Author: James Becker
Publisher: Penguin
ISBN: 0698187024
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 244
Book Description
James Becker, New York Times bestselling author of The Templar Archive, returns with a breakneck thriller whisking readers into the shadowy secret chambers of the Knights Templar. Having barely escaping the crosshairs of a deadly cult, Robin Jessop and David Mallory crisscross Europe, seeking to unlock the truth behind a conspiracy unresolved for seven hundred years—the mystery of what has given the enigmatic Templars their unwavering power. Infiltrating the group’s vast archives, Jessop and Mallory make a startling find. An ancient Templar passport hints at a sacred mission: the transportation of a priceless treasure, an artifact of incomprehensible value. Delving through centuries of clues and deception, the two come face-to-face with a secret that could shake Christendom to its core—and cost their own lives along the way.
The Templar Brotherhood
Author: James Becker
Publisher: Penguin
ISBN: 0698187024
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 244
Book Description
James Becker, New York Times bestselling author of The Templar Archive, returns with a breakneck thriller whisking readers into the shadowy secret chambers of the Knights Templar. Having barely escaping the crosshairs of a deadly cult, Robin Jessop and David Mallory crisscross Europe, seeking to unlock the truth behind a conspiracy unresolved for seven hundred years—the mystery of what has given the enigmatic Templars their unwavering power. Infiltrating the group’s vast archives, Jessop and Mallory make a startling find. An ancient Templar passport hints at a sacred mission: the transportation of a priceless treasure, an artifact of incomprehensible value. Delving through centuries of clues and deception, the two come face-to-face with a secret that could shake Christendom to its core—and cost their own lives along the way.
Publisher: Penguin
ISBN: 0698187024
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 244
Book Description
James Becker, New York Times bestselling author of The Templar Archive, returns with a breakneck thriller whisking readers into the shadowy secret chambers of the Knights Templar. Having barely escaping the crosshairs of a deadly cult, Robin Jessop and David Mallory crisscross Europe, seeking to unlock the truth behind a conspiracy unresolved for seven hundred years—the mystery of what has given the enigmatic Templars their unwavering power. Infiltrating the group’s vast archives, Jessop and Mallory make a startling find. An ancient Templar passport hints at a sacred mission: the transportation of a priceless treasure, an artifact of incomprehensible value. Delving through centuries of clues and deception, the two come face-to-face with a secret that could shake Christendom to its core—and cost their own lives along the way.
The Lost Treasure of the Templars
Author: James Becker
Publisher: Canelo
ISBN: 1910859753
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 539
Book Description
An ancient sect. A modern mystery. The most dangerous secret ever unearthed. Antiquarian bookseller Robin Jessop has acquired a strange medieval volume. What appears to be a book is a cleverly disguised safe, in which she finds a single rolled parchment, written in code. For encryption expert David Mallory, the text is impenetrable. Until an invaluable clue opens the door to a conspiracy, stretching back seven centuries. Now Jessop and Mallory find themselves on a desperate hunt that could change history, topple an empire and bury them both alive. Because soon they’re not only the hunters. They’re also the hunted. An absolutely gripping Templar conspiracy thriller, perfect for fans of Mario Reading, Dan Brown and Scott Mariani. Praise for The Lost Treasure of the Templars 'Once you start it is impossible to stop!' Eurocrime ‘A thrilling historical mystery full of ingenious clues and unexpected twists' Good Book Guide ‘Superbly crafted ... it breaks new ground ... a tightly worded, sharply written thriller' CrimeSquad.com
Publisher: Canelo
ISBN: 1910859753
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 539
Book Description
An ancient sect. A modern mystery. The most dangerous secret ever unearthed. Antiquarian bookseller Robin Jessop has acquired a strange medieval volume. What appears to be a book is a cleverly disguised safe, in which she finds a single rolled parchment, written in code. For encryption expert David Mallory, the text is impenetrable. Until an invaluable clue opens the door to a conspiracy, stretching back seven centuries. Now Jessop and Mallory find themselves on a desperate hunt that could change history, topple an empire and bury them both alive. Because soon they’re not only the hunters. They’re also the hunted. An absolutely gripping Templar conspiracy thriller, perfect for fans of Mario Reading, Dan Brown and Scott Mariani. Praise for The Lost Treasure of the Templars 'Once you start it is impossible to stop!' Eurocrime ‘A thrilling historical mystery full of ingenious clues and unexpected twists' Good Book Guide ‘Superbly crafted ... it breaks new ground ... a tightly worded, sharply written thriller' CrimeSquad.com
Templar Steel
Author: K. Ashman
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781790956869
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 296
Book Description
AD 1177 The threat of war sweeps across the Holy Land and the kingdom of Jerusalem is at imminent risk of invasion from the massed armies of Saladin. Reports of Saracen patrols devastating towns and villages cause panic throughout the Outremer, and Baldwin, the teenage king beset with leprosy, tries desperately to counter the threat. But nobody knows where the enemy forces are and the Christian forces are stretched thinly.With the king's army campaigning in the north and the feared Templar knights defending the border far to the south, only one man has even the slightest chance of finding out Saladin's true intentions, a Templar Sergeant named Thomas Cronin. With time running out and the odds stacked heavily against him, Cronin needs to find the Saracen army and relay the information back to the leper king in time to prevent the fall of Jerusalem, and indeed, the Holy Land itself!
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781790956869
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 296
Book Description
AD 1177 The threat of war sweeps across the Holy Land and the kingdom of Jerusalem is at imminent risk of invasion from the massed armies of Saladin. Reports of Saracen patrols devastating towns and villages cause panic throughout the Outremer, and Baldwin, the teenage king beset with leprosy, tries desperately to counter the threat. But nobody knows where the enemy forces are and the Christian forces are stretched thinly.With the king's army campaigning in the north and the feared Templar knights defending the border far to the south, only one man has even the slightest chance of finding out Saladin's true intentions, a Templar Sergeant named Thomas Cronin. With time running out and the odds stacked heavily against him, Cronin needs to find the Saracen army and relay the information back to the leper king in time to prevent the fall of Jerusalem, and indeed, the Holy Land itself!
The Templar Throne
Author: Paul Christopher
Publisher: Penguin
ISBN: 110119801X
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 223
Book Description
A man in search of the truth-against an ancient brotherhood that uses secrecy as the ultimate weapon. In the 14th century, Templar knight Jean de St. Clair was tasked with piloting the order's treasure-laden fleets off the coast of France. To this end, he used the Jacob's Staff-a nautical instrument supposedly developed in his own time. But retired Army Ranger Lt. Col. John Holliday possesses a Staff he found in the hands of a 4,000 year-old Egyptian mummy. Holliday suspects that St. Clair may hold the key to unlocking the mystery of the ruthless, enigmatic Templars. But there are those who believe that some questions should remain unanswered. And that the answers Holliday seeks should go with him to the grave...
Publisher: Penguin
ISBN: 110119801X
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 223
Book Description
A man in search of the truth-against an ancient brotherhood that uses secrecy as the ultimate weapon. In the 14th century, Templar knight Jean de St. Clair was tasked with piloting the order's treasure-laden fleets off the coast of France. To this end, he used the Jacob's Staff-a nautical instrument supposedly developed in his own time. But retired Army Ranger Lt. Col. John Holliday possesses a Staff he found in the hands of a 4,000 year-old Egyptian mummy. Holliday suspects that St. Clair may hold the key to unlocking the mystery of the ruthless, enigmatic Templars. But there are those who believe that some questions should remain unanswered. And that the answers Holliday seeks should go with him to the grave...
First Templar Nation
Author: Freddy Silva
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 1620556553
Category : Body, Mind & Spirit
Languages : en
Pages : 592
Book Description
Overturns the long-established historical narrative about the origins and purpose of the Knights Templar • Explains how and why the Templars created Europe’s first nation-state, Portugal, with one of their own as king • Reveals the Portuguese roots of key founding members, their relationship with the Order of Sion, the Templars’ devotion to Mary Magdalene and John the Baptist, and the meaning and exact location of the Grail • Provides evidence of Templar holy sites and hidden chambers throughout Portugal • Includes over 700 references, many from new and rare sources Conventional history claims that nine men formed a brotherhood called the Knights Templar in Jerusalem in 1118 to provide protection for pilgrims traveling to the Holy Land. Overturning this long-established historical narrative, Freddy Silva shows that the Order of the Temple existed a decade earlier on the opposite side of Europe, that the protection of pilgrims was entrusted to a separate organization, and that, in league with the Cistercian monks and the equally mysterious Order of Sion, the Templars executed one of history’s most daring and covert plans: the creation of Europe’s first nation-state, Portugal, with one of their own as king. Including over 700 references, many from new and rare sources, Silva reveals Portugal, not Jerusalem, as the first Templar stronghold. He shows how there were eleven founding members and how the first king of Portugal, a secret Templar, was related to Bernard de Clairvaux, head of the Cistercians. The author explains the Templars’ motivation to create a country far from the grasp of Rome, where they could conduct their living resurrection initiation--whose candidates were declared “risen from the dead”--a secret for which the Church silenced millions and which the Templars protected to the death. Placing the intrepid Knights in a previously unknown time and place, Silva’s historical narrative reveals the Portuguese roots of key founding members, their relationship with the Order of Sion, the Templars’ unshakeable devotion to Mary Magdalene and John the Baptist, and how they protected a holy bloodline in Portugal. He also provides evidence of secret Templar holy sites, initiation chambers, and hidden passageways throughout Portugal, often coinciding with pagan and Neolithic temples, and explains how their most important site forms a perfect triangle with the Abbey of Mont Sion in Jerusalem and the Osirion temple in Egypt. The author also reappraises the meaning of the Grail and reveals its exact location, hidden in plain sight to this very day.
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 1620556553
Category : Body, Mind & Spirit
Languages : en
Pages : 592
Book Description
Overturns the long-established historical narrative about the origins and purpose of the Knights Templar • Explains how and why the Templars created Europe’s first nation-state, Portugal, with one of their own as king • Reveals the Portuguese roots of key founding members, their relationship with the Order of Sion, the Templars’ devotion to Mary Magdalene and John the Baptist, and the meaning and exact location of the Grail • Provides evidence of Templar holy sites and hidden chambers throughout Portugal • Includes over 700 references, many from new and rare sources Conventional history claims that nine men formed a brotherhood called the Knights Templar in Jerusalem in 1118 to provide protection for pilgrims traveling to the Holy Land. Overturning this long-established historical narrative, Freddy Silva shows that the Order of the Temple existed a decade earlier on the opposite side of Europe, that the protection of pilgrims was entrusted to a separate organization, and that, in league with the Cistercian monks and the equally mysterious Order of Sion, the Templars executed one of history’s most daring and covert plans: the creation of Europe’s first nation-state, Portugal, with one of their own as king. Including over 700 references, many from new and rare sources, Silva reveals Portugal, not Jerusalem, as the first Templar stronghold. He shows how there were eleven founding members and how the first king of Portugal, a secret Templar, was related to Bernard de Clairvaux, head of the Cistercians. The author explains the Templars’ motivation to create a country far from the grasp of Rome, where they could conduct their living resurrection initiation--whose candidates were declared “risen from the dead”--a secret for which the Church silenced millions and which the Templars protected to the death. Placing the intrepid Knights in a previously unknown time and place, Silva’s historical narrative reveals the Portuguese roots of key founding members, their relationship with the Order of Sion, the Templars’ unshakeable devotion to Mary Magdalene and John the Baptist, and how they protected a holy bloodline in Portugal. He also provides evidence of secret Templar holy sites, initiation chambers, and hidden passageways throughout Portugal, often coinciding with pagan and Neolithic temples, and explains how their most important site forms a perfect triangle with the Abbey of Mont Sion in Jerusalem and the Osirion temple in Egypt. The author also reappraises the meaning of the Grail and reveals its exact location, hidden in plain sight to this very day.
The Brotherhood of the Wheel
Author: R. S. Belcher
Publisher: Macmillan + ORM
ISBN: 1466872535
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 386
Book Description
R.S. Belcher, the acclaimed author of The Six-Gun Tarot and The Shotgun Arcana launches a gritty new urban fantasy series about the mysterious society of truckers known only as, The Brotherhood of The Wheel. In 1119 A.D., a group of nine crusaders became known as the Poor Fellow-Soldiers of Christ and of the Temple of Solomon--a militant monastic order charged with protecting pilgrims and caravans traveling on the roads to and from the Holy Land. In time, the Knights Templar would grow in power and, ultimately, be laid low. But a small offshoot of the Templars endure and have returned to the order's original mission: to defend the roads of the world and guard those who travel on them. Theirs is a secret line of knights: truckers, bikers, taxi hacks, state troopers, bus drivers, RV gypsies--any of the folks who live and work on the asphalt arteries of America. They call themselves the Brotherhood of the Wheel. Jimmy Aussapile is one such knight. He's driving a big rig down South when a promise to a ghostly hitchhiker sets him on a quest to find out the terrible truth behind a string of children gone missing all across the country. The road leads him to Lovina Hewitt, a skeptical Louisiana State Police investigator working the same case and, eventually, to a forgotten town that's not on any map--and to the secret behind the eerie Black-Eyed Kids said to prowl the highways. At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.
Publisher: Macmillan + ORM
ISBN: 1466872535
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 386
Book Description
R.S. Belcher, the acclaimed author of The Six-Gun Tarot and The Shotgun Arcana launches a gritty new urban fantasy series about the mysterious society of truckers known only as, The Brotherhood of The Wheel. In 1119 A.D., a group of nine crusaders became known as the Poor Fellow-Soldiers of Christ and of the Temple of Solomon--a militant monastic order charged with protecting pilgrims and caravans traveling on the roads to and from the Holy Land. In time, the Knights Templar would grow in power and, ultimately, be laid low. But a small offshoot of the Templars endure and have returned to the order's original mission: to defend the roads of the world and guard those who travel on them. Theirs is a secret line of knights: truckers, bikers, taxi hacks, state troopers, bus drivers, RV gypsies--any of the folks who live and work on the asphalt arteries of America. They call themselves the Brotherhood of the Wheel. Jimmy Aussapile is one such knight. He's driving a big rig down South when a promise to a ghostly hitchhiker sets him on a quest to find out the terrible truth behind a string of children gone missing all across the country. The road leads him to Lovina Hewitt, a skeptical Louisiana State Police investigator working the same case and, eventually, to a forgotten town that's not on any map--and to the secret behind the eerie Black-Eyed Kids said to prowl the highways. At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.
Templar Blood
Author: K. M. Ashman
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 300
Book Description
The Holy Land AD 1185There is an uneasy peace across the Holy Land. King Baldwin IV is on his death bed and nobles across the Outremer jostle for position, each fully aware that his heir, the boy king, Baldwin V, is sick and unlikely to survive. The politics of Jerusalem consume the pretenders to the throne, so much so, that the increasing risk from Saladin goes unnoticed. But to the east of the Dead-sea, the notorious Templar and castellan of Karak Castle, Raynald of Chatillon, sees the danger and continues to campaign against Saladin at every opportunity. His actions are brutal and find little favour from his allies, but he is the Lord of the Oultrejordain and rules it with an iron fist.In the coastal city of Acre, a woman arrives from Cyprus, desperate to find her missing son, but to do so, she has to venture deep into the heart of enemy territory, a place where Christians fear to tread. Despite risking the wrath of Raynald, she forges ahead, seeking help from an old friend and an unlikely ally, but success is far from assured, especially when she faces betrayal from those she trusts the most. With war looming, and the Christian forces still reeling from their overwhelming defeat at Jacob's Ford, there is only one way to defeat the Ayyubid, and that is for the Christian armies to unite under Jerusalem's banner. But with personal gain on many people's minds and treachery around every corner, Jerusalem is under serious threat for the first time in generations.
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 300
Book Description
The Holy Land AD 1185There is an uneasy peace across the Holy Land. King Baldwin IV is on his death bed and nobles across the Outremer jostle for position, each fully aware that his heir, the boy king, Baldwin V, is sick and unlikely to survive. The politics of Jerusalem consume the pretenders to the throne, so much so, that the increasing risk from Saladin goes unnoticed. But to the east of the Dead-sea, the notorious Templar and castellan of Karak Castle, Raynald of Chatillon, sees the danger and continues to campaign against Saladin at every opportunity. His actions are brutal and find little favour from his allies, but he is the Lord of the Oultrejordain and rules it with an iron fist.In the coastal city of Acre, a woman arrives from Cyprus, desperate to find her missing son, but to do so, she has to venture deep into the heart of enemy territory, a place where Christians fear to tread. Despite risking the wrath of Raynald, she forges ahead, seeking help from an old friend and an unlikely ally, but success is far from assured, especially when she faces betrayal from those she trusts the most. With war looming, and the Christian forces still reeling from their overwhelming defeat at Jacob's Ford, there is only one way to defeat the Ayyubid, and that is for the Christian armies to unite under Jerusalem's banner. But with personal gain on many people's minds and treachery around every corner, Jerusalem is under serious threat for the first time in generations.
The Templar Code For Dummies
Author: Christopher Hodapp
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
ISBN: 1118051432
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 384
Book Description
A captivating look into the society of the Knights Templar Brought to you by the author of Freemasons For Dummies, The Templar Code is more than an intriguing cipher or a mysterious symbol – it is the Code by which the Knights Templar lived and died, the Code that bound them together in secrecy, and the Code that inspired them to nearly superhuman feats of courage and endurance. The Templar Code for Dummies reveals the meaning behind the cryptic codes and secret rituals of the medieval brotherhood of warrior monks known as the Knights Templar. This intriguing guide will cover such topics as who the Knights Templar were, how they rose so high and fell so far, and most importantly why there is so much interest in them today. The Templar Code For Dummies will explore myths and theories of Christian history that appear in the Da Vinci Code such as the quest for the Holy Grail, the Catholic Church's relationship with women that are hotly debated now with special emphasis on the Templar connection. It also explores the surprising part the Templars have played in some of the most important historic events of these past seven centuries, including the French Revolution, the birth of groups such as the Freemasons, and even the American Civil War.
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
ISBN: 1118051432
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 384
Book Description
A captivating look into the society of the Knights Templar Brought to you by the author of Freemasons For Dummies, The Templar Code is more than an intriguing cipher or a mysterious symbol – it is the Code by which the Knights Templar lived and died, the Code that bound them together in secrecy, and the Code that inspired them to nearly superhuman feats of courage and endurance. The Templar Code for Dummies reveals the meaning behind the cryptic codes and secret rituals of the medieval brotherhood of warrior monks known as the Knights Templar. This intriguing guide will cover such topics as who the Knights Templar were, how they rose so high and fell so far, and most importantly why there is so much interest in them today. The Templar Code For Dummies will explore myths and theories of Christian history that appear in the Da Vinci Code such as the quest for the Holy Grail, the Catholic Church's relationship with women that are hotly debated now with special emphasis on the Templar connection. It also explores the surprising part the Templars have played in some of the most important historic events of these past seven centuries, including the French Revolution, the birth of groups such as the Freemasons, and even the American Civil War.
Templar Stone
Author: K. M. Ashman
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781690759683
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 328
Book Description
The Holy Land - AD 1177After his magnificent victory over the Saracens at Montgisard, King Baldwin takes the opportunity to start building a massive fortress overlooking Jacob's Ford, the main crossing point over the River Jordan.Garrisoned with Templar knights and stronger than any other castle in the Outremer, the fortress is designed to be impregnable and set to dominate the lands north of the Sea of Galilee for generations.Within a year, the magnificent castle starts to rise high above Jacob's Ford, a terrifying statement designed to strike fear and awe into the hearts of any man. It is an unparalleled declaration of domination by the Christian king and confirmation to all his enemies that the path to Jerusalem is permanently closed.But deep in the forests of Banias, the warring Saracen tribes have finally combined, knowing that if they allow the fortress to remain unchallenged, the Christians would dominate the Holy Land for generations. Only one man could lead them to victory and his war banners were already flying throughout the east.Salah ad-Din, Sultan of all Syria and Egypt had returned, and he had sworn upon his life that no matter what the cost, ...the castle would fall...
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781690759683
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 328
Book Description
The Holy Land - AD 1177After his magnificent victory over the Saracens at Montgisard, King Baldwin takes the opportunity to start building a massive fortress overlooking Jacob's Ford, the main crossing point over the River Jordan.Garrisoned with Templar knights and stronger than any other castle in the Outremer, the fortress is designed to be impregnable and set to dominate the lands north of the Sea of Galilee for generations.Within a year, the magnificent castle starts to rise high above Jacob's Ford, a terrifying statement designed to strike fear and awe into the hearts of any man. It is an unparalleled declaration of domination by the Christian king and confirmation to all his enemies that the path to Jerusalem is permanently closed.But deep in the forests of Banias, the warring Saracen tribes have finally combined, knowing that if they allow the fortress to remain unchallenged, the Christians would dominate the Holy Land for generations. Only one man could lead them to victory and his war banners were already flying throughout the east.Salah ad-Din, Sultan of all Syria and Egypt had returned, and he had sworn upon his life that no matter what the cost, ...the castle would fall...
The Templars and the Assassins
Author: James Wasserman
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 1594778736
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 300
Book Description
• 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 societies: The Knights Templar and their Muslim counterparts, the Assassins. In The Templars and the Assassins: 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.
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 1594778736
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 300
Book Description
• 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 societies: The Knights Templar and their Muslim counterparts, the Assassins. In The Templars and the Assassins: 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.