Source: “Custodians of Truth : The Continuance of Rex Deus”, by Tim Wallace-Murphy and Marilyn Hopkins, Red Wheel/Weiser, LLC, 2005.
Rise of Rex Deus Aristocracy and Knights Templar.wav
This podcast explores the historical influence of the Rex Deus families, a secretive group believed to be descended from ancient Israelite lineages, including the family of Jesus. It argues that these families strategically integrated into European aristocracy, particularly highlighting their connections to the Carolingian dynasty and their role in fostering a protected and prominent Jewish community in Septimania. The text then focuses on the pivotal role of the Rex Deus network, including figures like Bernard of Clairvaux, in the founding and rapid rise of the Knights Templar, suggesting the order's true purpose involved excavating the Temple Mount and recovering ancient knowledge, while also becoming a dominant force in European finance and trade.
Topic 1 The Rex Deus families are depicted as a secretive group descended from the ma'madot, including the Desposyni, who are described as direct descendants of Jesus. During the early Dark Ages, these families dispersed throughout Europe, Asia Minor, and the East. They leveraged their inherent abilities, literacy, and existing Jewish networks to acquire and strengthen positions of power within the emerging merchant and landowning classes. A key strategy for their survival and ascent was maintaining secrecy about their personal beliefs while outwardly conforming to the religious and social norms of their local environment. This discretion allowed Rex Deus members in Christian Europe to avoid the increasing scrutiny of the Catholic Church. By strategically gaining influence near both minor and major kings, these families facilitated the appointment of other family members to influential positions and aristocratic privileges, thereby consolidating their group's overall power base. While some focus is often placed on French Merovingian connections, the source emphasizes that, according to the families' own traditions, this link is not as overwhelmingly important as the power wielded by later Rex Deus generations connected to the Carolingians.
Topic 2 The Carolingian dynasty is identified as a family of the Grail and stewards of the palace who eventually replaced the Merovingian kings. Carolingian rulers like Charles Martel, Pepin the Short, and Charlemagne are highlighted for their military successes and statesmanship. Charlemagne, in particular, expanded the kingdom significantly, ruling a vast territory. The source details the Carolingian's interaction with Jewish communities, particularly in Septimania (Languedoc/Rousillion). After Pepin captured Narbonne in 759, an influential Jewish community, which had settled there fleeing persecution, emerged into prominence. They were granted significant privileges and freehold estates by the Carolingian kings, particularly under Charlemagne. Charlemagne is portrayed as an astute ruler who recognized the commercial importance of the Jews for international trade and encouraged their immigration as a matter of policy. The Carolingian era also saw the establishment of the office of magister Judaeorum, an imperial officer appointed to manage matters related to the Jewish community.
Topic 3 The text elaborates on Charlemagne's complex relationship with the Jewish community in Septimania. Beyond the commercial advantages, an interpreter named Isaac, a Jew, was used for an ambassadorial visit to the Caliph of Baghdad. This visit reportedly resulted in Rabbi Makhi, the first Jewish prince (nasi) of Narbonne, being sent from Baghdad to Septimania, where Charlemagne endowed him with extensive possessions. A tradition among European Jews suggests Charlemagne encouraged the transfer of the main center of Torah studies from Baghdad to Narbonne. However, a potentially more significant reason for his protection of the Jews, according to historian P. Munz, was Charlemagne's alleged claim of succession from the biblical kings of Israel. Munz suggests Charlemagne deliberately orchestrated the situation in Septimania to arrange intermarriage between his own family and that of the nasi, who was also believed to be of the Davidic line. This proposed alliance aimed to provide the Carolingian dynasty with divine sanction. The Nasi Makhir was also given the crucial responsibility of leading the Jews of Septimania and the Toulousians in defending the Spanish frontier and Mediterranean coast against Moorish raids. The descendants of the nasi remained loyal supporters of the Carolingian dynasty for generations. The Jewish community in Narbonne prospered, holding substantial estates until their expulsion from France in 1306.
Topic 4 The source emphasizes the pervasive influence of Rex Deus families throughout the ranks of European nobility and their strategic efforts to infiltrate the Church, which was their main perceived opponent. This infiltration was attempted through both patronage of churches and cathedrals and by members joining the Church itself and taking holy orders. Examples are given of Rex Deus families seeking refuge in areas outside Charlemagne's empire and being identified later through marriages into known Rex Deus families within Christian Europe. The Cohenite marriage habits are cited as reliable evidence of their membership in this secretive group of hereditary high priests, as they tended to marry only within their own select group. The text highlights the Saxon royal house of England in the 11th century and subsequently the St. Clairs and Leslies in Scotland as important branches.
Topic 5 The importance of marriage patterns and dynastic alliances among the Rex Deus families is a key theme. The text notes repeated alliances among a select group of families, with the same names reappearing in genealogies every few generations. This pattern of persistent interbreeding, described as more akin to creating "bloodstock" than normal human behavior, is explained by the requirement, similar to that of the ancient Cohens (hereditary high priests), to choose marriage partners only from within their small, select group. This practice served to maintain the distinct identity and lineage of the Rex Deus group. Examples of these alliances include the Norman dukes marrying into Saxon England, Brittany, Chaumont, Gisors, d'Evereaux, and the family of the Counts of Champagne (Blois), as well as links to the ducal House of Burgundy and the Capetian Royal House of France. The source finds this readiness of leading French aristocratic families to marry into Viking royalty (the Normans) difficult to explain under normal circumstances, suggesting their shared Rex Deus identity was the underlying reason.
Topic 6 The school at Chartres Cathedral, particularly under Bishop Fulbertus starting in 1007, is presented as a significant center of learning and a focus of pilgrimage, flourishing under the protection of Rex Deus nobility. The school attracted prominent scholars from across Europe and was unusual for its time in exposing students to works by Plato, Aristotle, Pythagoras, and Cicero, alongside mathematics, science, and Arabic inventions like the astrolabe. This knowledge, particularly the Greek classics and scientific material, is stated to have come from Moorish Spain, translated from Arabic by Jewish scholars working under Islamic tolerance. The connection to Rex Deus is highlighted by the assertion that, beneath the outward curriculum of the seven liberal arts, Fulbertus taught a seven-step initiation pathway based on an ancient Egyptian model, a tradition supposedly preserved by the ma'madot and the Rex Deus families. This suggests the school functioned as a mystery school operating discreetly under the Church's authority.
Topic 7 St. Bernard of Clairvaux is portrayed as a central figure with significant Rex Deus connections and influence. Initially, his family was reportedly horrified by his decision to join the struggling Cistercian order, but their opposition vanished quickly, with numerous male relatives and friends joining with him. Bernard rose with remarkable speed to become a principal personal advisor to the pope and wielded considerable power in both religious and temporal affairs, advising kings and nobility. His membership in the Rex Deus network is cited as an asset in achieving this influence. Bernard's commitment to initiatory teaching is seen in his sermons and his enhancement of the spiritual tradition of the craft-masons known as the Children of Solomon. The source suggests Bernard, along with other Rex Deus members including his cousin, uncle, Hughes de Payen, the St. Clairs, and Count Hughes of Champagne, conspired to achieve a common aim that significantly impacted European history, particularly concerning the Knights Templar.
Topic 8 The source presents the foundation of the Knights Templar in Jerusalem in 1118 not as a random assembly of knights but as a deliberate, long-planned action by a tightly knit group of Rex Deus relatives closely associated with Count Hughes I of Champagne. Key founding members mentioned are Hughes de Payen (first Grand Master), André de Montbard, Geoffroi de St. Omer, Payen de Montdidier, Achambaud de St.-Amand, Geoffroi Bisol, Godfroi, Gondemar, and Rossal. Hughes de Payen is identified as a cousin of both Bernard of Clairvaux and Count Hughes of Champagne, his overlord, and is given the unusual epithet "Hughes the Moor," reportedly due to a lineal descent from the Prophet Muhammad, indicating he was one of the Desposyni. The mysterious prior visits to the Holy Land by Hughes de Champagne and cryptic mentions of the order before its official founding are presented as evidence of a long-standing conspiracy and planning behind the Templars' creation.
Topic 9 A significant focus is placed on the alleged true purpose of the early Knights Templar, which the source claims was not primarily protecting pilgrims, given the advanced age of the founding knights and their limited numbers. Instead, their main activity during their first nine years in Jerusalem is described as excavating beneath the Temple Mount, directly under the quarters granted to them by King Baldwin II. Evidence cited includes excavations by Lieutenant Warren which uncovered Templar artifacts in tunnels beneath the site. The source speculates they were searching for the Ark of the Covenant and ancient documents, potentially including material related to the Dead Sea Scrolls, treatises on sacred geometry, ancient science, and the Hebraic/Egyptian gnostic tradition. It is claimed that the knowledge of these hidden locations was passed down through the oral traditions of the Rex Deus families for over 1,000 years. King Baldwin II is suggested to have been part of this conspiracy, evidenced by the order going public shortly after his accession and granting them quarters directly above the alleged treasure site.
Topic 10 Following their foundation, the Knights Templar experienced rapid growth and gained immense power and wealth across Europe and the Holy Land. This expansion was significantly aided by Bernard of Clairvaux, who interceded with the pope for formal recognition. The Order received its first rule, written by Bernard, at the Council of Troyes in 1128. A few years later, the papal bull Omne datum optimum made the Templars answerable only to the pope, granting them unprecedented independence from bishops, kings, and emperors. Bernard also actively promoted the order through his writing, notably "In Praise of the New Knighthood," which extolled their virtues and encouraged support. The source highlights the Templars' role as the first full-time, professional standing army since the fall of the Roman Empire, operating simultaneously in the Holy Land and the Iberian Peninsula. The rapid influx of recruits and donations following Bernard's endorsement is seen as further evidence of efficient planning. The Templars and the previously struggling Cistercian order are described as functioning like two arms of the same body, with the Cistercians also experiencing extraordinary growth during this period.