1140

The Council of Sens condemns Peter Abelard.

Templars build Castle Safed on the road between Acre and Damascus.

Assassins take the castle of Masyaf.

Damascus and Jerusalem collaborate to attack Zwengi.

Construction begins on the Cathedral of Kilwinning in Scotland.

King David I of Scotland founds a Cistercian monastery in Newbattle.

Templars build five preceptories in France at Laon, Paian, Pazenas, Beauvais, and Montsaunes.

William of Malmesbury makes the first written reference to a “holy grail.”

1141

Death of Hugh of Saint Victor, Saxon philosopher and theologian, who defined faith as “about things absent, above opinion and below science.”

Bernard de Clairvaux at the Council of Sens condemns the writing of Peter Abelard. The vocal support of one of Abelard’s more radical students, the infamous Arnold of Brescia, does not help his credibility with Catholic leaders.

Templars build preceptories at Nantes in France and Ambel in Spain.

1142

On April 21, Peter Abelard dies.

Many Bogomils burn at the stake for heresy in Cologne, Germany.

Templars build the Castle Moab (a.k.a. Stone of the Desert) in Jordan.

French King Louis VII starts a war by seizing the properties of Count Thibald of Champagne.  Bernard de Clairvaux intercedes and settles the dispute.

King David I of Scotland founds a Cistercian abbey in Dundrennan.

1143

In April, Byzantine Emperor John II Comnenus dies and his son Manuel I takes the crown.

Templars build preceptories at Arles, Manzon, Chalamara, Albango, and Ramoullins in France.

Templars rebuild the huge Castle Kerak (a.k.a. Krak, Karek) as a prison and to control the roads between Damascus and Egypt.  They also build the fortress of Geth near Lydda.

Count Ramon Berenguer IV contracts with the Templars to fight Muslims in Aragon in return for gifts of property.

In September, Pope Innocent II dies, replaced by Celestine II, who issues Milites Templi, essentially the same sweeping support of the Templars as Omne datum optimum.

On November 10, Baudouin III (1130-1163) becomes King of Jerusalem at age 13, with his mother Queen Melissande as regent.  He will later marry Theodora Comnenus, niece of the Byzantine Emperor.

Peter the Venerable at Cluny translates the Qur'an into Latin.

1144

On March 8, Pope Celestine II dies, replaced by Lucius II, who issues his version of Milites Templi, again reaffirming the Omne datum optimum.

In what Laurence Gardner interprets in the Magdalene Legacy as a reference to a Jesus bloodline, the English monk Theobald of Cambridge writes, “The chief men and rabbis of the Jews who dwell in Spain assemble together at Narbonne, where the Royal Seed resides, and where they are held in the highest esteem.”

On December 24-25, Muslims under Zwengi capture many Templar castles plus Edessa, where there is an especially brutal killing of 5,000 Catholics.  Their deaths create a call for a Second Crusade a year later.

1145

Pope Lucius II dies and is replaced by Eugenius III (dies 1153), a Cistercian monk and colleague of Bernard de Clairvaux.   Eugenius III issues a fourth version of Omne datum optimum called Militia Dei

Bernard de Clairvaux arrives in southern France to convert the Cathari to Catholicism.  While disliking Catharism as a doctrine and expecting to find vile heretics, he instead finds the Cathari to be loving, gentle, peace-loving people.  He worries, however, about the pervasive acceptance of Cathari practices such as allowing women as clergy, or parfaites.

Death of Henry of Lausanne.

On December 25, Pope Eugenius III calls for a second crusade.

1146

On March 1, Bernard de Clairvaux, Pope Eugenius III, and King Louis VII of France launch the Second Crusade on Easter Sunday at Vézélay.   It is agreed that the crusade will leave one year later. Queen Eleanor of Aquitane (1122-1204), wife of Louis VII, is so moved by Bernard’s speech that she vows to go on the crusade herself, a novel idea at the time.

Other crusaders include:

1.      Robert, Count de Dreux, brother of King Louis VII

2.      Alfonso-Jordan, Count of Toulouse

3.      William, Count of Nevers

4.      Thierry, Count of Flanders, married to the stepdaughter of Jerusalem Queen Melissande

5.      Henry of Flanders

6.      Amadeus, Count of Savoy

7.      Archimbald, Count of Bourbon

Arnold of Brescia comes to power in Rome and drives Pope Eugenius III out of town for eight years, a remarkable feat for a grassroots movement.  Arnold believes Catholics should conform fully to the original ideals of Jesus and xe "Jesus"criticizes Catholic Bishops for their wealth and dishonesty.  He insists that clergy acknowledge spirit is not worldly and renounce all material power -- land and money -- a noble but very unwelcome request.

On September 14, Muslim leader Zwengi is murdered.  His son Nur al-Din succeeds him in Aleppo.

1147

On April 27, Paris Templars welcome Pope Eugenius and King Louis as they prepare for a Second Crusade. 

Templars under Master of France Everard des Barres accompany the sizable forces of German King Conrad III and King Louis VII on the Second Crusade.  They leave France and with difficulty make it to Jerusalem via Antioch, where Eleanor’s uncle Prince Raimond de Poitiers welcomes them. Along with Eleanor of Aquitaine are her courtiers Sybelle, Mamille, Florine, and Faydide.  Although Eleanor wants to stay in Antioch, Louis VII takes her by force to Jerusalem.

On October 24, Catholic forces in Portugal expel the Muslims from Lisbon and other parts of Spain.

1148

Malachi O’More of Ireland (born 1094), known for his prophecies about future Popes, dies in the arms of Bernard at Clairvaux. Malachi predicts there will only be 112 more Popes (Pope John Paul II is 110 or 111, depending on how you count).

On July 24, Jerusalem King Baudouin III, German King Conrad III, French King Louis VII, Hospitallers, Templars, and other crusaders attack Damascus in Syria, their only real Muslim ally. By July 28, after a humiliating defeat, Catholic forces withdraw and blame the Eastern Orthodox church as the reason this and other crusades did not succeed.

The Council of Reims condemns heretics in Provence

Anna Comnena (1083-1148), daughter of the Byzantine Emperor Alexius Comnenus, writes Alexiad, a history of the crusades.

Hildegard of Bingen (1098-1179), one of the few women mystics approved by the Catholic Church, corresponds at length with Bernard of Clairvaux on her beautiful visions, writings, and illustrations.  She founds a monastery at Rupertsburg.

Catholics capture Tortosa in Spain from the Muslims.

1149

On January 13, French Master Everard de Barres becomes Grand Master of the Templars upon the death of Robert de Craon.

In April, Nur al-Din captures and kills Raimond of Antioch, capturing much of the land around Antioch but not the city itself.

In July, King Louis VII returns to Italy from the Second Crusade defeated.  Blaming failure to overcome the Muslims on the Eastern Orthodox Christians at Constantinople, he calls for another crusade - against them.  He also loses the affection of wife Eleanor of Aquitane which means a potential loss of an enormous dowry of money and property in France.  Shamed by the rejection, he accuses her of infidelity.

Templars take control of the strategic castle at Gaza.

According to Karen Ralls, King Baudouin III with approval of the Patriarch of Jerusalem gives Flemish Knight Dietrich of a crystal vial believed to contain drops of Christ's blood collected by Joseph of Arimathea.  (This vial is now in Belgium.)

From the failure of the Second Crusade, rumors begin against the Templars concerning their alliances with various Muslim groups. These rumors will later evolve to charges of heresy and “consorting with the infidel.”

1150

At the Council of Chartres, Bernard de Clairvaux calls for a third crusade but after the defeat of the second there is no interest.

In April, Nur al-Din captures Joscelin of Edessa and blinds him.  Joscelin’s wife sells six fortresses to the Byzantines and moves to Antioch.

1152

Henri I (a.k.a. “The Liberal”), son of Thibaud II, becomes the Count of Champagne until his death in 1181.

Holy Roman Emperor Conrad III dies on March 4 and his nephew, Friedrich I, takes the crown.

In May, after her marriage to King Louis VII of France is annulled in March by the Council of Beaugency, Eleanor of Aquitaine marries French King Henri d’Anjou (a.k.a. Henri Plantagenet).

Assassins kill their first Templar, Count Raimond II of Tripoli (son of Count Pons).  His wife Hodiema serves as regent for their son, Raimond III.  Templars strike back, winning annual payments from the Assassins after a short attack in Syria.

Upon the resignation of Everard de Barres to join the Cistercian monastery at Clairvaux, Bernard de Trémélai becomes Templar Grand Master.

King Baudouin III of Jerusalem tires of his mother's regency and they quarrel constantly.  To resolve their differences, they decide to divide the kingdom.

By now Cistercians have built an amazing 350 abbeys, up from 7 in 1118.

1153

In January, French King Henri begins invasions of England.

In March, Friedrich I reconciles his disputes with the Pope over the Vatican’s authority.

In July, Pope Eugenius III dies and four days later Anastasius IV takes office for a year, during which he officially recognizes the Order of Malta. 

In August, Templars assist in taking the Muslim fortress at Ascalon.  Grand Master Bernard de Trémélai dies in the battle.  Original Templar André de Montbard becomes the 5^th Grand Master.

On August 20, Bernard de Clairvaux dies. 

1154

King Baudouin III and his mother Queen Melissande resolve their differences.  She retires to a convent in Bethany run by her sister the Abbess Joveta. 

On April 25, Muslim leader Nur al-Din takes control of Damascus and unifies Syria.

On December 3, Pope Anastasius IV dies and Adrian IV (a.k.a. Hadrian IV, 1105-1159, the only English Pope) is elected the next day. 

On December 18, Henri of France is crowned King of England.

1155

In March, Pope Adrian IV and Frederick I retake Rome from Arnold of Brescia and and hang him as a warning to other heretics. 

Later that year, Pope Adrian IV will preside over Frederich I’s ascent to Holy Roman Emperor but they will also quarrel frequently over Papal supremacy.

Pope Adrian IV grants Ireland to King Henry II.

1156

On January 17, upon the decision of Andre de Montbard to become a monk at Clairvaux, Bertrand de Blanchefort becomes the 6^th Grand Master.  

According to Holy Blood, Holy Grail, Templars under Grand Master de Blanquefort import German miners for a massive digging operation at Pech Cardou near Serres, the site of an old Roman gold mine.  To maintain secrecy, the miners are forbidden to interact with the local community.  Cesar d’Arcons, an engineer surveying the site in the 17^th century, concludes the German miners were not mining -- they were putting something in.

According to The Templars, Prince of Antioch Reynald de Châtillon and Thoros of Armenia attack Cyprus in anger at Byzantine Emperor Manuel Comnenus.  Not caring that the island’s inhabitants were Christian, “their women were raped, their children and old people murdered, their churches and convents robbed, their cattle and crops sequestered.” 

In June, Holy Roman Emperor Friedrich I marries Beatrice of Burgundy. 

The Saint Clair family starts to use the shortened version Sinclair.  King David I appoints Sir Henri Sinclair (son of the original crusader Henri de Saint Clair) as Ambassador to England.

Founding of the Order of Alcantera, Spanish warrior/monks based on the Knights Templars with a mission of reconquering the Iberian peninsula away from the Muslims.

1157

Muslims imprison Templar Grand Master Bertrand de Blanquefort after his unsuccessful attack on Muslim territory.

In August, earthquakes hit the Holy Land, bringing most hostilities to a halt temporarily.

In October, Holy Roman Emperor Friedrich I conquers his wife’s homeland of Burgundy.

The Council of Reims condemns the Cathari.

1158

King Baldwin III marries Theodora, Byzantine Emperor Manuel’s niece.  Her large dowry replenishes the kingdom’s treasury.

Founding of the Order of Calatrava, Spanish warrior/monks based on the Templars with a mission of reconquering the Iberian peninsula from the Muslims.

Templars Robert de Pirou, Tostes de Saint-Omer, and Richard of Hastings occupy the castle at Gisors until 1160 as a result of a treaty between England and France.

In October, Byzantine Emperor Manuel Comnenus attacks Cilicia including Prince of Antioch Reynald de Châtillon and Thoros of Armenia.  Thoros escapes and de Châtillon is imprisoned and later pardoned. 

1159

Pope Adrian IV dies and Pope Alexander III (1100~1181) takes office declaring exclusive right to confer sainthood, taking the privilege away from local bishoprics.  Meanwhile, parties favorable to Holy Roman Emperor Frederich I elect their own Pope, Victor IV, but neither Pope is able to control Rome.

Marie, daughter of Eleanor of Aquitane and King Louis VII of France, marries Count Henri I de Champagne.

Through a treaty and ransom negotiated by Byzantine Emperor Manuel Comnenus, the Muslims release Templar Grand Master Bertrand de Blanquefort.

In September, King Henry II of England begins a siege of Toulouse.

1160

On February 11 at the Synod of Pavia, Holy Roman Emperor Frederich I declares Victor IV as Pope.

On March 24, Pope Alexander III excommunicates Holy Roman Emperor Friedrich I.

The Byzantine Emperor attempts to build relations with Italy by marrying Mary of Antioch.

Richard de Hastings becomes Master of the London Templars.

Portuguese Templar Master Gualdim Pais (dies 1195) builds the Convento de Christ (a.k.a. Castle Ceras) in Tomar, Portugal with a large eight-sided chapel. 

In November, Muslims under the Governor of Aleppo Nur Al-Din ambush Prince of Antioch Reynald de Châtillon and imprison him for the next 16 years.  No Christians come forward to provide his ransom.

Templars turn Gisors over to English King Henry II, much to the anger of King Louis VII who exiles them from France.

1161

The London Templar preceptory moves to a new location between Fleet Street and the Thames River.

1162

On February 10, Baudouin III dies and his brother Lord Amalric I of Jaffa and Ascalon (a.k.a. Amaury) becomes King of Jerusalem until 1174.  He immediately begins a series of attacks on Egypt that will last until 1169.

Pope Alexander III issues Omne Datum Optimum, another proclamation in support of the Templars.

Assassin leader Muhammad dies and his son Hasan II takes over until 1166. 

1163

Construction begins on the Notre Dame cathedral in Paris.

The Council of Tours denounces the Cathari.

Shirkuh, Nur al-Din’s top officer, takes control of Egypt briefly and passes control to his nephew, Saladin (a.k.a. Salah-al-Din Yusuf ibn-Ayyub, 1138-1193).

1164

On January 30, King Henry II calls a Council of Clarendon in England to determine laws regarding Church and state.  Some of his decisions cause a rift with Archbishop of Canterbury Thomas Becket. English Templar Grand Master Richard de Hastings attempts to reconcile their differences.

On August 10 at the Battle of Artuh, Syrian leader Nur al-Din defeats and captures Count Raimond III of Tripoli, Count Bohemond III of Antioch, and Count Joscelin III of Edessa.  Nur al-din later releases Bohemond III for ransom.

Marie Capet, elder daughter of Louis VII of France and Eleanor of Aquitaine marries Count de Champagne Henri I.  She becomes a patron of literature including authors Andreas Capellanus and Chretien de Troyes.

1165

Alarmed by the Cathari’s growing influence, the Council of Albi in France condemns them as does the Council of Lombez.

Eleanor leaves King Henry II and returns to her homeland in Aquitane.

1166

In the dead of winter, authorities in England capture, torture, and send out in the cold some thirty Cathari missionaries.

Assassin leader Muhammad enrages many Muslims by proclaiming himself divine.  He is killed by his brother-in-law and his son Muhammad II reigns until 1210. 

1167

Syrian leader Nur al-din’s general Shirkuh moves to attack Egypt.  Egyptian Vizier Shawar calls on Jerusalem, his former enemy, for help.

On March 18, Shirkuh defeats both Vizier Shawar and King Amalric I of Jerusalem at Ashmun.  Shirkuh then takes Alexandria to the north, where on August 4, King Amalric of Jerusalem lays siege and eventually negotiates their departure back to Syria.  To keep Christians away, Shawar negotiates an annual payment to Jerusalem with Templars Hugues de Cesaree and Geoffroi.

The Cathari Grand Council at Saint Felix de Lauragais (near Toulouse), under the influence of the Bogomil leader Nicetas from Constantinople, formally adopts the belief in dualism between good and evil.  The Council sets up bishoprics for the surrounding area and steps up competition with the Catholic Church.

The Byzantine Emperor tries to patch things up with the West by promising one of his nieces in marriage to King Amalric I of Jerusalem.

1168

On January 2, Bertrand de Blanquefort dies and Philip de Milly of Nablus becomes the 7^th Templar Grand Master. As the Templars honor the treaty with Egyptian Vizier Shawar, de Milly refuses King Amalric I’s request for the Templars to attack Egypt again. 

On November 4, King Amalric turns instead to the Hospitallers and they attack the Egyptian city of Belbeis, slaughtering the entire population including other Christian sects.  Crusaders to the same for the Egyptian city of Tanis.  These atrocities energize the young Sultan Saladin who will later drive the West from all the Holy Land.  Belbeis is soon abandoned as Muslims counterattack.

On November 13, King Amalric tries to attack Cairo but is turned back by newly arriving armies from Nur al-Din under the command of Shirkuh and his nephew, Saladin.  They take Cairo from Vizier Shawar easily and Shirkuh becomes Vizier.  Historian Charles Addison notes that because of “the unjustifiable expedition of King Amalric and the Hospitallers against the infidels, the powerful talents of the young Kurdish chieftain would in all probability never [have] developed.”

1169

In January, King Amalric I retreats to Jerusalem.

Shirkuh dies and on March 23, Nur al-Din appoints Saladin becomes the Vizier of Egypt.

Byzantine Emperor Manuel I, Jerusalem King Amalric I, and Bishop Ralph of Bethlehem jointly celebrate the renovation of the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem.

Now allies, Byzantine Emperor Manuel I and Jerusalem King Amalric I attack Damietta in Egypt, taking it easily and killing 77,000.

1170

Saladin invades the border areas of Palestine with 40,000 troops.  The Muslim victory motivates the Pope to issue Omni Datum Optimum giving the Templars further exemption from taxation and the right to give the excommunicated religious services once a year. 

Eleanor of Aquitaine and her daughter Countess Marie of Champagne set up a school to teach poetry and courtly love in Poitiers.  About the same time, Lambert le Begue creates an order of laywomen, the Beguines, who commit to the monastic life but without traditional monastic vows -- or the requirement of a dowry (as in convents).  The Beguines are Quietists who believe that union with God comes from quiet, spiritual, contemplation; sex (if chosen) is a form of union with God; and use local-language scriptures rather than depending on the priesthood for translation.

Four knights decide upon hearing of King Henry II’s anger with Thomas Becket that they will kill Becket on December 29.  The knights are sentenced to 14 years with the Templars in the Holy Land.  King Henry donates money for their support.

Founding of the Order of Caceres, which changes into the Order of Santiago (a.k.a. Military Order of Saint James of the Sword, Order of the Cockle) by 1175. 

1171

de Milly resigns and Odo de Saint-Amand becomes the 8^th Templar Grand Master.

A small crusade heads to the Baltics.

Abu l-Walid Muhammad ibn Ahmad Ibn Rushd (a.k.a. Averroes, 1126-1198), Muslim philosopher and advisor to a series of Caliphs, becomes Kadi of Cordoba in Spain.  Averroes is an expert on Aristotle as well as medicine, astronomy, and religion.  In 1180, he will write The Incoherence of the Incoherence about the fusion of Neo-Platonism, Aristotelian philosophy, and Islam.  Although he consistently advanced the idea of one truth (as contained in the Qur'an), Averroes believed unlike his Muslim brethren in the equality of men and women as equal participation increases an economy.

1172

In September, Saladin overthrows the Fatimids and increases his territory in Egypt.  He declares Sunnism as the official Muslim religion and finds himself in conflict with his superior Nur al-Din.  Soon they will be enemies.

1173

The Waldensian (a.k.a. the Vaudois) movement at Lyons defies Pope Alexander III by having lay people (including women) teach and read the Bible and perform sacraments (only Catholic priests have these privileges). Leader Peter Valdes bases his movement on scriptural authority and not that of the Papacy.  The Waldensians believe that anything that serves to separate them from material wealth brings them closer to God. Valdes renounces wealth believing that suffering from being poor is good for the soul. He and his followers believe true xe "Christian"virtue is demonstrating love and care for mankind. Valdes goes to Rome to obtain papal approval for his order, but Pope Alexander III condemns him.

Falsely anticipating a rumor of leader Rashid al-din Sinan’s conversion to Christianity, King Amalric I begins negotiations with the Assassins.  Templars mysteriously murder Amalric’s envoy, Walter, as he returns from the first meeting.  Despite Amalric’s formal apology to the Assassins and arrest of the Templar killer, discussions between the groups end.

The sons of King Henry II of England rebel and confine Eleanor of Aquitane on charges of conspiring with the French.

Approximate founding of the Order of Montegaudio.

1174

Pope Alexander III recognizes Bernard de Clairvaux as a Saint only 21 years after his death.

On May 15, Muslim leader Nur al-Din dies after taking Damascus but before completing plans for an attack on Saladin in Egypt.  Count Raimond III of Tripoli is finally released for ransom after ten years imprisonment.

On July 11, on the way back from proposing an alliance with Damascus against Saladin, King Amalric I of Jerusalem dies of typhus and dysentery.  His son by his first wife (and cousin) Agnes of Courtenay, Baudouin IV, becomes King of Jerusalem at age 13 with Count Raimond III of Tripoli as regent.  Weakened by leprosy, he is not expected to live long.

On October 28, Saladin conquers Damascus.

1175

Publication of Sefer ha-Bahir (Book of Brilliance) in Provence.  This classic work on Kabbalistic philosophy (Jewish esoteric mysticism) first mentions the idea of a “tree of life” and sets the stage for the growth of Jewish mysticism in Septimania.  Kabbalists circumvent the Jewish doctrine of only one God by a complex assortment of names for various elements of God – and by believing the creator and the created are one.  This is a major problem for traditional Jews and Catholics who fear such beliefs place too much emphasis on the self.   Kabbalists claim a “secret knowledge” of God through sacred texts containing special arrangements and anagrams of Hebrew letters, claiming these have special power when spoken or written.

In May, the Caliph of Baghdad recognizes Saladin as the Sultan of Syria and Egypt.

On July 3, Pope Alexander III approves the Order of Santiago in Benedictus Deus.  By 1186 the Order of Santiago has lands in Toledo, Palmella, and later in Italy, England, France, and Palestine.

1176

In gratitude for crusader help against Saladin’s attack on Montsigard, the Governor of Aleppo releases former Prince of Antioch Reynaud de Châtillon and Count Joscelin of Edessa. de Châtillon gains possession of the immense castles at Krak and Montreal through marriage to Stephanie of Milly (a.k.a Stephanie of Oultrejourdain).

In August, Saladin attacks the Assassin fortress at Masyaf.  Assassin envoys make their way into Saladin’s court and pressure him to withdraw.

On September 17, Seljuk Turks under Sultan Kilij Arslän II successfully attack the Byzantines under Emperor Manuel at Anatolia.  

In fall, Sibylla of Jerusalem marries William Longsword of Montferrat, Count of Jaffa and Ascalon.

Monk and former Templar Grand Master Everard de Barres dies at Clairvaux.

Founding of the Order of Aviz (a.k.a. Avis, Order of Evora).

1177

William of Longsword dies in June from malaria, leaving a widowed Sibylla pregnant.

On November 25, at the battle of Montsigard, Templars under Saint-Amand and Reynaud de Châtillon nearly kill Saladin in his tent but he escapes. 

Saladin comes back with a resounding capture of Ascalon.

Pope Alexander III confirms the Order of Alcantera (a.k.a. the Order of San Julien del Peirero).

1178

Pope Alexander III officially confirms and condones the Prieuré de Sion’s possessions. 

1179

In March at the 3^rd Lateran Council (11^th Ecumenical) Pope Alexander III and Holy Roman Emperor Frederick I Barbarossa condemn the Cathari and Waldensians and launch an educational campaign to discredit both groups.  With encouragement from Templar critic Guillaume de Tyre, the Council admonishes the Templars and the Hospitallers to stick strictly to monastic vows.  They also decree that Jews wear identifying badges, observe strict curfews, live only in certain areas, and be forbidden from government and trade positions.

In April, the Templars complete construction on a castle at Jacob’s Ford.  By August, Saladin completely destroys it anc captures Templar Grand Master Odo de Saint-Amand in the Battle of Marj Ayun.  Refusing ransom, Saint-Amand dies in prison in Damascus.  Arnold de Toroga becomes Grand Master.

About this time, Chrétien de Troyes (1144-1190) writes the first Grail epics under sponsorship of Countess Marie de Champagne at Troyes.  de Troyes is the first author to reference the Holy Grail. 

1180

Count Henri de Champagne, Marie’s husband, travels to Jerusalem to fight the Muslims.

Death of Abraham Ibn Daud (born 1110), Spanish Jewish philosopher and historian, in Toledo.  He attempts a synthesis of Judaism and Aristotelianism and writes the book Sefer ha-Kabbalah (Book of Tradition).

Sometime in the 1180's, Guillaume de Tyre writes the first outsider history of the Templars.

Sibylla, Princess of Jerusalem, marries Guy de Lusignan.  King Baudouin IV and Saladin agree to a two-year peace treaty.

On September 24, Manuel I dies and his son Alexius II becomes the Byzantine Emperor.

On October 8, Arnold de Toroga, Templar Master in Spain, becomes the 9^th Grand Master of the Templars.  He leaves for Europe with Hospitaller Grand Master Roger des Moulins and Jerusalem Patriarch Heraclius to seek financial and military help from Italy, England, and France to fight Saladin. 

William Sinclair, son of Sir Henry Sinclair and Margaret Gratney, becomes Baron of Roslin.

1181

Reynald de Châtillon breaks the peace treaty by attacking a Muslim caravan, causing Saladin to retaliate by imprisoning 1500 Catholic pilgrims shipwrecked off the Egyptian coast. 

On August 30, Pope Alexander III dies and is succeeded by Lucius III.

Count Henri de Champagne dies and his wife Marie serves as regent their son, Henri II, until 1187. 

Heraclius consecrates the Templar preceptory in London.

1182

Reynald de Châtillon takes on Saladin through a brilliant and bold new strategy - building ships, hauling them over land to the Red Sea, and attacking Muslim pilgrims to Mecca.  Saladin’s brother Malik thwarts de Châtillon just as he plans to steal Muhammad’s body from Mecca.

Saladin captures Mosul.

In September, Andronicus I Comnenus kills Alexius II and his mother to take over the Byzantine crown.

In October, Saladin captures Edessa.

King Philippe II exiles the Jews from France.

1183

Reynald de Châtillon escapes from Saladin who publicly vows to find him and kill him.

Princess Isabella, daughter of King Baudouin IV, marries Humphrey IV of Toron when she is 13.

On June 18, Saladin conquers Aleppo, sealing his power for nearly all the territory between Egypt and Syria.

On August 24, Saladin makes Damascus the capital of his empire.

1184

Pope Lucius III (1110~1185) issues an Inquisition against the Cathari which has little impact. He also excommunicates the Waldensians and the Humiliati who believe in a life of simple work and prayer without fealty to Rome.

The Council of Verona condemns the Cathari and the remaining Arnoldists.

Saladin and the Assassins form an alliance against the Templars and the Hospitallers.

In a rare defection, English Templar Robert of Saint Albans decided to fight for Saladin, leading Muslim forces against Catholic-held Jerusalem.

On September 30, Templar Grand Master Arnold de Toroga dies in Verona. Gérard de Ridefort becomes the 10^th Templar Grand Master.

1185

On March 16, King Baudouin IV dies of leprosy, without a wife or direct heir. King Baudouin IV's seven-year-old nephew by his sister Sibylla, Baudouin V, becomes King of Jerusalem.  Count Raimond III of Tripoli, former regent for Bauduoin IV, again becomes regent but is tricked into leaving Jerusalem by Joscelin of Courtenay.

Fluent in Arabic, Count Raimond III of Tripoli negotiates his own four-year peace treaty with Saladin, a decision other crusaders consider treason.

According to Graham Phillips, 14^th century Arab chronicler Numairi wrote that knights discovered and explored a sealed cave at Jebel Madhbah in the 1180’s, finding a golden chest. “There was no specific reference to the Ark of the Covenant, but the knight did claim that these were holy relics that had belonged to the ancient Israelites.  Numairi describes the chest as being made from paneled gold with two winged figures on the lid which he describes as being similar to ancient statues that still survived in his native Egypt.”

According to Graham Hancock, Templars accompany the exiled Prince Lalibela from Jerusalem to Axum in Ethiopia where legend says the Ark of the Covenant resides in the Church of St Mary of Zion.

Saladin takes back Castle Krak from the Templars.

In September, rioters kill unpopular Byzantine Emperor Andronicus I in Constantinople and his cousin Isaac II Angleus takes the crown.

On November 24, Pope Lucius III dies and Urban II becomes Pope.

1186

On March 3, Saladin takes Mosul.

In August, young King Baudouin V dies and Gérard de Ridefort  sponsors the coronation of Sibylla as Queen of Jerusalem.  She quickly makes her second husband, Guy de Lusignan, King of Jerusalem. 

Meanwhile, perpetual troublemaker Reynald de Châtillon again breaks the peace by continuing to kill and plunder Muslim caravans, including one with Saladin’s sister.

1187

Henry II formally takes over as Count de Champagne from his mother Marie, ruling until his death 1197.

On May 1, Saladin’s son Malek al-Afdal crosses the Jordan river and defeats Templar and Hospitaller forces at the border, beheading all of them.  Sixty knights die, including Hospitaller Grand Master Roger de Moulins.  Only Gérard de Ridefort and two knights escape.

On July 1, Saladin takes Tiberius.  The next day, Saladin takes Tripoli.

On July 3-4, Saladin defeats the Catholics under Reynald de Châtillon, Gérard de Ridefort, and King Guy de Lusignan at Hattin.  Saladin personally beheads Reynald de Châtillon for his numerous terrorist acts.  He captures about 30,000 crusaders, releasing most of them for ransom.  He beheads all the Templars and the Hospitallers except for their Grand Masters. 

The “True Cross” carried by the Catholics in battle passes to Saladin, who according to legend takes it to Damascus then move it to a Baghdad mosque to be symbolically trampled by Muslim feet.

Saladin’s brother, al-Adil, takes Jaffa.  On July 10, Saladin takes Acre without a fight.  Nablus and Toron surrender soon after.   On July 29, Sidon surrenders.  On August 9, Beirut surrenders. Saladin begins a siege of Jerusalem on September 20.

On October 2-3, Saladin conquers Jerusalemxe "Jerusalem" and takes the al-Aqsa mosque from the Templars.  Rather than killing everyone, Saladin negotiates with Balian of Ibelin to ransom Jerusalem’s citizens.  The rich easily pay, but most are put into slavery for Saladin.  Templars refuse to use their extensive funds to buy freedom for the poor.  Saladin reclaims the Temple of Solomon for the Muslims but allows Orthodox and Jacobite Christians to stay and maintain their holy places.  Saladin will soon defeat the remaining Catholic strongholds either by battle or through surrender in exchange for prisoner releases.   

On October 20, Pope Urban III dies suddenly at Ferrara upon learning Saladin took Jerusalem.  Gregory VIII is Pope for two months. During that time, he calls for a 3^rd crusade in Audita Tremendi.

In November, Conrad of Montferrat manages to keep Saladin out of Tyre.

In December, Clement III becomes Pope, returns to Rome, and make amends with Holy Roman Emperor Friedrich I.

The Order of Alcantera merges with the Order of Santiago.

1188

In January at Gisors, King Henry II of England and King Philippe II of France reach a truce and agree to combine their efforts to beat Saladin.  According to Holy Blood, Holy Grail, until now the Prieuré de Sion and the Templars shared the same Grand Master.  During a joint meeting an argument under an elm tree split the Templars and the Prieuré de Sion into separate organizations.  This incident will be known as the Cutting of the Elm.  Templar Jean de Gisors (1133-1220) is named first Grand Master of the Prieuré de Sion, which now takes the subtitle Ormus, a word associated with light or enlightenment.

England raises its taxes to support the new crusade against Saladin.

In July, Saladin releases King of Jerusalem Guy de Lusignan and Grand Master Gérard de Ridefort who then travel to Antioch.

In November, Sultan Kilij Arslan II abdicates and civil war breaks out as his eleven sons fight between themselves.

In December, Saladin takes Castle Safed.  At this point, the only area remaining in Catholic control is the port of Tyre.

1189

On May 11, Friedrich I leaves for the 3^rd Crusade with an army of 100,000.  On the way to Jerusalem, he attacks Constantinople, getting Byzantine Emperor Isaac Angelus to surrender.

On July 6, King Henry II of England dies.  Eleanor of Aquitaine regains her freedom from confinement upon his death and serves as regent for her son Richard I, who grants the Templars a charter of special privileges. 

In September, at King Richard’s coronation, a mob angry at the wealth of the Jews massacres many of them.

Saladin grants Coptic Christians from Ethiopia a site for their altar in Jerusalem.

On October 4, King Guy de Lusignan has Gérard de Ridefort lay siege to Acre.  Saladin again captures de Ridefort -- and this time kills him.  Crusaders abandon their forts at Petra in Jordan.

On December 12, King Richard I leaves England on a third crusade against the Muslims.

1190

On June 10, Holy Roman Emperor Friedrich I drowns in the Saleph River at Cilicia.

On July 4, new allies King Richard I and French King Philippe II meet at Vézelay in France and march together against Muslim-held Jerusalem.  Templar Ralph de Sudeley offers his lands back home as a training camp for both Templar and non-Templar soldiers.

In October, King Richard I seizes the strategic port of Messina in Sicily.

Creation in Jerusalem of the Teutonic Knights of Saint Mary’s Hospital.

1191

On March 30, Pope Clement IV dies and cardinals elect Celestine III, who crowns Henry VI as Holy Roman Emperor the next month.

On May 12, King Richard I marries Princess Berengaria of Navarre aboard a ship outside of Cyprus.  On the 13th, he and Jerusalem King Guy de Lusignan successfully attack Cyprus and rescue hostages taken by Byzantine Prince Isaac Ducas Comnenus, now an ally of Saladin

On July 12, King Richard I of England and King Phillippe II of France defeat the Muslims at Acre and ransom its citizens for 200,000 besants, the return of Catholic prisoners, and the return of the “True Cross.” 

On July 28, King Richard I of England and King Phillippe II of France have a disagreement causing Phillip to leave on a mission to attack Jaffa.

On August 20, impatient with Saladin to fulfill surrender promised from Acre brutality, King Richard I beheads 2700 Muslim  citizens in Jaffa, one by one, a carnage that lasts three days.

On September 7, King Richard I defeats Saladin at the Battle of Ansluf.

Robert de Sablé becomes the 11^th Grand Master of the Templars and buys Cyprus from King Richard I for 100,000 besants.

1192

Princess Isabella is divorced from Humphrey against her will and married to the throne-seeking Conrad of Montferrat.

On April 5, nobles depose Jerusalem King Guy de Lusignan in favor of Conrad of Montferrat. 

Unable to settle there, Templars return Cyprus to King Richard I who sells it to Guy de Lusignan to remove him from Jerusalem.

On April 28, Assassins disguised as Catholic monks kill Conrad of Montferrat and Count Henri II de Champagne is voted King of Jerusalem.  Two days later, he marries Princess Isabella.

In May, King Richard I defeats Saladin at Doron and for a short time Catholics hold the entire coast.

On July 30, Saladin takes Jaffa but is driven out the next day by King Richard I.

On September 2, tired of their many disagreements and battles, King Richard I, King Henri II de Champagne, Templar Grand Master Robert de Sablé, and Saladin sign a five-year peace treaty at Jaffa and their armies disband.

On October 9, King Richard I leaves Palestine for home.  In December, the Duke of Austria Leopold V captures returning King Richard I near Vienna.   Holy Roman Emperor Henry VI then takes Richard I as prisoner.

1193

Robert de Sablé dies and on September 28, Gilbert Erail (a.k.a. Gilbert Horal) becomes the 12^th Templar Grand Master.

On March 3, Saladin dies in Damascus and after a period of civil war the Muslim empire divides between his brother al-Adil and other heirs.

1194

Holy Roman Emperor Henry VI releases King Richard I in exchange for ransom in February.

In May, Cyprus King Guy de Luisignan dies and is succeeded by his brother Amalric II.

In July, King Richard I declares war on France and defeats King Phillippe II at Fretevel.

1195

King Richard I arranges for the marriage of his sister Joanna to Count Raimond IV de Toulouse.

On April 2 at Bari in Italy, Holy Roman Emperor Henry VI calls for a new crusade against Constantinople and the Muslims.

On April 8, Byzantine Emperor Isaac I is deposed and imprisoned along with his son Alexius IV by Isaac’s brother Alexius III.

1196

In January, King Richard I of England and King Phillippe II of France make peace by the Treaty of Louviers, but in July Phillippe II attacks England again.

In July, Saladin’s brother al-Adil takes Egypt.

On December 25, Friedrich II becomes King of the Romans.

1197

Thibaud III becomes Count de Champagne until 1201.

King Henri II dies in Jerusalem in September.  Isabella takes her fourth husband, Amalric de Lusignan (brother of Guy de Lusignan) who becomes Amalric II, King of Jerusalem.

On September 28, Holy Roman Emperor Henry IV dies and his son Friedrich II becomes King of Germany and Sicily.

1198

On January 8, Pope Celestine III dies and newly elected Innocent III calls on all Catholics to go on another crusade.

Papal Legate Peter of Capua negotiates yet another treaty between King Richard I of England and King Phillippe II of France.

In summer, German Catholics form the Teutonic Knights as a monastic order at Acre.  They adopt the Templar monastic rule but wear a black cross on their white habits instead of red.

Countess Marie de Champagne dies.

In August, Pope Innocent III formally declares a 4^th crusade.

In September, King Richard I breaks the peace treaty and defeats King Phillippe II of France at Gisors.

1199

On January 13, King Richard I and King Phillippe II sign yet another truce. 

King Richard I dies on April 6 and John is crowned King of England.

Pope Innocent III (1161-1216) supports the Templars by reaffirming Omne Datum Optimum eight times.  He creates a vision of reuniting the Catholic and Eastern Orthodox churches and increases the power of the Papacy through direct taxation. 

1200

Pope Innocent III reinstates the Humiliati after they recant.

Approximate founding of the Order of San Jorge de Alfama.

1201

Thibaud IV becomes Count de Champagne for a record 52 years until 1253.  He has only one child, Jeanne (1274-1305) who will marry the future French King Philippe IV.  

In March, Frency nobles elect Count Thibaud IV to lead a crusade against Egypt and Constantinople.  They travel to Venice to negotiate transport by boat.

Philip de Plessiez becomes the 13^th Grand Master of the Templars.

Founding of the Order of Sword Brothers.

1202

Pope Innocent III launches the 4^th Crusade against the Egyptians and the Bogomils in Bosnia.  Some Bogomils flee to Europe, particularly to sympathetic Cathari communities in southern France. 

Alexius IV escapes imprisonment by Alexius III and plots with Boniface of Montferrat to divert crusaders to Constantinople to free his father and retake the city.

Unable to raise the money needed to pay Venetians to take them to Egypt, crusaders agree to barter by attacking Zara in Dalmatia on behalf of Venice.  On November 24, Crusaders take Zara and earn their trip.  The destination changes, however, as Alexius IV makes an attractive financial offer to free Constantinople from Alexius III.

1203

Fortification of Montségur, a mountaintop Cathari fortress for women in southern France, in anticipation of a Catholic attack.

After a brief return to the throne by his father, Alexius IV becomes Byzantine Emperor.

1204

In January, Alexius V Murtzouphlos deposes Alexius IV as Byzantine Emperor.

In February, Catholics and Cathars debate in Carcassonne under the sponsorship of King Peter II of Aragon.

On April 6, Venice attacks the Eastern Orthodox capital of Constantinople where its leaders gain a peaceful loss after promising ransom.  Templars go on the trip but refuse to fight against other Christians.

On April 12-15, after Constantinople fails to produce the money, crusaders spend three days conducting particularly gruesome orgies, riots, and mass killings that eliminate any chance of east-west reconciliation.  

Venetians and crusaders such as Robert de Clari (1170-1216) loot or destroy countless Byzantine relics. de Clari will write about a special  shroud with the image of Jesus located at Our Lady Holy Mary Church of Blachernae, near Constantinople.  This cloth will eventually become known as the Shroud of Turin.

On May 16, nobles at Constantinople elect Count Baldwin IX of Flanders as Baldwin I, the new Eastern Emperor.  Conquered lands are divided up between the Venetians and the crusaders.  Former Byzantine rulers feebly attempt to govern from exile in Nicea, electing Thomas Lascarious as Emperor.

According to Ian Wilson in The Jesus Conspiracy, Eastern Emperor Baldwin I sends the Shroud of Turin along with substantial treasure to Rome as a gift to the Pope under the care of a Templar envoy named Baroche.  Six Genoese ships, known for their cruelty, attack the envoy's vessel, take the treasure, but uncharacteristically leave ship and crew unharmed.  Wilson believes this was a setup to pass the Shroud into the hands of the Templars.

In September, Sultan al-Adil and King Amalric II of Jerusalem sign a six-year peace treaty.

1205

On April 1, King of Jerusalem Amalric II dies and over the course of the year the throne passes to his wife Isabella (who also dies), then to her daughter from Conrad of Montferrat, Maria.

On April 14, Emperor of Bulgaria Kalojan defeats Eastern Emperor Baldwin I’s forces and kills him.  Baldwin’s brother Henry of Flanders becomes Emperor.

Pope Innocent III declares in Vergentis in Senium that heretics must be executed like any other traitors and their lands and goods seized. 

1206

Cathari Council at Mirepoix.

Cistercian monk Dominic Guzman (1170-1221) establishes a Catholic asylum to convert Cathari women.  Obviously they must be crazy to reject Catholicism 

Wallon de Sarton, the canon of Picquigny, brings the remains of John the Baptist to Amiens from Constantinople.  He presents them to Bishop Richard de Gerberoy and plans are made to build a large cathedral to house them.

On August 20, Emperor Baldwin I dies in captivity and his brother Henry of Flanders takes the crown.

1207

There is a two-week religious debate in Montreal between Cathari, represented by Arnaud Hot and Guilhabert de Castres, and Catholics, represented by Dominic Guzman and papal representative Pierre de Castelnau.

Catholics and Waldensians meet in Palmiers where according to legend Esclarmonde de Foix attends as hostess. She is told by the Catholics to be quiet and not take part in a debate meant for men.  Indignant, she later becomes a parfait and military leader in the Cathari movement.

On May 29, Pope Innocent III excommunicates Count Raimond VI de Toulouse for showing too much tolerance to the Cathari.

Death of Emperor of Bulgaria Kalojan.

1208

On January 15, henchmen of the Count Raimond VI de Toulouse murder Papal legate Pierre de Castelnau in Saint-Gilles.  Pope Innocent III attributes the crime to the Count’s association with the Cathari.  This event brings about a higher level of crusade against the Cathari.

Pope Innocent III admonishes the Templars for their xe "Christian"behavior, specifically mentioning necromancy (summoning and communicating with the dead).

1209

On February 12, Templar Grand Master Philip de Plessiez dies in a battle with the Muslims. Guillaume de Chartres becomes the 14^th Grand Master of the Templars.

On June 18, Cathari sympathizer Count Raimond VI de Toulouse is publicly whipped at Saint-Gilles and reverts to pure Catholicism.

On June 24 (John the Baptist's feast day), the Albigensian Crusade against the Cathari begins in Lyons with 6,000 and 30,000 troops under command of the Abbot of Citeaux, Arnaud Amaury (a.k.a. Arnoldus, 1160-1225). The June crusade begins what Richard Leigh called the “first case of genocide in European history.”

On July 22 (Mary Magdalene's feast day) Catholic forces kill everyone in the town of Beziers, including over 200 Cathari plus 15,000 to 20,000 Catholics who protected them.  The genocide continues as they defeat Perpignan, Narbonne, and Toulouse, killing everyone in sight.  However, they are unable to take the Cathari at the fortress of Montségur.

On August 15, Catholic forces take Carcassonne.  Albi, Castres, Caussade, Fanjeaux, and other French towns soon follow.

In September, the Council of Avignon denounces heretics and Jews.

Francis of Assisi (1181-1226) starts the Franciscan order of monks at Vézelay, France. Francis leads lay people in voluntary poverty through traveling and preaching.   Although he criticizes Catholic failure to live up to the ideals of Scripture, he receives Papal approval for his considerable humility and not rejecting the Pope’s authority.

1210

Assassin leader Muhammad II dies and his son Hasan III takes over.  Moving the Shiite-centered group more towards Sunni orthodoxy, he reigns until 1221.

On July 22, Catholic forces under Simon de Montfort (dies 1264) defeat the Cathari.  At Minerve in August, 140 Cathari leap into the flames rather than convert to Catholicism.

John of Brienne becomes King of Jerusalem.

In September, Papal legates excommunicate Count Raimond VI de Toulouse a second time.

On November 23, Catholic Simon de Montfort defeats the castle of Termes after a nine-month siege.  He destroys the Chateau de Blanchefort near Serres. 

1211

On May 3, Catholic forces defeat Lavaur and burn over 400 Cathari.  They repeatedly rape parfaite  Giraude de Lavaur, throw her into a well, and stone her to death.  She owned large tracts of land, a privilege unheard of in the rest of Europe, and one thought evil by the Papacy.

On March 30, Pope Innocent III excommunicates Emperor Otto IV.

1212

Clare of Assisi (born 1194) starts the Order of Poor Clares.

Motivated by a child claiming that Jesus personally told him to retake the Holy Land, thousands of children gather in Marseilles waiting for the sea to part.  When the sea inevitably doesn’t part, corrupt merchants offer to take them to Jerusalem for free, a cover for their sale into North African slavery.  This “crusade” is the origin of the “Pied Piper” story.

1213

The Council of St. Albans creates what will become the English Parliament.

On April 19, Pope Innocent III proclaims a 5^th crusade against Muslims in the East which shifts resources away from crusades against the Cathari and Spanish Muslims.

On September 12 at the Battle of Muret, Simon de Montfort defeats Count Raimond De Toulouse and Pedro II of Aragon.  This Catholic victory marks the end of the Cathari crusade – for now – as forces are diverted back to the Holy Land.

1215

On January 8, Simon de Montfort becomes Lord of the Lanquedoc area of southern France.

Dominic Guzman begins the Dominican order of monks at Toulouse.  Dressed in black, they overcome heresy through preaching and conversion rather than force.  They eventually become Papal police, using their influence and authority to give divine permission to the tortures of the Inquisition.

Signing of the Magna Carta by King John in England at Runnymeade.  Also present is Aymeric St. Mawr, English Templar Grand Master.

On November 11, Pope Innocent III convenes in Rome the 4^th Lateran Council (12^th Ecumenical), saying “there is but one Universal Church of the faithful, outside of which no one at all is saved.”  He approves the Dominican order of monks, condemns the Cathari, and decrees all re-baptizers be punished by death.  He formalizes transubstantiation and requires Muslims and Jews to wear specially marked clothing to keep Catholics from being “fooled” into marrying them.  Finally, he prohibits trial by ordeal without prohibiting torture during interrogation, saying “Use against heretics the spiritual sword of excommunication, and if this does not prove effective, use the material sword.”   He also raises taxes to fund the crusade.

1216

On June 11, Byzantine Emperor Henry of Flanders dies and Peter of Courtenay takes the crown.

On July 16, Innocent III dies, succeeded by Honorius III.  One of his first acts is to recognize the Dominicans and the Order of Poor Clares.

1217

In November, the first armies of the dismal 5^th Crusade arrive in the Holy Land from Cyprus (then the main home of the Templars) to fight the Egyptians.

The Templars begin construction on Castle Pilgrim at Atlit.  It will become the strongest of all their fortresses in the Holy Land. 

1218

On June 25, according to legend, Catholic commander and misogynist Simon de Montfort is killed during the Toulouse siege by a heavy weapon -- operated by a woman.

On August 31, Sultan al-Adil dies and his sons al-Kamil in Egypt and Mu’azzam in Damascus take over.

Pope Honorius III (dies 1227) directs a crusade against the Muslims in Spain.

1219

Catholic forces take Toulouse and much of the Languedoc area of France while searching for Cathari and other suspected heretics.

On May 14, crusaders under King John of Jerusalem take Damietta in Egypt. 

Francis of Assisi negotiates a startling deal with the Sultan al-Kamil in Cairo.  In exchange for leaving Egypt, the Sultan promises to give the Catholics Jerusalem, Galilee, all of central Palestine, and to top it off, the True Cross.  Amazingly, the Catholics decline -- believing they should not negotiate with Muslims no matter how good the terms. 

On August 25, Guillaume de Chartres dies and Pedro de Montaigu, former Grand Master in Spain and Provence, becomes the 15^th Templar Grand Master.

1220

In May, Francis of Assisi resigns as governor of his order.

On November 22, Friedrich II is crowned Holy Roman Emperor.  Compared with previous leaders he is a radical, preferring to resolve disputes by negotiation rather than by force.  His respect for Islam and his near-contempt for hypocritical Catholic behavior makes him one of the most innovative, progressive, and scorned rulers in Europe.  Friedrich is an accomplished scholar, with a formidable library and a dazzling collection of translators, scholars, poets, and astrologers.  Trained in Arabic and Muslim customs, he is an excellent diplomat capable anywhere in the world.  He persecuted Catholic heretics in Europe but believed that Muslims and Jews were not infidels.

Assassin leader Hasan III dies and his son Muhammad III takes over until 1255.

Construction begins on the Amiens Cathedral for relics of John the Baptist.

Completion of the Cathedral at Notre Dame in Paris.

According to Holy Blood, Holy Grail, Marie de Saint-Clair becomes Grand Master of the Prieuré de Sion.

1221

On July 12, still determined to conquer Egypt, the Catholics unsuccessfully attack Sultan al-Kamil in Cairo, who offers another sweet deal: leave Egypt, accept an eight-year truce, and get back the “True Cross” upon which Jesus was crucified.  Reeling from a resounding military defeat at the Battle of al-Mansura, Catholics accept the deal and leave in August.  However, the Sultan never delivers the “True Cross.”

1222

The Council of Oxford.

In August, Count Raimond VI de Toulouse dies and passes his title to son Raimond VII.

1223

Templars feud with Henry III of England over their refusal to pay taxes and their influence with judges.  Pope Honorius III issues De Insolentia Templariorium Reprimenda but the rebuke has no effect.  Henry III later warms up to the Templars and calls on them for help in various diplomatic missions.

1224

Holy Roman Emperor Friedrich II starts the University of Naples, one of the first universities in Europe.

1225

The Council of Bourges.

On February 15, Pope Honorius III condemns Count Raimond VII for heresy.

King John passes his crown to his daughter Isabella of Brienne (born 1212, a.k.a. Yolande).  On November 9, Emperor Friedrich II marries Isabella of Brienne and becomes King of Jerusalem.

1226

King Louis VIII dies after spending most of the year hunting heretics.  His 12-year-old son Louis IX is crowned with mother Queen Blanche of Castille (1188-1252) as regent.

Pope Honorius excommunicates Count Raimond VII de Toulouse for displaying too much tolerance towards the Cathari.

A Cathari Council meets at Pieusse.

1227

On March 18, Pope Honorius II dies and Gregory IX ascends to the Papacy. 

On August 24, Genghis Khan dies and the Mongol empire is divided between his families.

On September 29, Pope Gregory IX excommunicates Friedrich II for not agreeing to go on crusade when instructed by the Vatican.

1228

On June 26, the now-excommunicated Holy Roman Emperor Friedrich II (1194-1250) launches a 6th Crusade against Egyptian forces in Jerusalem.  For going on crusade without Papal permission, Gregory IX excommunicates him a second time.  Friedrich II lands in Acre on September 7.  Because of his excommunication, Templars and Hospitallers mistrust him and their alliance is uneasy.

Crusaders build a fortress at Sidon.

1229

On February 18, Holy Roman Emperor Friedrich II negotiates the 10-year Treaty of Jerusalem with the Egyptian Sultan al-Kamil and crowns himself King of Jerusalem March 18.  However, despite these impressive results, Pope Gregory IX excommunicates Friedrich II a third time for “collaboration” with the Muslims and attacks his properties in Italy.  Templars turn against him and he retreats to Acre where he expels all Templar troops.

On April 12, Count Raimond VII de Toulouse (dies 1249) affects a cease-fire between the Cathari and the Catholics through negotiations (the Treaty of Meaux) with his cousin Queen Blanche of Castille.  Later, under pressure, he will reluctantly turn against the Cathari. 

On May 1, Holy Roman Emperor Friedrich II is forced to leave the Holy Land to defend Papal attacks on his lands in Italy.

In November, the Council of Toulouse meets to decide the spiritual fate of the Cathari, setting up a system of Catholic-supervised, local tribunals for determining heresy.  Most Cathari parfaits and parfaites (male and female clergy) leave their villages and take refuge in castles of sympathetic landowners such as Raimond de Pereille at Montségur, the fortress which becomes the Cathari citadel.

1230

In the Treaty of San Germano, Pope Gregory IX lifts the excommunications of Friedrich II temporarily settling their disputes.

The Cathari Bishop of Razes moves into the fortress of Queribus until 1241.

1231

Pope Gregory IX declares that only he may decide who is and who is not a heretic and that the most appropriate punishment for heretics is to be burned at the stake.

On July 5, Pope Gregory IX and Friedrich II sign a three-year treaty of peace.

1232

Pope Gregory IX establishes the Holy Roman Inquisition to rid the world of non-Catholic influences, including all Jewish and Muslim knowledge not part of Catholic orthodoxy.  The Inquisition specifically prohibits Bible reading by laypersons; assumes guilt until proven innocent; and extends guilt for heresy to friends and family of the accused (in part to acquire their property, a privilege accorded to Inquisitors when a suspect is found guilty). Run primarily by Dominican and Franciscan monks, the Inquisition is a separate tribunal answerable only to the Papacy.

Cathari synod led by Guillabert de Castres called on Ramon de Perella to accept all Cathari refugees into the fortress at Montségur.

Upon the death of Pedro de Montaigu, Armand de Perigord becomes the 16^th Templar Grand Master.

Pope Gregory IX assembles over 30,000 crusaders to attack the Cathari by promising extensive indulgences, eternal salvation, and the lands of the conquered.  Many Templars refuse to take part and offer some Cathari refuge or accept fleeing Cathari into the Templars. 

1235

On July 15, Emperor Friedrich II marries his third wife, Isabella 

In November, the people of Toulouse run Catholic inquisitors out of town, angered by their exhuming dead people to try them as heretics.

1236

Catholic forces take Cordoba in Spain from the Muslims.

1237

Emperor Friedrich II’s son Conrad becomes King of the Romans.

The Order of Sword Brothers merges with the Teutonic Knights.

Count Raimond VII de Toulouse negotiates a suspension of the Inquisition in his lands until 1241.

1238

Creation of an Augustinian monastery at Inchmahome in Scotland by the Earl of Monteith.

On March 8, Sultan al-Kamil dies.

1239

On March 20, Pope Gregory IX excommunicates Holy Roman Emperor Friedrich II yet again, this time for denying Jesus' virgin birth, and starts a crusade against him 

On May 29, Inquisitor Robert le Bougre burns 183 Cathari at the stake at Montwimer (Marne) in France.  Their protector, Catholic Bishop Moranis, is killed with them.

Muslims based at Castle Krak conquer Jerusalem when the 1229 treaty expires.

Count Thibaud de Champagne leads a crusade against the Egyptians which fails at Gaza.

1240

Holy Roman Emperor Friedrich II begins construction of the octagonal Castle Del Monte 55km from Bari in Italy.

Templars under Raimond de Caro rebuild Castle Safed at a cost of over a million gold besants.

Templars successfully attack Nablus.

On August 21, Pope Gregory IX dies and Celestine IV is elected a few months later.  He dies in just 15 days. The Papacy will be vacant for the two years.

Death of Muhyi'l-din Ibn al-Arabi, Sufi Saint (1165-1240), who traveled extensively in Europe, Africa, and the Middle East.  His 400+ works focused on Hermetic interpretations of God.   "To say that Christ is God is true in the sense that everything else is God, and to say that the Son of Mary is God is also true, but to say that God is Christ the son of Mary is false, because this would imply that He is Christ and nothing else.  God is you and I and everything else in the universe."  -- Muhyi'l-din Ibn al-Arabi

1241

Catholics retake Jerusalem through negotiations led by the Hospitallers.

Mongols under Genghis Ghan invade Hungary and Poland and move towards the Adriatic Sea.

Pressured by the Vatican to attack the very Cathari he was protecting, Count Raimond VII de Toulouse makes the symbolic gesture of putting Montségur under siege.

1242

In April, Cathari associated with Count Raimond VII de Toulouse and Pierre-Roger de Mirepoix kill Catholic Inquisitors Barmand Guilhern de Montpellier and Etienne de Narbonne at the castle of Avignonnet. The murders provide the Pope justification to launch a large-scale attack on Toulouse. 

In May, Count Raimond VII de Toulouse rebels against King Louis IX with support of Henry III, Emperor Friedrich II’s son.

1243

In January, Count Raimond VII de Toulouse surrenders to King Louis IX, who pardons him in exchange for a commitment in writing to stop protecting Cathari and cease relations with Holy Roman Emperor Friedrich II and Henry III.

The Council of Beziers decides to lay siege to the Cathari fortress at Montségur, which begins on May 13.  During the summer and winter, some of the 10,000 Catholic soldiers defect to the Cathari.

On December 2, hoping to recruit him to finally crush the Cathari, Pope Innocent IV grants Count Raimond VII de Toulouse absolution for his 1242 rebellion.

1244

On March 1, about 340 Cathari at Montségur under the command of Pierre-Roger de Mirepoix and Raimond de Perella agree to surrender to Catholic forces in two weeks, giving them time to make peace with God.

On March 13, according to legend, four Cathari parfaits (Amiel Aicart, Hugues Paytavi, Pierre Bonet, and Mathieu) escape Montségur with Cathari artifacts and treasure, taking them first to fortified caves near Ussat then to a castle at Montreal-de-Sos or Usson.

On March 14, about 205 Cathari at Montségur come down from the mountain and choose to burn at the stake rather than convert.

On July 11, the Sultan of Cairo's Turkish mercenaries under Pasha Khwarazmi retake Jerusalemxe "Jerusalem", slaughtering many Catholics.   Muslims divide into factions over the incident, with northern Muslims allying with the Catholics and southern Muslims with the Sultan. 

On October 17, the two alliances meet in the battle of La Forbie at Gaza and the Sultan's forces win, killing Templar Grand Master Armand de Perigord.

The Council of Narbonne declares that no leniency be allowed in the Holy Roman Inquisition.  Sentences are to be harsh and may include the children and parents of those accused. 

1245

Pope Innocent IV grants Inquisitors impunity:  the authority to absolve themselves and their assistants from any acts of violence while carrying out their duties 

On July 27, the Council of Lyons (13^th Ecumenical) Pope Innocent IV presides with King Baudouin, Eastern Emperor, and French King Louis IX (1214-1270).  The council again excommunicates and then deposes Holy Roman Emperor Friedrich II for attempting to make the Church part of government.  The Council calls for a 7^th Crusade against the Muslims and Mongols under the command of King Louis IX.

Richard de Bures becomes the 17^th Templar Grand Master.

1246

According to The Jesus Conspiracy, King Louis IX sends two Dominican monks to Constantinople, knowing Byzantine Emperor Baldwin II is short of funds and willing to sell relics of Jesus (crown of thorns, pieces of the True Cross) from the collection of Constantine’s mother Helena from 900 years earlier. These relics include a sancta toella tabule inserta (holy towel mounted in a panel) – probably the item that will become known as the Shroud of Turin.

1247

On May 9, Richard de Bures dies and Guillaume de Sonnace becomes the 18^th Templar Grand Master.  de Sonnace seeks out the Sultan of Egypt for diplomatic relations which go surprisingly well, so well that King Louis IX criticizes de Sonnace and refuses to benefit from his negotiations.

On October 15, Egyptians capture Ascalon.

1248

King Louis IX’s two Dominican monks return from Constantinople with unspecified relics of Jesus.  They are placed in a specially built edifice in Paris at the Shrine of Sainte-Chapelle (near Notre Dame). The relics disappear during the French Revolution.

On August 26 King Louis IX leaves France on a crusade to Egypt.

The Mongols refuse to negotiate a peace with the Ismaili Assassins.

1249

On June 5, King Louis IX arrives in Egypt.

On September 27, Count Raimond VII de Toulouse dies and his son-in-law Alfonse of Poitiers (the brother of King Louis IX) is his successor.

1250

On April 7, Muslims defeat and capture King Louis IX and his entire army as he withdraws from the Battle of al-Mansourah.  Templar Grand Master William de Sonnac dies. Reynald de Vichiera (dies 1256) becomes the 19^th Templar Grand Master.

Ransomed reluctantly by the Templars in exchange for the city of Damietta, King Louis IX and his barons stay in Palestine and begin a major reconstruction campaign of Templar fortresses.

On December 13, Holy Roman Emperor Friedrich II dies and Conrad IV of Sicily takes his place.

1252

Pope Innocent IV in Ad extirpanda authorizes the use of torture to encourage confessions as long as it does not result in mutilation or death.

Templar Reynald de Vichiera's unapproved peace treaty with Damascus brings trouble with King Louis IX who banishes him from the Holy Land. 

Thomas Berard takes over as the 20^th Templar Grand Master.

English King Henry III accuses the Templars of excessive pride.

1253

Count Thibaud IV de Champagne dies succeeded by his son Thibaud V.  His wife Margaret of Bourbon acts as the boy’s regent until 1256.

Franciscan monk William of Rudrick attempts to negotiate an alliance on behalf of King Louis IX with Mongol leader Mangu to support a seventh crusade against the Muslims.

1254

On April 9, Pope Innocent IV excommunicates Conrad IV.

On April 24, King Louis IX leaves Castle Pilgrim for France and civil war breaks out.

On May 21, Conrad VI dies and is succeeded by his son Conradin.

On December 7, Pope Innocent IV dies and Alexander IV is elected.

1255

Assassin leader Muhammad III is murdered by his gay lover and and his son Khurshah becomes the last ruler before Mongols destroy Alamut in 1256.

Count Thibaud V marries Isabelle, daughter of Louis IX of France.

1256

Pope Alexander IV founds the Order of Augustine Hermits.

Last stand of the Cathari at Queribus, a fortress in southern France.

In spring, Mongols (a.k.a. Tartars) under Huelgu Khan siege the Assassins fortress at Alamut, giving Khurshah an offer of survival if he surrenders. 

On November 18, Assassin leader Khurshah surrenders at the Mongol base camp but his fellow Assassins resist the siege and dig in Alamut.  Over the next few months, the Mongols take Alamut and burn its extensive library, kill Khurshah and his family, and conquer remaining Assassin strongholds except for Syria.

1258

In January and February, Mongols under Genghis Ghan’s grandson, Hulegu, move west from Alamut to take Baghdad.  They massacre the population and destroy its 36 extensive libraries, including the 10,000-volume library of Vizir Ibn al-Alkami.

1259

Emergence of the Flagellants in southern Germany and northern Italy. Flagellants believe in self-punishment for sins by marching through the streets naked except for loincloths, whipping themselves, and crying to God for mercy.  They believe sure salvation comes to all that stick to this practice for a thirty-three day period.

1260

In March, Mongols take Damascus but withdraw over internal disputes.

Approximate founding of the Apostolici (a.k.a. Apostolic Brethren) by Gerard Segarelli (dies 1300).  Apostolici believe that material possessions spoil the soul.  They refuse to participate in any accumulation of materials goods, even clothes and food.  Everything is in the moment, not the past nor the future.  Despised by the Catholic hierarchy, they are frequently burned at the stake as heretics.

On September 3, Mamluk forces under Sultan Saif-ad-Din Qutuz defeat the Mongols at Ayn Julat, south of Nazareth.  A month later, he is assassinated by Emir Baybars who takes over as Mamluk commander.  Baybars begins relentlessly attacking crusader fortresses.

Templars build Castle Beaufort in Lebanon.

1261

On May 25, Pope Alexander IV dies and Urban IV is elected in August.

On July 25, Byzantines retake Constantinople from the West, ending its occupation of their capital.

Baybars becomes Sultan of Egypt and continues his conquest of the Holy Land.

1262

Pope Urban IV grants Catholic Inquisitors the authority to absolve themselves and their assistants from any liability when those they torture die.

King Jayme I of Aragon orders the destruction of all Jewish texts.

1263

Birth of Roseline de Villeneuve (dies 1329), daughter of noted Catalan mystic and alchemist Arnaud de Villeneuve (1240~1311) and Sibylle de Sabran.  Courageous and resourceful, she is known for a dramatic rescue of her crusader brother Helios from prison on Rhodes.  Her feast day is January 17.

On April 4, Sultan Baybars attacks Acre.

1264

Pope Urban IV dies on October 2.

1265

In August, Sultan Baybars takes Caesarea, Haifa, and the Hospitaller fortress of Arsuf.

Future Grand Master Jacques de Molay is initiated into the Templars at Beaune, France.

Prince Edward of England defeats Simon de Montfort at the Battle of Evesham.

Pope Clement IV admonishes the Templars on their arrogance.

1266

According to Holy Blood, Holy Grail, Guillaume de Gisors (1219-1307) becomes Grand Master of the Prieuré de Sion.

In July, Sultan Baybars takes the Templar strongholds of Castle Blanco and Castle Saphet (a.k.a. Safed).  After victory at Safed, he rings the Castle with severed Templar heads.

1267

According to the journals of Inquisitor Bernardo Gui, Prince Charles of Salerno, nephew of King Louis XI, is present when a few fragments of relics of Mary Magdalene are shown at Vézelay.  He becomes obsessed with her and starts a lifelong mission to find her remains.

Throughout the year, Sultan Baybars takes many more coastal cities such as Beaufort and Baghran.

1268

On May 18, Sultan Baybars captures Antioch and kills everyone. This victory puts all of Palestine under his control.

On November 29, Pope Clement IV dies.

1269

King Hugh III of Cyprus becomes King of Jerusalem.

1270

On July 1, King Louis IX launches the very unsuccessful 8^th crusade against North Africa. 

On August 27, King Louis IX and most of his army die from the plague in Tunisia or in storms while returning to Sicily. His son Phillippe III (born 1245) becomes King of France.

Henry III takes over from his brother Thibaud V as Count of Champagne.  

1271

On April 8, Sultan Baybars takes Castle Blanc and Castle Krak.

The Languedoc area of France, formerly home to the Cathari and other non-Christian groups, passes into control of King Phillippe III.  The remaining Cathari communities are wiped out.

Prince Edward of England invades Palestine by sea to attack Sultan Baybars. 

1272

On May 22, Prince Edward of England and Sultan Baybars sign a ten-year truce and Baybars returns to Egypt.

On June 16, Assassins fail to kill Prince Edward at Acre.

1273

Establishment of a school in Spain specializing in the Kabbala and alchemy.

In March, Templar Grand Master Thomas Berard dies.  In May, Guillaume de Beaujeu becomes the 21^st Grand Master.

Death of Djelaleddin Rumi (a.k.a. Maulavi, born 1207), Persian poet, Sufi Saint, and founder of the Order of the Whirling Dervishes. “The lamps are many but the light is one.”

1274

In January, the 2^nd Council of Lyons (14^th Ecumenical) under Pope Gregory X (a.k.a, Tedaldo Visconti, 1210-1276) and Holy Roman Emperor Rudolph I temporarily reunites Catholicism with the Eastern Orthodox Church.  It reaffirms the Council of 381 and lays down rules for papal elections, including a secret ballot.  Pope Gregory X suggests the Templars and the Hospitallers merge which both groups successfully oppose.  The Council also chastises but does not condemn Thomas Aquinas and forbids new monastic orders.

Thomas Aquinas (born 1225), Catholic theologian and Benedictine monk, writes to reconcile God and Man in a unity of thought.  His book Summa Theologica superbly compiles comprehensive statements of Catholic doctrine.  He dies several months after his appearance at the Council of Lyons.

Henry III de Champagne dies and his daughter Jeanne becomes Countess of Champagne and Queen of Navarre at age 4. 

Prince Henry of England becomes King on the death of his father, Henry II.

1275

Approximate founding of the Order of Santa Maria de Espana.

1276

Pope Gregory X dies and his next three successors, Innocent V (1224-1276), Hadrian V (1205-1276), and John XXI (1215-1277) do as well.

1277

Nicholas III (1215-1280) becomes Pope in November and exiles Franciscan scholar and scientist Roger Bacon for heresy until 1292.

On July 1, Sultan Baybars dies from poisoning and his son Baraka ascends to lead the Kingdom.

Charles II of Anjou buys the “rights” to the throne of Jerusalem from Maria of Antioch and is crowned the following January.  Jerusalem is now claimed by two rulers.

1279

On December 9, Prince Charles of Salerno excavates the crypt at Saint Maximin la Sainte-Baume, in the old Basilica of Cassian, in search of the body and relics of Mary Magdalene. 

On December 18, Prince Charles of Salerno finds a body in the crypt in the sealed tomb of Saint Sidonia.  He finds a note inside from monks in the year 710 attesting that the body is Mary Magdalene, hidden there when Muslims were attacking. He declares positive identification of the body based on the note, what he calls a “divine odor” and a patch of pink skin on her head where Jesus could have touched her at his resurrection,

Qalawun (a.k.a. al-Malik al-Mansur) deposes Baraka to become Sultan of Egypt.

1280

In May, nobles from Provence are taken to see the alleged Magdalene relics at La Sainte-Baume. 

During the summer, Abraham Abulafia (1240~1292), a leading Kabbalist from Spain, publicly sets off for Rome to convert Pope Nicholas III to Judaism. Abulafia spends long hours in meditation and works with the Hebrew alphabet to create new meaningful names for God.  Fortunately for Abulafia, whose arrival (and execution) is anticipated in Rome, the Pope dies the day before on August 22 and the execution is canceled.  

Death of Albertus Magnus (born 1193), the foremost Western Kabbalist and Hermeticist of the medieval era.  Theologian, Dominican monk, philosopher, and alchemist, his expertise included botany, astronomy, physics, geology, and a synthesis between Catholic and Hermetic thought.

1281

Martin IV becomes Pope in February.

In April, Pope Martin IV reverses the 1274 reconciliation with the Eastern Church and later with the help of Venice and Charles II attacks Byzantine Emperor Michael VIII and anyone supporting him.

On October 30, Sultan Qalawun defeats an army of Mongols, Armenians, and Hospitallers at the Battle of Horns.

1282

Templars under Guillaume de Beaujeu sign a treaty with Sultan Qalawun guaranteeing the safety of Castle Tortosa in return for a promise not to attack for 10 years.

Eastern Emperor Michael VIII dies and his son Andronicus II succeeds him.

1283

The German Hospitallers become the Teutonic Knights and complete conquering Prussia, establishing a homeland they call the Ordensland. Catholics accuse them of witchcraft but their remote locations in Prussia and the Baltic Coast place them safely beyond authority.

Launch of a crusade against Sicily.

1284

On March 4, King Hugh II of Jerusalem dies and his son John I takes over the crown.

On August 16, Philippe IV (1268-1314), son of Philippe III and grandson of King Louis IX, marries 13-year-old Countess of Champagne Jeanne of Navarre (1271-1305) on August 16. He becomes ruler of Navarre until her death.  Known for his light hair and good looks, he is called “le bel” (the fair).

1285

On March 28, Honorius IV becomes Pope on the death of Martin IV. 

On May 20, King John I of Jerusalem dies and his brother King Henry II of Cyprus takes the crown.

Council of Constantinople.

French King Philippe III dies in October of disease in a failed crusade against Aragon.

1286

On January 6, Philippe IV becomes King of France at Reims.  His reign will be known for its greed. Philippe IV will tax, expel, and seize the property of Jews, tax the rest of the population including the clergy, debase the currency, and bring about the downfall of the Templars.

On June 4, King Henry II of Cyprus reunites Jerusalem.

1287

On April 3, Pope Honorius IV dies and it takes about a year to elect successor Nicholas IV.

1288

Glasses are invented to improve vision but their worldly powers are viewed by many as the work of the devil.

1289

On April 26, Egyptian Sultan Qalawun captures and destroys Tripoli. 

1290

King Edward I of England expels the country’s Jews.

In November, Qalawun dies and his son al-Ashraf Khalil becomes Sultan of Egypt.

1291

On April 5, Sultan Khalil besieges the Catholics at Acre.  By May 18, Acre falls.  Templar Grand Master William de Beaujeu dies defending Acre and that night.

Tibald de Gaudin sails for Sidon with the Templar treasury and relics. At Sidon, Tibald de Gaudin becomes the 22^nd Templar Grand Master.  Then Sidon falls. 

By July 31, Sultan Khalil takes Beirut.

On August 3, Templars evacuate their castle at Tortosa and head to Cyprus on the way to Venice, then France. 

On August 14, Templars evacuate Castle Pilgrim.  Some move to the tiny island of Ruad, off Tortosa.

By the end of the summer, the Muslim defeat of the Catholics loses the entire Holy Land for the West until the time of Napoleon.

The Dominicans and Franciscans launch an Inquisition against the Bogomils in Bulgaria. 

1293

On April 16, Tibald de Gaudin dies and Jacques de Molay (1244-1314) becomes the 23^rd Templar Grand Master.

1294

Five-month term of Pope Celestine V (1209~1296). Prior to becoming Pope, he established the Franciscan Order of the Celestines (a.k.a. Hermits of Murrone).  But as Pope, he becomes increasingly unhappy in the office to which he had been unwillingly elected.  Aide Bishop Benedict Gatano (1235-1303) plays on Celestine’s insecurity to persuade him to resign, the first pope to do so. 

Gatano becomes Pope Boniface VIII and imprisons the former Pope in the Castle Fumone until Celestine’s death in 1296.

1295

On April 6, Pope Boniface VIII declares the Magdalene relics at la Sainte-Baume to be genuine.  Prince Charles of Salerno, now King Charles II of Naples, receives funding and begins construction on a large cathedral at Mary Magdalene’s crypt.

According to Laurence Gardner, the Magdalene relics pass to the Templars for safekeeping until the cathedral is completed.

Scotland and France declare a mutual defense treaty.

France sets up its own treasury and withdraws its fund from the Templar bank in Paris.

1296

Dominican Inquisitors proclaim the Franciscans, their own spiritual brothers, as potential heretics.

England annexes Scotland and removes Scotland's Coronation Stone, the "Stone of Destiny," to Westminster Abbey.

England expels its Jews.

Pope Boniface VIII excommunicates King Philippe IV for asserting the right to tax the clergy.  They reconcile the following year, with the Pope capitulating fearing the complete loss of French revenues.