Astonishing secret cavern where the Knights Templar hid revealed

How many such caves remain undiscovered?

New images show the carvings made by Knights Templar in a secret cave in England. Due to political corruption, the Christian knights were forced to go underground following persecution despite centuries of service to the Church.

LOS ANGELES, CA (California Network) -- In a cave in England, eight-century old carvings can be seen etched into limestone walls. The carvings are largely featureless, but it is obvious they are religious in nature. Robed monks and the crucified Christ are among the etchings.

The carvings were done by the Knights Templar, a secret order of religious knights who were dedicated to protecting Christians as they traveled to the Holy Land. To support their operations, the Knights Templar opened chapter houses across Europe for recruiting and business purposes. The houses provided income to sustain the knights and their charitable projects which included hospitals.

Eventually, the knights became wealthy and powerful, but they were always devoted to the Church. But despite this devotion, several political figures schemed to discredit the knights and to seize their treasures. Those machinations were inspired by fear the knights were becoming too powerful.

Eventually, the Pope was forced to condemn the knights and many leaders were arrested and persecuted. Surviving knights did not abandon the order however, and many found secret places to meet. In England, caves were widely used.

Inside these caves, safe from public view, the knights held Mass and conducted other ceremonies sacred to their order. Eventually the order went extinct, at least as far as most historians believe.

They have left behind secrets, such as these carvings, which are quietly being rediscovered.

The carvings in the new images are 800 years old, and were rediscovered in 1742 by accident. Workers located a shaft which provided them access to the cave. The cave has long been accessible to the public and is a known tourist attraction.

Visitors marvel at the carvings which include St. Christopher, the crucifixion of Christ, and St. Michael or George, the patron saint of England.

Experts have no way of knowing if there are other such caves, still undiscovered, or being kept secret by landowners --or possibly even modern day Knights Templar?

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