Full Description
Set within the dramatic tableau of the medieval Crusades, this story of initiation, adventure, and romance follows members of the Knights Templar and Assassins as they discover a mystical tradition with the potential to unify, protect, and liberate humankind--the very heresy for which the Knights Templar were later condemned. The tale begins with a young Persian student, Sinan, as he witnesses his teacher deliver the heretical Qiyama proclamation, seeking to abolish Islamic religious law in favor of a more mystical approach to spirituality. After completing his initiation into the revolutionary doctrines and practices of the Assassins - also known as the Nizari Ismailis or Hashishim - Sinan is appointed head of the Nizaris in Syria. Years later, after Sinan has become a wise and respected leader, he encounters Roland de Provence, a young member of the Knights Templar. Impressed by his courage and intelligence, Sinan selects him for initiation into the Nizari tradition. As readers follow Sinan and Roland through the process, they experience firsthand the transmission of these secret teachings and the paranormal, even magical powers of the Assassin adepts. Bringing to life the historical truths of his expertly researched bestseller The Templars and the Assassins, James Wasserman artfully traces the evolution of the Western Esoteric Tradition during the fertile cultural interactions of the Crusades.
Contents
Map of the Region
A Note to the Reader on the Historical Context
Marco Polo's Tale of the Assassins
The Papal Charges against the Templars
part one The Qiyama and the Assassins
part two The Mission of the Templars
part three The Teachings of Sinan
part four The Gnosis Spreads West
part five Return to Al-Kaph and Death
part six Suspicion and Surveillance
part seven The Teachings of the Cathars
part eight Initiation and Arrest
part nine The Albigensian Crusades
Afterword
Acknowledgments
Other Books by James Wasserman
