood on the backs of 12 graven oxen. And the brim was
decorated with flowers of lilies and it received and held 3,000 baths. And
this was for the priests to wash in.
Solomon also made 10 lavers (basins set on pedestals) where in the sacrifices
could be washed. And he made ten candlesticks and 10 tables and 100 basins all
of gold.
And the court of the priests, and the great court and the doors were of brass.
And he made wreaths and pomegranates and many other instruments of brass in
such great abundance that the weight could not be found out.
All things which were of the House of God he made of gold, and that, perfect
gold These items of gold were the doors of the House of the Temple, the entry
of the House, the inner doors of the most holy place, the inner altar, the
tables, all vessels for the House, the candlesticks with their lamps, the
flowers, the tongs, the snuffers, the spoons, the basins and censers. All
these he made of gold.
When the work that Solomon made for the House of the Lord was finished he
brought in all the things that David his father had possessed, including his
harp and his sword, and the silver and the gold and all the instruments. These
things he put among the treasures of the House of God.
Then he assembled all the chiefs of the tribes of the children of Israel and
the priests of the Levites and he sent them to bring up the Ark and the two
tablets which Moses put therein at Horeb when the Lord made a covenant with
the children of Israel, when they came out of Egypt.
And the Levites took up the Ark and they brought up the Ark and the Tabernacle
of the congregation and all the holy vessels and the holy Emerald Cup of
Abraham which the king-priest Melchizedek of Salem had given him when "he
brought forth bread and wine" to consecrate his blessing. And the great golden
urn in which the manna had been placed they also brought up. And there also
was the Table of Solomon and the staff and the bells and the stones of Aaron
and the sword and the harp of David and the great gold candelabra with seven
branches and all the other holy items that were in the Tabernacle. These
things did the priests of the Levites bring up.
And the priests brought in the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord unto His place,
to the oracle of the house, into the most holy place, even under the wings of
the cherubims.
For the cherubims spread forth their wings over the place of the Ark and the
cherubims covered the Ark and the staves thereof from above. And there it is
unto this day.
In dedication and in celebration of the completion of the Temple, the
assembled multitude offered sacrifices of sheep and oxen in such numbers that
they could not be counted. And fire came down from heaven and consumed the
offering on the altar. And Solomon offered a sacrifice of 22,000 oxen and
120,000 sheep. Thus Solomon finished the House of the Lord and the dedication
there of. And the Lord came to him by night and said to him, I have heard thy
prayer and have chosen this place for My House (see Ill. 4).
In his own house Solomon continued to prosper abundantly. His kingdom expanded
and those who paid tribute increased in numbers.
His ships traveled to Ophir and brought back 450 talents of gold and brought
them to King Solomon.
And when the Queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon she came to him at
Jerusalem with a very great company, and camels that bore spices, and gold in
abundance and precious stones. And when she saw all things that were in the
court of Solomon and the House of the Lord and heard the wisdom of Solomon,
there was no more spirit in her and she said to him: "Behold, the one half of
the greatness of thy wisdom was not told to me for thou exceedest the fame
that I heard."
And she gave the king all that she had brought including 120 talents of gold.
And the servants of Hiram and the servants of Solomon, which brought gold from
Ophir, brought algum trees and precious stones. And the king made of the algum
trees terraces to the House of the Lord, and to the king's palace, and harps
and psalters for singers, and there were none such seen before in the land of
Judah.
Now the weight of the gold that came to Solomon in one year was 666 talents.
This was in addition to all which chapmen and merchants brought and the gold
which came from all the Kings of Arabia. And the governors of the country
brought gold and silver to Solomon.
And King Solomon made 200 targets of beaten gold; six hundred shekels of
beaten gold went to one target.
And 300 shields made he of beaten gold; 300 shekels of gold went to one
shield. And the king put them in the house of the forest of Lebanon.
Moreover, the king made a great throne of ivory, and overlaid it with pure
gold. And there were six steps to the throne with a footstool of pure gold
which was fastened to the throne, and there were stays on each side of the
sitting place and two lions standing by the stays. And twelve more lions stood
there on the six steps, six on the one side and six on the other. There was
not the like of the great throne made in any kingdom.
And all the drinking vessels of King Solomon were of gold and all the vessels
of the house of the forest of Lebanon were of pure gold; none were of silver
since it was not anything of account in the days of Solomon.
And the king's ships went to Tarshish (Spain) every three years with the
servants of Hiram and then came the ships from Tarshish bringing gold and
silver and ivory and apes and peacocks (see footnote) .
Footnote: Jesus and Joseph of Arimathea were to follow a similar route to
Tarshish and beyond, nearly 1,000 years later.
And all the kings of the world sought the presence of Solomon, to hear his
wisdom that God had put in his heart. And they brought every man his present,
vessels of silver and vessels of gold, and raiment, harnesses, spices, horses
and mules at a rate year by year.
And they brought to Solomon horses out of Egypt and out of all lands. And
Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots in his stables and
for twelve thousand horsemen.
And he reigned over all the kings from the river even unto the land of the
Philistines and to the borders of Egypt.
And King Solomon grew in wealth and in Jerusalem silver became as stones and
cedar trees became as sycamores. Thus he passed all the kings of the earth in
riches and wisdom.
But Solomon loved many strange women. And he had 700 wives, princesses, and
300 concubines; and his wives turned away his heart from the true God.
And Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Isreael for forty years and then he
slept with his fathers, and he was buried in the city of David, his father,
and Rheoboam his son reigned in his stead.
Thus was the unrivaled Treasure of Solomon accumulated, the vast riches for
which the world still thirsts.
In addition to the Bible there is another ancient source which tells of
Solomon's great wealth. In 1953 a copper scroll was found in a cave near the
Dead Sea. It indicates that at one time 138 tons of gold and additional silver
had been buried under the Temple Mount ("Guardians of the Grail", by T.R.
Church).
In the waning years of Solomon's reign the 10 northern tribes of Israel
rebelled. They ultimately seceded from what had once been the kingdom of David
in the wake of a bitter dispute. The kingdom never again recovered its lost
glory.
The northern tribes were later dispersed by the Assyrians and wandered through
Turkey toward the northwest. They gradually spread throughout Europe and were
largely absorbed by the local tribes which inhabited these regions. They
became the lost tribes of Israel.
In 922 B.C. the Egyptian Pharaoh Sheshonk I, sacked Jerusalem and made off
with much of its wealth including the gold plates which adorned the walls of
the Temple of Solomon. However, the Egyptians did not find the Ark of the
Covenant of the treasure which was buried beneath the vast stables of the wise
king.
Like all armies of that time, the soldiers of the Pharaoh were accompanied by
a large number of "camp followers" who shared many different talents. Some
were slaves, some were cooks, some were dancers, some were prostitutes and
some were professional robbers of graves. In the latter category there was a
family of grave robbers who were descended from a long line of expert defilers
of the tombs of the Pharaoh's, dating back for hundreds of years. They had
grown rich from their ability to plunder the tombs of the great leaders of
Egypt which were scattered along the Nile. However, as the grave sites were
drawn into a net of ever tightening security, the dangers of their profession
steadily increased and they had taken to following the conquering armies of
Egypt seeking riches in the unprotected treasure troves of other nations.
All of the grave robbers had heard of the fabulous wealth of Solomon and they
knew that his coffers must be hidden somewhere in the palace area. With
uncanny instinct they chose the stables as the probable treasure house. They
soon found their way into a series of rooms and tunnels which were half filled
with sand. Here they discovered a golden bell, a pomegranate made of blue
thread and a few other trinkets. They also found a beautiful silver cup with
an emerald stand half buried in the sand, but this was all. They concluded, as
the Levi priests had intended, that the treasure had been removed by someone
else and that these few pieces had been left behind. The Ark and its
accessories and all of Solomon's treasure was actually in another series of
chambers not too far away. However, the jasper vessel had somehow been
mistakenly included with the items which were planted in the deception area.
Whatever the reason for the Cup of Abraham having been separated from the Ark
and its related items, it was now in the hands of a group of Egyptian grave
robbers and seemingly on its way to oblivion. The thieves did not know its
significance and the priests from whom it was stolen would soon forget that it
ever existed as generation faded into generation.
After the army of Sheshonk withdrew from Jerusalem an abortive attempt was
made to trace and recover the Emerald Cup. The priests of the temple with the
aid of various merchants of the marketplace, traced the Cup to Damascus where
it was reported to have been purchased by Phoenician traders. This placed it
in the far flung currents of commerce, which reached every corner of the known
world. It had disappeared forever, or so it seemed at the time.
CHAPTER III
The Trail of the Ark
The Ark of the Covenant and the vast Treasure of Solomon had survived the
onslaught of the Egyptian conquerors, but this was only the beginning
The Philistines and the Arabians took turns in sacking Jerusalem and its
Temple, in 850 B.C., and Joash of Israel occupied the capital of Judah
(Jerusalem) in 786. In 701 Sennacherib of Assyria forced Hezekiah, then king
of Judah, to pay tribute to him and he dispersed the 10 northern tribes of
Israel but for some strange reason he turned back from the walls of Jerusalem
and left the Temple undisturbed. The Bible makes only brief reference to this
invasion but the sparing of the city has been immortalized in a beautiful poem
by Lord George Gordon Byron:
<snip>
In 604 B.C. the Babylonian King, Nebuchadnezzar II, drove the Assyrians out of
Israel but he despoiled the Temple and looted it again in 597 B.C. In 586 he
totally destroyed the Temple and deported most of the people of Judah to
Babylon. The Babylonian exile, as it is now called, involved several waves of
deportation and lasted an estimated 70 years.
Up to this time the Ark of the Covenant had been protected by storing it away
in its hiding place whenever danger threatened and bringing it forth again
when the coast was clear. After the 9th of Au (5th month of the Jewish
religious year equivalent to July-August), 586 there is no record of the Ark
ever having been seen again. This was the date on which the Babylonian forces
completely destroyed the First Temple. Most scholars have assumed that the Ark
and its accessories were found at that time along with the bulk of Solomon's
treasure. All of these items entered the coffers of King Nebuchadnezzar but
were seized by Cyrus II of Persia when he conquered Babylon in 538 B.C. Cyrus
was extremely sympathetic to the exiled Hebrew captives of Babylon He not only
allowed them to return to their homeland, but he actually ordered them to
rebuild their Temple.
"Now in the first year of Cyrus, King of Persia, that the word of the Lord by
the mouth of Jeremiah might be accomplished, the Lord stirred up the spirit of
Cyrus King of Persia so that he made a proclamation throughout his kingdom and
also put it in writing: 'Thus says Cyrus King of Persia, The Lord, the God of
Heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth, and he has charged me to
build him a house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Whoever is among you of all
his people, may The Lord, his God be with him. Let him go up!"'
II Chron. 36:23
During their long captivity in Babylon the descendants of Israel had struggled
to maintain their Judaic religion, but without the Ark of the Covenant as the
focal point of their faith, and under the powerful cultural pressures of their
captors, many changes had occurred. It is probably at this time that the
synagogue system evolved as a substitute for the central temple. Priests
became rabbis with a certain degree of lesser sanctification, the concept of
the inner sanctum and the altar was abandoned and prayers were substituted for
the ritualistic blood sacrifices of animals. In effect, the ancient Judaic
faith began to approach the Hebrew religion as it is known to-day.
When Cyrus II released the Judeans from captivity and ordered them to build a
new Temple in Jerusalem, he would almost certainly have returned to them the
Ark of the Covenant, if it had been in his possession, but various historians
have stated that the Second Temple "did not include the ritual objects of the
First Temple; of special significance was the loss of the Ark itself."
(Encyclopedia Britannica, 15th edition).
Thus it would seem that the Ark had been lost forever sometime between 604 and
538 B.C. It is generally believed that it was destroyed by the forces of King
Nebuchadnezzar II of Babylon after its gold covering had been removed.
However, there is another and more logical theory about it's fate which
relates to the premise that the Ark was not discovered by King Nebuchadnezzar
in the first place and had never been in his possession. This means that it
remained buried somewhere deep beneath the stables of Solomon for another 532
years. (Additional evidence in support of this conclusion will be presented in
Chapter IV.)
By the time that the Second Temple was constructed (538-515 B.C.) the Ark had
been in hiding since before the Assyrian invasion (701) constituting a period
of 186 years. Those priests who had participated in the hiding of the Ark were
long since dead and the memory of the Ark's location had been obscured by
repeated invasions, captivity, exile and the passage of time.
The Second Temple, like the first, had an inner sanctum or Holy of Holies but
no one seems to know what it contained. The Greeks who descended from the
empire of Alexander the Great, desecrated the Temple in 168 B.C. by offering
sacrifices to Zeus on its altar. It was later cleansed and rededicated by
Judas Maccabaeus. During this period the state of Israel was expanded to an
area almost as large as that of Solomon's kingdom and now included "Galilee of
the Gentiles", thus insuring that all children born of Galilean parents would
be brought up in a Judean society.
The Roman General Pompey conquered Jerusalem in 63 B.C
He entered the Holy of Holies but left the Temple intact. Another Roman named
Crassus plundered its treasury in 54 B.C. In 40 B.C., Herod the Great, who was
of Arabic descent, was appointed King of Judea by the Roman senate. He rebuilt
most of Jerusalem, including the Second Temple between 20 B.C. and 26 A.D.
Thus, the rebuilt Second Temple was the edifice known to Jesus Christ.
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CHAPTER IV
The Treasure of Titus
“embossed on the arch is a group of legionnaires carrying an immense seven
branched candelabrum It could be none other than the sacred menorah which had
been the constant companion of the Ark of the Covenant since the days of
Moses."
Quote from text.
Following a Hebrew rebellion, the Roman General Titus (emperor to be), reduced
the Temple to ashes in 70 A.D. He also destroyed most of the city of
Jerusalem. All that remains of the Second Temple is a portion of its western
wall which has become famous as the "Wailing Wall" of modern Jerusalem. It is
located on what is now known as "Temple Mount" which is sacred to both Arabs
and Jews. It has been the site of bloody conflicts between Israeli soldiers
and Palestinians of the occupied territories. A Moslem mosque now occupies the
mount.
Titus did more than destroy Jerusalem and its Temple. His engineers began
systematic excavations of the entire site including the stable area. It is
believed that they discovered the Ark of the Covenant along with all of its
accessories and the entire Treasure of Solomon including the Golden Harp of
David, the Staff of Aaron, a large gold urn in which a piece of manna had been
kept and many other priceless relics.
In addition to looting the gold of Israel the Legions of Titus left behind
them an estimated one million slain warriors of the enemy forces. The arch of
Titus was erected at the entrance to the Roman Forum to commemorate his
victory.
Titus sent his booty back to Rome where it entered the treasury of his father
Emperor Vespasian. Titus succeeded his father as Emperor Titus Flavius
Vespasianus in 79 A.D. and was murdered by his brother two years later. During
his brief reign he became known as "the darling of the human race" and enjoyed
great popularity because of his lavish spending from what had been an almost
bankrupt treasury. Generous with his personal fortune as well as with public
funds he sent aid to all victims of the eruption of Vesuvius. He rebuilt Rome
after the famous fire of 80 A.D He completed construction of the Colosseum and
opened it with fabulous ceremonies which lasted 100 days. He also contributed
to the welfare of his people in many ways and with great generosity. The
question which immediately comes to mind is where did the money come from? Was
he spending the vast wealth of King Solomon? (Encyclopedia Britannica, 15th
Edition).
The most impressive and persuasive evidence which supports the premise that
Titus did, indeed, bring the Treasure of the Temple back to Rome, is to be
found on the arch which was erected to celebrate and commemorate his mighty
victory in Palestine. Embossed on the arch is a depiction of the triumphal
entrance of Titus into Rome at the head of his conquering Legions. His
soldiers are carrying various items from the Treasure of Solomon. As shown on
the arch, which is still there today, a group of 7 legionnaires bear an
immense seven branched candelabrum. It could be none other than the sacred
menorah which had been the constant companion of the Ark of the Covenant since
the days of Moses. Although some of the figures have been badly eroded by the
passage of nearly 20 centuries, two soldiers seem to be bearing something on
shoulder poles which some scholars believe to have been a depiction of the Ark
itself. ("Holy Blood, Holy Grail", 1982).
The bulk of Solomon's treasure, along with the Ark and other precious relics,
was handed down through the line of Caesars until the state began to recognize
the growing power of the Catholic Church and the Popes. The religious items
were then transferred to the vaults of the Vatican. It is uncertain just when
this concession was made but the date is of little importance insofar as the
fate of the treasure was concerned.
CHAPTER V
The Treasure of Alaric
In 410 A.D., Alaric, the great chieftain of the Visigoths, laid siege to Rome
for the third time. He was successful in breaking into the city and his troops
sacked and plundered the coffers of both the church and the state alike. When
Alaric withdrew his forces, the Treasures of Solomon's Temple went with them.
In the meantime a remarkable event had occurred. The "Emerald Cup", the Cup of
Christ, had rejoined the treasure, as will be explained in Chapter XIV. It was
now in the hands of the Visigoths. Alaric proceeded to the city of Carcassonne
in the Languedoc province of southwestern France which was the stronghold of
the Visigoths located near the foothills of the Pyrenees Mountains.
Within the high reaches of the Pyrenees, along the border between France and
Spain, there are peaks which rise above 11,000 feet. Most of this region is
wild and very sparsely inhabited, even now. Here there are numberless caves
and grottos which have never been seen by the eyes of men. The area is
reminiscent of the lines of a famous poem, written at another time and in
another place, which states:
Where Alph, the sacred river, ran through caverns measureless to man down to a
sunless sea. Five miles meandering with a mazy motion through wood and dale
the sacred river ran, then reached the caverns measureless to man, and sank in
tumult to a lifeless ocean: and mid this tumult Kubla heard from far ancestral
voices prophesying war!"
Samuel Coleridge
It was in one of these numberless caverns that the Treasure of the Visigoths
(formerly the Treasure of Jerusalem and of Rome) was deposited. It was placed
in the grottoes of the Sabarthez, or in the grotto of Ornolac, or Fontanet, or
perhaps in a specific cavern known as the "Cathedral" or in a chamber called
"The Tomb of Hercules".
All of these mysterious grottoes are to be found not far from the citadel of
the Cathars at Montsegur and the village of Rennes-Chateau near Couiza.
It is said that the treasure was at Toledo, Spain in 711 A.D., when the city
fortress fell to the invasion of the forces of Islam after the Visigoths were
crushed during the seven day Battle of Jerez de la Frontera. The first thing
that the Arabic commander (whose name was Tarik) did on entering the city, was
to demand the Treasure of Solomon. In particular he asked for "Solomon's
Table", "Solomon's Purse" and "Solomon's Jewel Case" (both of the latter terms
were synonyms for the Cup of Abraham and the Cup of Christ). He also mentioned
the solid gold, gem encrusted altar of Aaron, which had been used in the first
Tabernacle, and the Ark of Moses. Some valuable holy items may have fallen
into the hands of the infidels at that time but even this is doubtful.
Certainly the Treasure of Solomon was not among them. It has been specifically
stated by a number of authors that the Treasures of Solomon were not a part of
whatever booty may have been yielded to Tarik and his Saracens at Toledo.
("The crusade Against the Grail" by Otto Rahn, 'The Grail Legend" by Emma Jung
and "The Occult and the Third Reich" by Jean-Michel Angebert.)
It stands to reason that the weakened but battle wise Visigoths would never
have carried their most sacred possessions into combat and exposed them to
capture by Moslem invaders. They did not, of course, expose the Treasure of
Solomon to so grave a risk and had left it in its safe hiding place high in
the Pyrenees mountains.
It is rather surprising that Tarik knew that the Treasure of Jerusalem was
still in the hands of the Visigoths in 711 A.D. but it is not surprising that
he coveted these sacred relics. The people of Islam were half brothers, as it
were, to the Israelites The Arabic Nations were descended from Ismael, first
born son of Abraham and his wife's Egyptain handmaiden, Hagar. The Israelites
were descended from Abraham's second son by his legal wife, Sarah. Because of
this connection the sons of Islam revered Abraham and some other members of
the House of Israel. They also respected the prophets of Israel (including
Jesus) and certain places, such as Jerusalem. Some holy relics, like the Cup
of Abraham, were sacred to both faiths.
In the meantime the Treasures of Solomon (including the Ark of the Covenant
and the Emerald Cup) remained in or near the "Tomb of Hercules" in the
vicinity of the Cathar Fortress of Montsegur.
The German explorer Otto Rahn was later to describe this cavern as follows:
"In time out of mind, in an epoch whose remoteness has been barely touched by
modern historical science, it was used as a temple consecrated to the Iberian
God Ilhomber, God of the Sun. Between two monoliths one which had crumbled,
the steep path leads into the giant vestibule of the cathedral of Lombrives.
Between stalagmites of white limestone, between walls of a deep brown color
and the brilliant rock crystal, the path leads down into the bowels of the
mountain. A hall 260 feet in height served as a cathedral for the heretics."
-----
CHAPTER VI
The Treasure of the Merovingian Kings
"Rennes-le-Chateau was located near Montsegur in the very heart of the area
where the Treasure of Solomon was believed to be concealed. It was here that
DragobertII suddenly and mysteriously became extremely wealthy."
Quote from the text
If we omit the discordant claim that the Treasure of Solomon fell into the
hands of marauding Islamic invaders of Spain in 711 A.D., and was lost
forever, then the descendance of the Ark and the Cup is somewhat as follows:
>From the control of Alaric the Great of the Visigoths and his immediate
successors, the riches of Jerusalem passed into the hands of the Merovingian
Kings who ruled certain parts of France from 417 A.D. to the days of Sigisbert
Vl when he was forced into exile by Louis II (881 A.D.). The Merovingian Kings
formed a little known but highly interesting dynasty. They claimed to be of
divine origin emanating from the mating of the wife of King Clodio with a God
of the Sea. The queen was already pregnant by her husband and became
impregnated a second time by the sea creature. The resulting child was named
Merovee. He carried the royal blood of a Frankish King and the divine blood of
a Ciod. In time the second bloodline came to be interpreted as that of Jesus
Christ and from it came alleged supernatural powers, such as were commonly
attributed to a priest-king. This line of kings seemed to be ideally suited
for the role of Keepers of the Treasures of Solomon. In addition, they were
relatives of the Visigoths by intermarriage and became closely associated with
the Roman Catholic Church. They were also the predecessors of the Carolingian
dynasty of which Charles Martel (The Hammer) and Charles the Great
(Charlemagne) were the most illustrious members.
The best known kings of the Merovingian bloodline were Merovee, his grandson
Clovis l, Sigisbert I, II, III, IV, V, Vl and Dragobert II (651-679).
Dragobert seems to have become very well informed about the hiding place of
the Treasures of Alaric. After a period of exile in Ireland and England he
settled in the remote village of Rennes-le-Chateau in the province of
Languedoc. He was almost penniless at that time but he had two things which
were greatly in his favor. Rennes-le-Chateau was located near Montsegur in the
very heart of the area where Solomon's Treasure was believed to be concealed.
In addition, he was fortunate enough to marry Giselle de Razes, daughter of
the Count of Razes and niece of the King of the Visigoths. The marriage took
place in 671 and was celebrated at the Church of St. Madeleine in Rennes-le-
Chateau which was to become the last stronghold of the Visigoths. The shrine
of Saint Madeleine stood on the site of the church which can be found there
today. No one knows if the Visigoth princess Giselle, knew the location of the
Treasures of Solomon but the fact remains that Dragobert suddenly came into
possession of a vast fortune. With it, he reclaimed his father's throne and
proclaimed himself king of the territory of Austrasie. He also financed the
reconquest of Aquitaine and brought this province back into the Merovingian
empire.
Dragobert was eventually murdered by a villain who thrust a lance through his
left eye while he lay sleeping. He was then canonized. His relics became holy
and his skull is still preserved in a convent at Mons (see Ill. 14). His name
continues to be associated with the Treasures of the "Tomb of Hercules".
Two of the most famous descendants of the Merovingian bloodline were Godfrey
of Bouillon (1060-1100), duke of Lower Lorraine, and his younger brother
Baudouin I. They were leaders of the First Crusade and captured Jerusalem from
the Moslems in July 1099. The tall, handsome, fair-haired Godfrey was later to
be referred to as the "Perfect Christian Knight" and the "Fearless Hero of the
Whole Crusading Epic". Godfrey and his brother became successive Kings of
Jerusalem but the modest knight preferred to be called the "Advocate
(protector) of the Holy Sepulchre."
CHAPTER VII
The Treasure of The Knights Templar
The Poor Kniqhts of Christ and the
Temple of Solomon
"If one thinks back to the activities of the original nine members of The
Order of The Poor Knights of Christ it seems that they came to Jerusalem, not
to protect pilgrims (which they never did), but as a search team which had
only one specific objective. They dug in the stables of Solomon for nine
years. What else could they have been doing other than looking for the
treasure which was commonly believed to be buried there?"
Quote from the text
Nineteen years after Godfrey captured the Holy City, nine vagabond knights
presented themselves to King Baudouin who then occupied the throne of
Jerusalem. Their leader was a nobleman from Champagne named Hugues de Tyre,
and the name of the newly formed group was the Order of the Poor Knights of
Christ. Their declared objective was to keep the roads and highways of the
Holy Land safe for the protection of pilgrims. They had also taken an oath of
poverty and wanted nothing for themselves. To stress this point their seal
showed two knights riding one horse, symbolic of their inability to buy a
steed for each knight. The king approved their mission and quite surprisingly
placed a whole wing of the royal palace at their disposal. In spite of their
oath of poverty the knights accepted these lavish quarters without complaint.
By a remarkable coincidence the portion of the palace in which the knights
lived had been built on the foundations of the ancient Temple of Solomon where
his immense treasure trove was said to be hidden. Because of this association,
the name of the group was expanded to the Order of the Poor Knights of Christ
and the Temple of Solomon. They became known as the Knights Templar or simply
the Templars.
Throughout the next 8 or 9 years there is no record of a single Templar ever
having been seen on the roads and highways where the pilgrims passed back and
forth to Jerusalem. They are believed to have spent all of their time
tunneling beneath the walls of the temple and excavating in what had once been
the stables of Solomon which were large enough to accommodate 4,000 horses and
chariots and 12,000 horsemen.
Another remarkable fact is that no new members were recruited into the order
during its entire sojourn in the Holy Land.
On returning to Europe in 1127, the Templars were welcomed as conquering
heroes and granted one privilege after another, until they became one of the
most powerful forces in Europe, owing allegiance to no king or power save the
Pope himself. Their wealth increased accordingly and eventually knew no
bounds.
In the end it was this very power and wealth which brought about the down fall
and near destruction of the Poor Knights of Christ and of the Temple of
Solomon. Arrogance and corruption became rooted in the order and it was
finally accused of repudiating and denying Christ. Pope Clement V officially
dissolved the order in 1312 and Philippe IV of France (who had been insulted
and embarrassed by the Templars), executed its Grand Master, Jacques de Molay,
who is said to have been the founder of Freemasonry. Many knights were slain
and nearly all of the remainder were driven into exile.
The great treasure of the Templars was never found. According to rumors, it
was placed in a series of wagons and transported to a harbor town in northern
France where it was transferred to 18 galleys. The ships totally disappeared.
It seems more likely that the treasure of the Templars was sent into the
Pyrenees mountains where it joined the wealth of the Temple of Solomon which
had preceded it.
If one thinks back to the activities of the nine original members of the Order
of the Poor Knights of Christ, it seems that they came to Jerusalem, not to
protect pilgrims (which they never did), but as a search team which had only
one specific objective. They dug in the stables of Solomon for nine years.
What else could they have been doing other than looking for the treasure which
was commonly believed to be buried there?
They may or may not have known that Emperor Titus of Rome had unearthed the
Ark of the Covenant its accessories and associated items in 70 A.D. (over 1000
years earlier), but there was always the possibility that something had been
left behind. Perhaps they found this undiscovered portion of Solomon's riches
and used it to propel themselves into the position of prince-soldiers of the
church. It is certain that their swords did not win them this unequaled power
and glory. In justice to the Templars, it must be said that in subsequent
crusades they fought bravely as well disciplined units and were considered to
be the finest soldiers of their time .
Our reasons for inferring that the Treasure of the Templars was sent to the
Pyrenees mountains for safe keeping rather than a coastal town and a dangerous
journey by sea, stems from a close relationship between the Knights of the
Temple and a strange sect known as the Cathars. This group was largely
concentrated in the Languedoc province of southwestern France and their
stronghold was the region around Montsegur. This is the place where Alaric the
Visigoth sent the Treasures of Jerusalem and Rome in 410 A.D. and this is also
the place where Dragobert found the wealth which launched his successful quest
for a kingdom in about 674.
--cont--
Aloha, He'Ping,
Om, Shalom, Salaam.
Em Hotep, Peace Be,
Omnia Bona Bonis,
All My Relations.
Adieu, Adios, Aloha.
Amen.
Roads End
Kris
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