HALIFAX, NOVA SCOTIA--(Marketwire - 03/30/11) - A world-premiere documentary will explore the downfall of the Knights Templar through a powerful combination of new archeological evidence, battle recreations and recently-uncovered documents from the Vatican Secret Archives in Rome.
The National Geographic Channel is scheduled to debut "Last Stand of the Templars" on Monday, April 4th at 10 pm ET as part of their Expedition Week.
"We are literally uncovering the beginning of the end for the Knights Templar," said Ronnie Ellenblum, lead archeologist who has spent the last 10 years excavating the 12th century battle site of Jacob's Ford in modern-day Israel. "Until the Battle of Jacob's Ford in 1179, the Muslim leader Saladin saw nothing but defeat in all his efforts to push the Crusaders out of the Holy Land. The Battle of Jacob's Ford turned the tide. Saladin's forces not only succeeded in leveling a major castle, killing the whole garrison and carting off its wealth,; they crushed an army that had been considered almost invincible."
Ellenblum, an associate professor in geography at Hebrew University, Dr. Robert Kool, a researcher with the Israel Antiquities Authority, and their teams have uncovered the first signs of this pivotal battle more than 800 years ago. Beginning with the discovery of medieval coins, ancient weapons, animal skulls and remains of the fortress that once guarded this important crossing on the Jordan River, Ellenblum has recently discovered the perfectly preserved skeletons of what he believes are the remains of more than 800 Crusaders killed during the Battle of Jacob's Ford.
"We know that books and movies such as the Da Vinci Code and others have made the Knights Templar seem like mysterious forces from the Crusades," said Andrew Killawee of Arcadia Entertainment, who produced, directed and wrote the documentary along with company president and executive producer John Wesley Chisholm. "We wanted to show them in a true light, including their downfall at the hands of their enemies. Ronnie Ellenblum's research at Jacob's Ford continues to uncover compelling evidence that this little-known battlefield was a major turning point for the Knights Templar and the Crusades, determining relations between the East and West for centuries to come, even in our own day."
Killawee and Chisholm spent months researching the history around the battle and the Knights Templar, before shooting on location in England, France, Italy, United States, Israel, Malta and Morocco. Despite major religious riots on the Temple Mount just 10 days earlier, their crew gained rare access to the Mount and the holiest shrines in the western world, including the Al Aqsa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock, the site of the Knights Templars' earliest headquarters. The team also explored secret Templar tunnels beneath the ancient city of Acre and the Vatican Secret Archives, helping to paint a complete picture of the Knights Templar rise and fall.
About Arcadia Entertainment
Arcadia Entertainment is a television production company based in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, with a special interest in ocean related documentary series and specials.
Arcadia's team of producers, directors and editors produces content for a variety of broadcasters such as Discovery Channel, National Geographic, Bravo, Oasis HD, History, Vision, CBC, Life, IFC, Historia and Z TV. Its programs have been broadcast in over 140 countries in 26 languages.
To view a full-length copy of National Geographic Channel's "Last Stand of the Templars", please visit http://vimeo.com/21394128 and enter password "NATGEO44ARC". Please note that this video is for private viewing only and is not for downloading, copying or redistribution.
Background
The documentary "Last Stand of the Templars" covers a brief 11-month period during the Crusades, culminating in the Battle of Jacob's Ford - making a major turning point.
On October 1, 1178, the Crusaders arrived at Jacob's Ford from Jerusalem on October and began building what was planned as an impenetrable fortress.
Located approximately 160 kilometers north of Jerusalem in Israel, Jacob's Ford was the safest crossing of the Jordan River and strategically significant in the ongoing battle for the Holy Land. As part of his plan to control that vital landmark, Baldwin IV of Jerusalem - an 18 year old boy-king who suffered from leprosy - began construction of what was to become the Castle of Chastellet.
It was a massive endeavor. Realizing the threat it posed, the Muslim leader Saladin set out to capture it before its completion. Before reinforcements from Baldwin's army could arrive, the fortress and its defenders fell to Saladin's siege. Most of the inhabitants were killed and the fort's walls torn down.
By August 29, 1179, all 1,500 people involved were killed and a major castle was taken.
Humbled in defeat, young king Baldwin signed a truce with Saladin the following year, only to die from leprosy five years later. With the way to Jerusalem open, Saladin would go on to capture the holy city from the Crusaders in 1187. And the Knights Templar - which had grown to become a leading force in the Crusades - were forced to fall back.
The Battle of Jacob's Ford marked the beginning of the slow decline the Knights Templar and their and eventual eradication.
