nine men formed a brotherhood in Jerusalem in 1118. But what if it can be proved the Order of the Temple was active a decade earlier on the opposite side of Europe, that the aim to protect pilgrims was a smokescreen, and that in league with the Cistercian monks, and the equally mysterious Order of Sion, the Templars executed one of history's most daring and covert plans: the creation of Europe's first nation-state, Portugal, with one of their own as king?

Supported by over 700 references, many from rare sources, this book not only reveals a host of previously unknown facets of the Knights' formative history, it discloses their motivation to create a country far from the grasp of Rome, where they conducted an outlawed spiritual doctrine, and a 4000-year old secret ritual in which initiates were declared 'risen from the dead' -- a secret that could instigate a major social change, for which the Church silenced millions, and the Templars protected to the death.

This fresh investigative historical narrative places the intrepid knights in a previously unknown time and place, reveals the Portuguese roots of key founder members, their relationship with the Order of Sion, the unshakable devotion to Mary Magdalene and John the Baptist, and how they protected a holy bloodline in Portugal. It also reappraises the meaning of the Grail and reveals its exact location, hidden in plain sight to this very day.

This original, eye-opening account will engage and surprise even the most seasoned Templar enthusiasts.