This strange and still existing secret society began as one of the offshoots of the Knights Templar. Until about 1188 the society was under the rule of the Grand Master, who also ruled the Templars. But then a split occurred: the Priory of Sion acquired its own master and spread to almost the entire territory of modern Europe.
The history of this secret society is shrouded in darkness. Today we only know that it is considered the most cruel and richest order of our time.
Official version
According to the scrolls that have survived to us, the Priory of Sion was founded by the knight Gottfried of Bouillon. After the capture of Jerusalem by the crusaders in 1099, by order of Gottfried, the construction of the Abbey of Our Lady of Zion Mountain was begun here, which housed the order of Augustinian monks who acted as Gottfried's advisers. They, according to the archives of the Priory of Zion, were involved in the creation in 1118 of the Order of the Knights Templar, which served as the military-administrative instrument of the Priory. In 1307, the Knights Templar was disbanded. The main goal of the Priory was to restore the Merovingian dynasty to the French throne and preserve this sacred dynasty.
Merovingians
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The sacred surname of the Merovingians was the first dynasty of Frankish kings to rule from the end of the 5th to the middle of the 8th. According to legend, the first ancestor of the Merovingians in the female line was Jesus Christ himself, allegedly married to Mary Magdalene and giving birth to a child from her. The child was transported to Gaul and became the first founder of the dynasty.
First persecution
The Roman Church could not allow the existence of such a serious force at hand. Persecution began on the order and the Priory of Zion moved almost completely to the territory of England and Scotland. However, a large group of adherents survived in the XII century in Orleans - here the order was supported by Louis VII himself and the church could not do anything about it.
Military strength
From the surviving documents, it can be assumed that the Knights Templar themselves were no more than a military unit of the Priory, and the division of the orders became nothing more than a deceitful maneuver for those in power. There are indeed grounds for such fabrications: it is well known that due to the attacks of Philip the Fair, the Templars' masters and knights found refuge in the secret hideouts of the Priory.
Masters of the Order
For a long time, the great masters retained power over the Priory. The position was inherited, but then the tradition changed and masters began to be chosen from among the great artists, scientists and philosophers. Many famous people have headed the Priory at various times.
Leonardo da Vinci
Many consider Leonardo da Vinci to be a true Christian - and how else can one perceive the person who created the "Last Supper". In fact, the great master was famous among his contemporaries as a blasphemer and heretic (pay attention to the little-known fables of Leonardo, ambiguously blaspheming church customs). For the last 9 years before his death, Leonardo was the Grand Master of the Priory of Sion, of which documentary evidence has also been preserved.
German searches
Hitler was distinguished by a strange attraction to everything mystical. During World War II, the Germans dug up the entire Rennes-le-Château area, not even sparing the walls of the ancient churches. Today it is known that the scrolls with the Priory chapter were taken from here - they were found during the analysis of the treasures plundered by Germany. However, what else was taken out of France by Hitler remains a mystery.
Modern life of the Priory of Zion
The release of the Priory into the world became a loud story. In 1989, a descendant of the Merovingian dynasty, Pierre Plantard, declared that the Priory of Zion had become the guardian of the treasure of the Jerusalem Temple, which would be returned only when the time was right. Modern historians consider this to be just a shocking trick: the secret society continues to influence our life, hiding behind the scenes.