Interest in this subject has never been greater, but who were the Knights Templar? The order was founded early in the twelfth century to protect pilgrims to the Holy Land by the Rex Deus families, who claimed to trace their bloodline directly from Jesus Christ. The Knights Templar had their own agenda and rose to power despite not conforming to the beliefs of the established Church of the time.Tim Wallace-Murphy explains the heretical spiritual beliefs of the Knights Templar and the Rex Deus families and examines their role in the loss of the Holy Land. He charts their achievements in a remarkable range of endeavours, from building castles and cathedrals to laying the foundations of the modern marketplace. He also uncovers the links between the Rex Deus families and the creation and propagation of the Grail sagas and, later, the foundation of the secret society of Freemasonry.