Product Description

The Rosslyn Hoax? Would you like to know the truth about Rosslyn Chapel? Since the publication of the novel "The Da Vinci Code" huge numbers of non-Masons have been asking questions and putting forward theories about Freemasonry, especially Freemasonry in Scotland, and its alleged connections with the Knights Templar and Rosslyn Chapel. This book is a product of the research undertaken to answer those thousands of questions. The results will surprise a lot of people. The author asks:- Have we the public been the victims of a massive hoax? Is it true that Rosslyn Chapel has been changed to make it Masonic? Are the Freemasons themselves the victims of an enormous conspiracy? Has the meaning of the Kirkwall Scroll been hijacked for a particular purpose? Who benefits from trying to cover it all up? Robert L. D. Cooper is the Curator of the Grand Lodge of Scotland Museum and Library in Edinburgh and is in a privileged position to know from the inside the truth about all the various theories regarding Rosslyn Chapel, Freemasonry, the Knights Templar and the Sinclair family. For the first time a Freemason, pre-eminent in the field, speaks out. At last Freemasons themselves are being asked about Freemasonry and this book provides the answers.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #59554 in Books
• Published on: 2007-06-07
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Perfect Paperback
• 416 pages

Review
It seems that Rosslyn Chapel is full of mysteries but not of the Da Vinci Code Type --The Daily Mail

Robert Cooper is challenging the myths with his new book The Rossyln Hoax --The Sunday Express

From the Author
Since I took up the position as Curator of the Grand Lodge of Scotland Museum and Library I am regularly asked for all sorts of information about Rossyln Chapel, Freemasonry, the Knights Templar. Since the publication of the novel the Da Vinci Code the number of such enquiries has increased dramatically. This book is the product of years of researching answers to thousands of these questions.

About the Author
Brother Cooper is the curator of the Grand Lodge of is an internationally recognized expert on Scottish Freemasonry, the Knights Templar (in Scotland), Rosslyn Chapel and the Sinclair family. He is the author of numerous articles on Freemasonry and has appeared on television and radio about Freemasonry. He has delivered lectures in Masonic Lodges and other venues (both private and public), in many parts of the world. He is the Author of both the best selling The Rosslyn Hoax and Cracking the Freemasons Code. His forthcoming book The Masonic Magician (co-written with Phillipa Faulks) is about the deeper aspects of Freemasonry as taught by Count Cagliostro.

Customer Reviews

If you buy no other book about Rosslyn Chapel, make it this one
Robert L. D. Cooper's book "The Rosslyn Hoax" is perhaps the most important book yet published about Rosslyn Chapel, the Templars, Scotland and the Freemasons. What makes it so important is that he actually has physically investigated the many claims made about the enigmatic little church over the centuries, especially in the last few decades. He has laid his eye on so many artifacts described by others, and tracked them to their likely, provable meanings or sources. And he has traced the origins of so many legendary claims to their originators, instead of parroting the work of other "speculators."

I say it's an important book. I didn't say it will make everyone happy. And the reason why is because he slaughters an entire herd of sacred cattle with his investigations of the many claims of Templar involvement in Freemasonry's formation and the building of Rosslyn. Or to put it another way, if you believe Born in Blood: The Lost Secrets of Freemasonry, The Temple and the Lodge, and Rosslyn: Guardian of the Secrets of the Holy Grail to be the truth, Robert Cooper is your blasphemer.

Cooper is the curator of the Grand Lodge of Scotland's library and museum, which posseses much original material that other authors have written about, but never actually gone to look at and study in person. Moreover, Cooper takes claims of Templar sites, burial markers and supposed influence and subjects them to the historical record or compares them to provable, authentic Templar sites. Most important of all, he places the origins of the original claims made (often by 17th and 18th century Scottish Masons) into their proper historical and social context, exploring just why Scottish Freemasons might have desired an older, more glorious heritage for their fraternity than those uppity English Masons down in London who were claiming it as their own. Cooper makes an outstanding case for forgeries, Victorian alterations and a lot of wishful thinking.

Certainly there is a place for mythology in this world, and it would be a pretty barren life indeed if we didn't have our share of story tellers who, with a gleam in their eye and a wink to the knowing, began by speaking the words, "Once upon a time..." Freemasonry is no different. Just as long as we understand what is myth and what is history, and the difference between them.

As I said, if you believe the Knights Templars saved the day at Bannockburn, built Rosslyn Chapel, and then morphed into the Freemasons, you should undoubtedly already be collecting logs and kindling for Robert Cooper's pyre. But if you are a seeker of the truth behind this curious and beautiful place, start with The Rosslyn Hoax.

The Rosslyn Hoax?
Wow. This is going to hurt a few people especially the believers of the Rosslyn Chapel/Knight Templar/Freemasonry/Holy Grail connection. This guy obviously knows what he is talking about. It is a bit heavy going in places but thats because there is so much information. I read the chapter on the Kirkwall Scroll first - probably not the right way to read this book but I am interested in this artifact. I have not finished it yet (that will take a while) but so far extemely informative and well illustrated. The chapters on Rosslyn Chapel (which I went to a couple of years ago) are central to the book but there is lots of other very interesting stuff about the battle of Bannockburn, Templar graves, skull and crossed bones, green men, the freemasons and so on. This is not a book for the beach but it is essential reading for anyone that is interested in any of the subjects (loads of them) covered in the book.

Rosslyn Hoax
I got this before Christmas and have read it over the first part of the festive season. The author is a Freemason writing about the work of non-Masons who write about Freemasonry! Confused? Well I was until I read this book. The author is in charge of a Masonic museum and library and reading between the lines I think that he got fed up with all the non-Masonic commentary on his field of expertise. That said there is no spite here but a rather dry academic analysis of subjects such as: the Kirkwall Scroll, Rosslyn Chapel (of course), Freemasonry especially Scottish Freemasonry (I had not realised that Freemasonry could be so different between countries), Masonic history, Masonic symbolism, the Knights Templar etc. The range of subjects is considerable. On the plus side Cooper nails his colours to the mast from the start explaining that he is examining popular theories (actually hypotheses as he quite rightly points out) about the origins of Freemasonry and alleged connections with the medieval Order of Knights Templar as expounded by what he calls the 'Popular School'. The sheer scope of this book is impressive as is the inclusion of 11 appendixes - gulp! I say that again 11 appendixes! These are transcripts of the most important manuscripts relating to Scottish Freemasonry dating from 1598 and include the St. Clair Charters of 1601 and 1638. All of these documents are made available in one publication for the first time. That alone is important due to the fact that for the first time members of the public will be able to read and compare the documents used by the Popular School. The author adds flashes of humour - some unwitting perhpas? In any event I liked those as they were unexpected.

The down side are matters such as the size. Not physically (it is the normal size for such a book) but the number of pages. The density of the text and the small print size might be daunting to more than a few. The index is barely adequate.

All in all a very, very interesting read. A bit dense in places but well worth the effort. Do not be under any apprehensions that this is a book to be casually read - it is not, but anyone interested in the subjects covered in the book is advised to buy this book.

I shall now start to read, and try to understand, the appendixes...