The Templars and the Assassins: The Militia of Heaven

by James Wasserman

• An examination of the interactions of the Christian Knights Templar and their Muslim counterparts, the Assassins, and of the profound changes in Western society that resulted.

• Restores the reputation of the secret Muslim order of the Assassins, disparaged as the world's first terrorist group.

• Dispels many myths about the Knights Templar and provides the most incisive portrait of them to date.

A thousand years ago Christian battled Muslim for possession of a strip of land upon which both their religions were founded. These Crusades changed the course of Western history, but less known is the fact that they also were the meeting ground for two legendary secret The Knights Templar and their Muslim counterparts, the Assassins.

In The Templars and the The Militia of Heaven , occult scholar and secret society member James Wasserman provides compelling evidence that the interaction of the Knights Templar and the Assassins in the Holy Land transformed the Templars from the Pope's private army into a true occult society, from which they would sow the seeds of the Renaissance and the Western Mystery Tradition. Both orders were destroyed as heretical some seven hundred years ago, but Templar survivors are believed to have carried the secret teachings of the East into an occult underground, from which sprang both Rosicrucianism and Masonry. Assassin survivors, known as Nizari Ismailis, flourish to this day under the spiritual leadership of the Aga Khan. Wasserman strips the myths from both groups and penetrates to the heart of their enlightened beliefs and rigorous practices, delivering the most probing picture yet of these holy warriors.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Occult, Religion, Medieval, Christianity, Own

320 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 2001

About the author

James Wasserman was an author and occultist, best known for his full color publication of the Papyrus of Ani, Book of the Dead. A member of Ordo Templi Orientis since 1976 and a book designer by trade, he has written extensively on spiritual and political liberty.

Wasserman began his career in 1973 at Weiser Books, then the world’s largest bookstore and publishing company specializing in esoteric literature. He worked with Brazilian occultist Marcelo Ramos Motta to publish the Commentaries of AL in 1975, for which he wrote the introduction. He supervised the 1976 Weiser edition of the Book of the Law in which the holograph manuscript was appended to the typeset text for the first time in a popular volume. In 1977, he arranged to professionally re-photograph the Frieda Harris Tarot paintings for an improved second edition of Aleister Crowley's Thoth Tarot deck, to which he contributed the booklet of instruction.[5][6] While still working at the bookstore, he met and befriended the legendary filmmakers and occultists Harry Smith and Alejandro Jodorowsky.

In 1977, he left Weisers to found Studio 31, where he produced the Simon Necronomicon, a volume purporting to be the mythological Necronomicon made famous by H.P. Lovecraft. In 2008, it was re-issued in a high quality 31st anniversary edition by Ibis Press. In 1994, Wasserman assembled a team of scholars, photographers and editorial staff to produce a full-color version of The Egyptian Book of the Dead, based on the Papyrus of Ani. The book was described as offering "much of value in presentation, layout and commentary" by John Baines, professor of Egyptology at the University of Oxford.

Reviews

[Billy · Rating 3 out of 5]

A well researched compilation of other books with an interesting resulting theory...,

This book is a very good broad historical account of the templars and the assassins. It is an overview of each of the secretive orders and the effects that each had on the times in which they existed; the crusades. Wasserman then draws from these two societies to create his theory of the creation of secularism and the rise of occult groups present today.

Wasserman is a member of an occult group, "Ordo Templi Orientis", founder of one of their "lodges", and a follower of Aleister Crowley. I make note of this because the genesis of this book was to prove the point in time at which occultism began. Wasserman argues that the Templars and the Assassins at some point cross-pollinated to create a new sect of religious thinking; what Mr. Wasserman labels as "esoteric truth" that resulted in the "development of the Western Mysteries", his personal area of religious or secular belief.

That being said, the book is a very good primer for any beginner on the subject of Templars, Assassins or the time of the Crusades. A definite must read for anyone that is beginning their journey in to the past of the warriors of the crusades and the political and religious backdrop that created their fates.

If you are a student of the subject or a history junkie (as I am), this may be a bit sophomoric and overly concise. That is to say that Mr. Wasserman did do a great job of researching many important works regarding the 2 groups but it is all referenced from other works and only his final thesis (that the combination of eastern and western religions created modern occultism) is original; his bibliography is impressive and anyone that wants to truly understand in depth history of this time would be well served by reading the majority of the books in the bibliography.

But, in the end, if you are looking for new information, this is not the book for you. However, if you are searching for new theories, especially those which are not mainstream (specifically those related to occultism) this book would be a good place to get theories based on facts.

I did enjoy reading the book as I have read too many studies on the groups, especially the Templars , and this places everything in a slightly different light. The final section of the book is a summation of Mr. Wasserman's opinions, his thesis, regarding the interaction of the two groups and the resulting age of enlightenment that produced his religious order as well as many others.

Do yourself a favor and check the bibliography and grab some of those books. Mr. Wasserman does reference these books and acknowledges the importance of the works as his sources for his information.

Again, if you are new to the subject, jump on in and enjoy; and then move on to the meat and potatoes of the subject matter. But be wary of the final section as it is more propaganda than fact, more personal theory than thesis.

If you are a Templar or Assassin history junkie (as I am), you can probably skip this and move on to another study of the groups, the time period, or the geography of the crusades and the forces that led to the ongoing war between islam and christianity.

So, to sum up: A good read, well researched and informative for anyone who is new to the topic; be cautious with the final section where many conclusions are drawn based on Mr. Wasserman's faith in his occultist beliefs.

[Lani Barcenas · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really loved reading this book. It made me understand the Muslim-Christian conflict better. I have always been fascinated with the Templars. And this book is a very enlightening historical account of the creation and demise of the Temple of Solomon.

[Harris · Rating 1 out of 5]

The Templars and the Assassins: The Militia of Heaven, attempts to tell the story of these legendary religious orders, which still feature heavily in conspiracy lore and occult theory in popular culture (such as the popular Assassins Creed game series). I was interested in learning about them from the perspective of the esoteric and mythical, to come to a better understanding of where these stories originated, but author James Wasserman focuses more heavily on their known history and unfortunately, it is all a little dull. Wasserman writes a standard treatise on Crusades history, explaining in rather disorganized chapters the religious and political worlds of Europe and the Middle East, and specifically the parallel development of the two religious “secret societies” of Christianity and Islam and their rises and falls. His historiography, though, I found a bit questionable, often referring to the debatable “dark ages” in his set up of the Crusades.

Alarm bells really began to go off for me when Wasserman goes on odd tangents involving the “modern corporate-socialist state into which the United States is fast plunging,” or the “ethical degeneration of late Roman society presaged our modern plunge toward secular humanism and moral relativism.” For me, his historical interpretations must be taken with a grain of salt. Very little in the work regards the actual connections between the Templars and the Assassins and what, if any, influence they might have had upon each other or their respective cultures. There is a nice bibliography and appendices of period documents, however. Still, there are other, more accessible general works on both religious groups and the Crusades as a whole and I cannot recommend this book for either straight history or even as an entertaining speculation fest.

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a book with an interesting topic treated with an inconsistent writing style. I picked up the book for the history of the Templars, and got the history of the Assassins as a bonus. When presented side by side, the parallels between the two invite comparison and a better illustration of the strengths and weaknesses of each. The Templars section, however, tried to be too much of a fast-forward overview of the Crusades and sometimes forgot that it was supposed to be emphasizing the Templars role in the Crusades.

The author's writing was sometimes really engaging and easy to read, and then boring, pedantic and full of details that weren't always necessary. It was like he wasn't sure what he should leave out and when treating such a broad slice of history, it must have been tough to narrow the focus. Also, at several points his writing became a little aimless, despite rigidly organized chapters, as if he'd lost sight of what the thesis of his book was. I'm glad I read it, but not at all sure I'd recommend it to others.

[Dustin Duncan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Super interesting and respectable research. Modestly written - seemingly unbiased claims are always refreshing to read. Really cool history of the more serious practices that went on behind the scenes. He does a good job encompassing other world events around the topic.

[P2p · Rating 4 out of 5]

Can you believe I can't find this book!?! Ok, don't answer that .

[Teo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Writing this in retrospect, since I read this book quite some time back, I appreciate it for the really great information shared and the historical context within which these two orders came to be.

Even more so for the fact that it unveiled the history of Hashashins for me before the first 'Assassin's Creed' game came out.

[Arthur B · Rating 2 out of 5]

Some good history but also a lot of pseudohistory, in a bid to desperately try to imply that the Golden Dawn/A.A. occult tradition had much more ancient roots. Also marred by some incongruous axe-grinding about modern-day politics. Full review: https://fakegeekboy.wordpress.com/201...

[Darin Bishop · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good read and excellently written. The author is obviously biased but still produced a wonderful manuscript about the Islam faith and the Crusaders who fought both against each other and with each other to obtain their overall goals.

[Anton Zolotarjov · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book delves into the beginnings of both Islam and Christianity – and shows, that both these religions are bloodthirsty and violent.

[Guru · Rating 3 out of 5]

For once, a book on templars and assassins that is based on historical facts and not the romantic notions. Wasserman gives the subject a fair, if drab, historical treatment. The result is a fairly detailed account of several centuries of the Muslim and Christian holy warriors.
Wasserman starts with a rather fascinating account of the socio-political situation in the late first and early second millennia. The birth and rise of Islam, the austere measures imposed by the Roman Church and the splintered Eastern Orthodox Church. Knights, feudal lords, prophets, saints, pagans - everyone is fit in the context. In the second section of the book, Wasserman explores the history and legend of Assassins. Starting from Islam's inception, the book traces the roots of the Assassins (Hashishim) through the Shia-Sunni schism, the struggle of power in the Caliphate, the rise of the Nizari sect, the Turkish invasions, the love-hate relationship of the early Muslims with the Zoroastrians and finally to Hasan-i-Sabah, the legendary founder of the Assassins Order. Wasserman strips away all romanticism associated with the Assassins and gives a very detailed history of the Order and its leader. He points out that the notion that the term Hashishim is derived from "Hashish", as the followers used to consume it regularly, is not entirely correct. It appears that Hashishim was also often used as a derogatory reference to the sect by other Muslims opposed to the order.
The third section dedicates itself to the Knight Templars. Their meteoric rise and equally astounding fall reads like a terrible medieval fantasy novel. All the regular heroes and villains of the saga (Hughes de Payens, Saint Bernard of Clairvaux, King Philip IV, Jacques de Molay,etc.) all get good number of pages in this fairly familiar retelling of the Templar history.

Overall, a good read although a little dry. Good jackpot for trivia buffs.

[Eric · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm giving this book a 4/5 but wish it could be 3.5/5.

The first half of the book, which deals with the Assassins reads as a well balanced indepth look at the secret organization that captured the imaginations of western Europe and had a hand in the development of the Middle East. The section on the Assassins reads almost like historical fiction, with the interpersonal trials and tribulations of individuals within the order set against the larger world landscape of the middle east. The section was written very evenly with the author praising the order's success and criticizing its mistakes and failings. This section warrants a 4/5.

However, everything that made the first half of the book a success was lacking in the second half which was dedicated to the Templars. The Templar section reads more like a boring text book with very little time spent on the individuals within the order or about the actual development of the order itself. Instead, the book highlights the order's role in various battles and political alliances without the resulting impact of these on the order. The author also seems hyper-critical of the Templars with most of the commentary focused on the negative and very little positive. While this section wasn't 'bad' it only warrants a 3/5.

[Roland Volz · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm pretty sure this book started off as a college-level thesis for the author, James Wasserman, who's an occultist living in NYC. It seems to be extremely well-researched and refers copiously to other reference works, always a good sign in a Conspiracy book.

Wasserman examines the culture of Islam and the Holy Land just prior to and during the Crusades, in an attempt to support his thesis that the Assassins and the Knights Templar strongly influenced the form of most modern esoteric secret societies. His deep knowledge of classic Islamic development tends to favor some parts of his thesis more than others, but I can find no fault with this book. He definitely does a great job of pointing out the relationship between curious and unusual historical incidents and the prevailing ideas about metaphysics and political maneuvering. I would happily read any further books he writes on the subject of Conspiracy.

This book only really covers the Assassins and the Knights Templar in any great detail, but that detail is exhausting. He briefly mentions dozens of other secret societies and occult traditions in the last chapter where he attempts to prove his conclusion.

[Sadie · Rating 3 out of 5]

On the one hand, I did learn a lot more about the histories of the Templars and the Assassins than I expected. On the other hand, the author's opinions at the beginning and end of the book were worthy of eye-rolling and not necessary. You can easily skip both parts and miss nothing but some secret society fanboy-ing and conspiracies.

That said, the author has a good deal of knowledge on the actual subject of the book. There are a lot of names and dates, so if you don't know the first thing about Crusades history, it might seem daunting.

[R. Jones · Rating 2 out of 5]

You could be interested in history, and the Third Crusades, and Assassins and Knights Templar, and still find this a tiresome book. It's the writing style. It just waterboards you with dry fact after fact; even interesting sections are painfully difficult to enjoy. I guess it's worth reading if you have it already, and don't have anything else to do. But man, don't spend money on this book.

[Rahul Mallar · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great information on the Secret Societies of the middle ages.
informative

[Steven Van Neste · Rating 4 out of 5]

For the most part a quick and simple excursion concerning the Templar Knights and the Nizari Ismaili.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting book about the Nizari Shiite sect of Islam and the Templar order of Crusaders.

[William · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good introduction to medieval culture in Europe as well as basic Islamic history. Would recommend to anyone interested in the Crusades.

[Flameater]

Very detailed

[Sean]

http://youtu.be/fGJ7Z6AEzpY

[Daniel Garcia avila · Rating 5 out of 5]

I want this book it sounds great i have many recommendations for this book

[Драган Чакаревић]

Књига се бави историјским аспектима ова два верска реда више него теоријама завере. Ко жели да сазна нешто више о овим редовима може да прочита књигу.
Писац уме да совјом причом држи пажњу читаоцу.

[Malachi Antal · Rating 3 out of 5]

—The Templars and the Assassins—

Worthwhile read even if rubbish B.C.E. & C.E. dating system is overtly elaborate over Before Christ & Anno Domini.

Sevener & Twelver doctrines of Shi’ism & Ismailism are delved into useful for novel research on Alawites political faction for spy thriller working on.
Hasan-i-Sabah is the singular personality in the book far as Ismailis go. Learnt Old Man of the Mountain of the Syria Assassins rather than Alamut.
Kickass maps are good mental break from perusing tome.


Expression corrupt to the ninth-hilt makes sense esoterically after studying the Knights Templar & the Knights Hospitaller each with their own knightly nine degrees of initiation forced the Ismaili Assassins to be tributary. The hashish smoking assassins were also initiated along nine degrees showing the Near Eastern mystery religions origins of the tripartite militant monastic powers in the Crusader era.
So’s p. 97-98 the childhood friendship amongst three parties: Hasan-i-Sabah; Nizam al-Mulk and; Omar Khayyam, is extraordinary tale of trust & betrayal let readership discover on their own.
Later on in pilgrim’s quest p. 99, learnt, ‘Coninuing his journey, Hasan traveled several hundred miles north to Adharbayjan (modern Azerbaijan) in southern Russia.’ Alternate spelling is interesting.
P. 167-169 strengthens what heard Weston mention on the Knights Templar instrumental in international banking such as the inverted colours of the Order are the precise ones of the square-shaped Switzerland flag known for the cantons banking secrecy, ‘The paper records between Templars in various locations establishing these deposits and payments ultimately led to the modern practice of drawing checks against an account.’ (p. I67-I68)
Insight p. 168 such as, ‘The armed security offered by the well-guarded Templar houses was so impressive that they were used to hold deposits of royal treasure in England as early as 1185. The crown jewels were deposited in the London Temple in 1204.’ Remained useful.
Chapter Thirteen p. 169 concluded, ‘The medieval prohibition against usury was carefully skirted by sophisticated forms of contracts. Interest payments were concealed as administrative expenses, deducted in advance from the moneys received by the borrower or achieved through careful manipulation of the exchange rates of foreign currencies.’
The Battle of Hattin historical footnote witnessed landscape there with family on 2018 Israel vacation the Horns of Hattin where Saladin’s army crushed the Crusaders.
Chapter Nineteen: The Cathars and the Albigensian Crusade is a blight on the order. From earlier book The Knights Templar in the New World learnt from the Languedoc region history of biological Holy Grail the papacy, even their pontifical crown mitre added equals 666.
Like the Fourth Crusade leprous upon the Venetians & the Latin Crusaders sacked fellow Catholics in Zara and; sacked Constantinople ruled by Greek Orthodox Emperor combined highest secular & temporal power on earth according to their tradition.
Friday the Thirteenth origin & Philip ‘the Fair’ written in Chapter Twenty-Five is the Knights Templar last stand. One quote of the Grand Inquisition established for the Albigensian Crusade p. 225 is telling, ‘One unforgettable account of this came from a Templar priest whose bones dropped out of his feet several days after the torture. He brought the bones to his hearing before the papal commission.’
King Philip destroying the Paris Temple utterly on questionable charges had Knights Templars arrested 14 September 1307 remonstrated le Bel’s greed for their wealth & to cancel out king’s outstanding debts to the Order. Kangaroo courts like Nuremberg & the Stalinist show trials with predetermined verdicts.
King Louis IX and, King Edward I of England were personages of import no longer present when King Philip IV made his outrageous play backed by puppet Frenchman pope.
King James II of Aragon neglected invitation to the Grand Inquisition plus p. 237, ‘One-third of the invited clergy failed to attend and none of the invited European royalty showed up.’ Initially James II of Aragon a Templar protector until later on orders their castles surrender. Legend p. 240, ‘One screamed out a curse against the villainous lawyer: In eight days de Nogaret would appear before the tribunal of the Lord to face his judgment. Eight days later, de Nogaret died. Jacques de Molay is said to have uttered a curse as the flames engulfed him, demanding that if the Order were innocent, the pope be summoned to God’s tribunal within forty days and the king within the year to answer for their crimes. Clement died in thirty-three days, Philip eight months later. Three of Philip’s sons succeeded him to the throne. All were dead within fourteen years of Philip’s demise, thus ending the three-hundred-year reign of the direct line of the Capetian royal family.’ The very dynasty instrumental in sacking Languedoc in the so-called Albigensian Crusade.
Appendix Two ‡ The Book of the Knights of the Temple is interesting from mushrooming groups originated from the Assassins & the Knights Templar.
The 1,000-feet swandive witnessed by commentator of Marco Polo hidden somewhere in book is golden. Reminiscent Thulsa Doom scene in Conan the Barbarian film.

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