“The bloody history of the Knights Templar and Cathars has always held a great fascination for me,” explains Spencer about the inspiration behind his book, The 9th Heresy. “I was fortunate to learn of the existence of a medieval parchment containing reference to the Knights Templar, the Cathars and Christ, and wondered if there was a connection between the mythical treasures,” Spencer adds.
On October 16th 1969, a London auction house offered for sale a 13th century parchment containing a religious text scribed in Latin and pertaining to reference the legendary lost treasure of the Cathars. Following a graphology test, the writing was attributed to medieval Cathar historian, John of Lugio.
In 1971, the new owner of the parchment, Gilbert de Chérisey, discovered a steganograph hidden behind the writing, containing references to the resting place of Christ – the Cross of Jerusalem, a Greek representation of Christ, and a Christogram. Following Gilbert’s death, his son, James, continued the work his father had spent four decades attempting to prove.
“The 9th Heresy was written as a work of fiction, yet with a basis of fact. It encompasses some of the world’s greatest treasure mysteries,” observes Spencer. “Linking them together is the truth behind the location of the mortal remains of Christ.”