posted on Sep, 27 2003 @ 10:42 AM
The keys in question are keys to understanding.
The lessons of Freemasonry are taught in symbols and allegory. They don't just say what's on their mind.
By doing this, they can teach people at one level that a certain symbol means THIS; those at a higher level learn the same symbol means THAT.
The Temple, as briefly as it can be stated. Three things.
First:
In 1118 AD, Eight Catholic holy men, title ( monk, priest friar, etc ) unknown, order or orders unknown, approached two French noblemen: Godfroi de
Boulliogne ( spellings vary depending on translator ) and Hugues De Payens. The cover story given is that these two and seven other French noblemen
went to Palestine to guard travellers on the road to Palestine.
They took a year to get there. When they arrived, they approached King Baldwin, a Swiss whose actual duties were more like a mayor or city manager of
Jerusalem. They asked for permission to camp at the former stables of Solomon, and for the right to dig into the stables.
Permission granted, excavation began. Took them seven years to dig to the vault in question. They dug down - they knew in advance how far - and
started digging horizontally through a hallway. When they found a door, they would dig just enough to clearly mark the doorway - 2 or 3 inches - then
proceeded down the hall until they met the right intersecting passage.
Hooked a left, dug further, until they got to the room in question. Which they dug to the bare walls, taking whatever they found in there.
Thanked Baldwin for his generosity, asked him to hold their camp, as they would be back, and went back to France. Gave the unknown holy men the prize
they dug up. Were thanked profusely for their efforts, and were eventually granted permission to create an order of knights, commonly called the
Knights Templar.
A lifetime of study can be spent trying to understand the Knights Templar. The more you learn, the less you know. There seems to be an ongoing
disinformation campaign in action.
What they brought back is the secret of Freemasonry. What is known is that C.W. "Lend a hand" Leadbeater has mentioned the contents of the vault in
some of his books. Part of the haul was a document containing the secret name of God. In theory, if you can pronounce His name, you can summon Him.
Which sounds bogus to me, if He can be summoned, He is not all-powerful, therefore, He is not God. But I digress.
Second: The Temple is the one architectural design in the world specified by God. Ergo, a sacred design. Ergo, worthy of study.
Third: The Temple is to be rebuilt in the hearts of men. A virtual rather than physical temple.