A book in the tradition of Holy Blood Holy Grail that links the Roman sack of Jerusalem in AD70, the sudden wealth of a priest in Rennes le Chateau in the 1800s, Hitler's SS, and the body of an Italian banker found hanging under Blackfriars Bridge in the 1980sLegend has long suggested that the treasure of the Jews was, following the Visigoth sack of Rome, brought to France. The Middle Ages' and Renaissance profusion of 'secret societies' - ranging from the crusading Knights Templar to the forerunners of today's freemasons - may have been established to protect this hidden wealth. It has remained a magnet for power seekers throughout history and seems to be the key to many mysteries: Rennes le Chateau, the origins of Nazi gold, the Vatican bank scandal. More recently, the present 'guardians' of the treasure, the mysterious Priory of Sion (at the heart of the famous Holy Blood Holy Grail quest), have mounted a cover-up campaign and seem to have manipulated events ranging from the election of Francois Mitterand and the foundation of the State of Israel.
Web of Gold principal content synopsisThe culmination of nine years research, the Web of Gold finally exposes the labyrinthine web that has been woven around the village of Rennes-le-Chateau, popularised by the 1980s classic The Holy Blood and the Holy Grail. Although the web encompasses many other associated threads, at its heart is a belief that the fabled treasure of the Temple of Jerusalem, sacked by the Romans in AD70, was later deposited by the Visigoths in ancient mines and caves in the area aroud Rennes-le-Chateau. This belief has motivated the activities of many groups and individuals throughout the centuries - more recently those, such as the secretive Priory of Sion, that are also involved in the subversive world of esoteric and occult politics.
The search for the treasure intensified in the late 18th and early 19th centuries with the activities of General Dagobert, a Grand Orient Freemason, and a fellow initiate the Marquis de Chefdebien, both of who appear to have acquired precious archives which included information relating to the treasure. Almost a century later, the extraordinary and lavish lifestyle of the priest of Rennes-le-Chateau, Berenger Sauniere, drew attention once again to the presence of the legendary treasure and the transmission of archives.
Web of Gold further reveals the search for this treasure by members of the Nazi High Command in the latter stages of WWII. Although it is unlikely that they discovered anything substantial of the holy treasure, it is known that quantities of gold were transported north from the Pyrenees at this time. Attacks on these convoys and the theft of gold by rogue Resistance units is claimed to have led to the destruction of the village of Oradour by the Nazis, and thiry-seven years later to the arrest of Robin Mackness, accused of smuggling gold from south western France.
In following the fate of the archives until the 1950s, the trail ends at the formation and public disclosure of the Priory of Sion. It would appear that members of the Priory gained possession of some of these archives that have lain at the heart of the mystery of Rennes-le-Chateau, and have been the cause for the promotion of the Priory's own mythology.
In examining the reality of the Priory of Sion, it is revealed that one of their founders, Pierre Plantard, Grand master in the 1980s, was a fervent supporter of the Vichy government's ideals through which he forged friendships that link him to the murky world of the late President Francois Mitterrand. Mitterrand himself maintained a cabal of old Vichy friends who are shown to have been intimately connected with the search for the holy treasure and to the activities of those associted with the gold hijacks during the war.
Finally, the roles of factions within the Catholic Church, political Zionism, secret societies, neo-Masonic and Chivalric sects,are examined with regard to their influence in the politics of Europe. A non-judgemental assessment of their modus operandi and their possible agendas - ranging from anti-Communist activities, to alternate models for a united Europe, and to the blatant search for power and wealth - are analysed, from which a disquieting picture for the future emerges.
