Supremely Abominable Crimes
by Edward Burman
Category: History

Suddenly, at dawn on Friday 13 October 1307, King Philip IV of France's officials arrested the Knights Templar throughout his kingdom. It took seven years to interrogate them and sift the evidence, after which the greatest of the crusading orders was abolished, its enormous wealth sequestered, and its Grand Master burned at the stake. Who were the Knights Templar? How was it that these powerful and wealthy warriors found themselves vilified and accused of the most depraved crimes? To answer these questions and to unravel the mystery that has shrouded the Order ever since, Edward Burman, through contemporary sources, including transcripts made by Papal notaries, provide a detailed account of the sensational three-month trial in Paris in 1310, and reflects on the background to the myths surrounding the Order which led to their arrest.