male announcer:
PREVIOUSLY ON<i> AMERICA UNEARTHED...</i> - THE HOOKED "X" PROVES
THAT THE KNIGHTS TEMPLAR CAME TO AMERICA
BEFORE COLUMBUS. I BELIEVE THE TEMPLARS EVOLVED
INTO MODERN-DAY FREEMASONRY. BUT THERE'S ONE MORE PIECE
TO THIS PUZZLE: THE NEWPORT TOWER. [haunting instrumental music] ♪ ♪ THE HISTORY THAT
WE WERE ALL TAUGHT GROWING UP IS WRONG. MY NAME IS SCOTT WOLTER, AND I'M A FORENSIC GEOLOGIST. THERE'S A HIDDEN HISTORY
IN THIS COUNTRY THAT NOBODY KNOWS ABOUT. THERE ARE PYRAMIDS HERE-- CHAMBERS, TOMBS,
INSCRIPTIONS. THEY'RE ALL OVER
THIS COUNTRY. WE'RE GOING TO INVESTIGATE
THESE ARTIFACTS AND SITES, AND WE'RE GOING TO GET
TO THE TRUTH. SOMETIMES HISTORY ISN'T WHAT
WE'VE BEEN TOLD. [percussive music] [seagull screeches] RHODE ISLAND
IS THE SMALLEST U.S. STATE BUT HOME TO ONE OF AMERICA'S
BIGGEST MYSTERIES: THE NEWPORT TOWER... 28 FEET TALL AND MADE OF THOUSANDS
OF INTRICATELY PLACED STONES. NO ONE KNOWS WHO BUILT IT,
WHEN, OR WHY. SOME PEOPLE THINK
IT'S A COLONIAL-ERA WINDMILL OR WATCHTOWER. BUT I DON'T THINK IT LOOKS ANYTHING LIKE
COLONIAL ARCHITECTURE. I THINK IT'S PROOF
AN ANCIENT GROUP OF EXPLORERS SAILED HERE FROM EUROPE
IN THE 1300s. THEY'RE CALLED
THE KNIGHTS TEMPLAR. THE ORDER
OF THE KNIGHTS TEMPLAR WAS CREATED
BY THE CATHOLIC CHURCH IN THE 12TH CENTURY TO PROTECT JERUSALEM
DURING THE CRUSADES. BUT DURING THAT TIME, THEY BECAME
INCREASINGLY POWERFUL-- TOO POWERFUL,
ACCORDING TO THE KING OF FRANCE. HE BANNED THE ORDER AND HAD MANY OF THE KNIGHTS
EXECUTED. - [screaming] - BUT OTHERS ARE SAID
TO HAVE FLED WITH SOMETHING THAT I THINK IS VERY IMPORTANT
TO CHRISTIAN BELIEFS: THE HOLY GRAIL. THE GRAIL IS THOUGHT TO BE THE CUP THAT JESUS DRANK FROM
AT THE LAST SUPPER OR PERHAPS
SYMBOLIZED HIDDEN SECRETS. I THINK THE TEMPLARS BROUGHT THE GRAIL
TO NORTH AMERICA, AND THE NEWPORT TOWER
IS PROOF THAT THEY WERE HERE. IT'S AN EXPLOSIVE THEORY, AND IT'S BROUGHT ME HEAD-TO-HEAD
WITH ACADEMICS AND EXPERTS LIKE JIM EGAN, CURATOR
OF THE NEWPORT TOWER MUSEUM AND AN AUTHORITY
ON THE STRUCTURE. IF I CAN CONVINCE JIM
THAT I'M RIGHT, THEN MAYBE ACADEMICS
CAN BE CONVINCED TOO. THIS IS, NO QUESTION, MY FAVORITE PRE-COLUMBIAN SITE
IN NORTH AMERICA, AND-- - PRE-COLUMBIAN? YOU STILL INTO
THAT TEMPLAR THING? - YES, I DEFINITELY AM. AND, I MEAN, COME ON, JIM.
TAKE A LOOK AT IT. THEY BUILT MANY CHURCHES
IN EUROPE EXACTLY LIKE THIS. - I AGREE.
OKAY. - AND, YOU KNOW,
YOU GOT THE ROUND CYLINDERS SITTING ON EIGHT
ROUND, HEAVY COLUMNS, EQUALLY SPACED. THE ROUND ROMANESQUE ARCHES
AND THE CAPSTONE LEDGES CLEARLY ARE FOR
STRUCTURAL SUPPORT FOR A FIRST-STORY
ROUND AMBULATORY ALL AROUND THE BUILDING. IT'S EXACTLY IDENTICAL TO WHAT THEY BUILT
IN THE 12TH CENTURY. AND THEY BUILT IT HERE,
OF COURSE. THERE ARE MANY CHURCHES
IN EUROPE WITH CONNECTIONS
TO THE TEMPLARS. THEY INCORPORATE
ARCHITECTURAL ELEMENTS ALSO FOUND
IN THE NEWPORT TOWER, AND THEY WERE BUILT
AT THE TIME WHEN THE TEMPLARS
WERE AROUND: MELLIFONT ABBEY IN IRELAND, THE ROUND CHURCHES
THROUGHOUT BORNHOLM IN DENMARK, AND THE CAMBRIDGE ROUND CHURCH
IN ENGLAND. BUT JIM EGAN
HAS A DIFFERENT IDEA. - EVERYONE COMES TO THE TOWER
WITH THEIR OWN THEORY, BUT I STUDIED
RHODE ISLAND HISTORY, AND I CAME ACROSS A CHAPTER
IN RHODE ISLAND HISTORY THAT VERY FEW RHODE ISLANDERS
EVEN KNOW ABOUT. - YOU STILL ON
THAT JOHN DEE THING? - WELL, I AM,
AS A MATTER OF FACT. - I'VE COME ACROSS JOHN DEE
IN MY INVESTIGATIONS BEFORE. HE WAS A TALENTED MAN
OF MANY TRADES-- ASTRONOMER, MAPMAKER, AND ADVISOR TO QUEEN ELIZABETH
IN THE LATE 1500s. JIM SAYS THAT DEE
DESIGNED THE TOWER IN 1583 AND HAD IT PLACED IN NEWPORT
TO HELP THE QUEEN ESTABLISH A LAND CLAIM
HERE IN AMERICA. BUT I DON'T BUY IT. - THIS FELLOW JOHN DEE WAS NOT ONLY
THE NAVIGATIONAL GUIDE; HE WAS THE ARCHITECT
OF THIS ENTIRE PLAN TO COLONIZE THE NEW WORLD, AND I CLAIM, HE WAS
THE ARCHITECT OF THE TOWER. - JIM, I KNOW YOU LIKE
THIS 1583 DATE, BUT THERE'S NO WAY
THAT THE TOWER WAS BUILT THEN. - WHY? - I FOUND A MAP
THAT HAS THE TOWER ON IT THAT DATES TO 1569. THIS MAP WAS DRAWN
BY GERARDUS MERCATOR IN 1569, AND IT WAS ONE
OF THE MOST SIGNIFICANT MAPS OF ITS TIME. AND HE WAS THE FIRST ONE
TO COIN THE TERM "ATLAS" FOR A COLLECTION OF MAPS. AND WE HAVE WHAT IS
A SORT OF CRUDE DEPICTION OF THE NORTHEAST COAST
OF NORTH AMERICA. BUT HERE WE HAVE
NARRAGANSETT BAY. AND TAKE A LOOK RIGHT THERE
ON THE EAST SIDE OF THE BAY, IN AN AREA
ROUGHLY IN THE AREA OF NEWPORT. LOOKS TO ME LIKE CHURCH. LOOKS VERY SIMILAR
TO THE NEWPORT TOWER. - WELL, WHY WOULD HE DRAW
A SQUARE TOWER INSTEAD OF A ROUND TOWER IF THIS IS A DEPICTION
ON THE MAP OF THAT TOWER? - WELL, THIS HAS GOT
A CONICAL-SHAPED ROOF HERE, SO THAT INDICATES TO ME THAT IT'S A CYLINDER
AND THAT IT'S ROUND. WE HAVE A STONE TOWER THAT APPEARS TO HAVE
A FIRST-STORY AMBULATORY AROUND THE TOWER. IT'S AN EXACT DUPLICATE
OF CAMBRIDGE ROUND CHURCH, WHICH LOOKS EXACTLY LIKE THAT BUT STILL HAS
THE AMBULATORY ATTACHED. THE FACT THAT WE HAVE THE TOWER
DEPICTED ON THIS MAP PROVES THAT THE TOWER
WAS HERE BEFORE 1569. I THINK IT WAS HERE
LONG BEFORE THAT. BUT CLEARLY, IT'S DEPICTED HERE
ON A MAP PRIOR TO JOHN DEE AND--AND YOUR WHOLE THESIS. - THAT'S JUST SORT OF
A REPRESENTATION OF CITYNESS. IT HAS NOTHING TO DO
WITH THE TOWER. - I THINK THAT MAYBE
WHAT WE SHOULD DO AT THIS POINT IS JUST RESPECTFULLY AGREE
TO DISAGREE. - I'LL AGREE WITH THAT. - EVEN IF THE MAP EVIDENCE
DIDN'T CONVINCE HIM, THE ADVANTAGE I HAVE OVER JIM
IS THAT I'M A GEOLOGIST; I KNOW ROCKS. OF COURSE, BEING GEOLOGIST,
AS YOU KNOW, THE THINGS THAT
I'M GONNA GRAVITATE TO ARE-- - THE ROCKS.
- THE ROCKS, YEAH. AND, YOU KNOW, I'VE BEEN DOING
A LOT OF RESEARCH INTO DIFFERENT ASPECTS OF THIS,
AS YOU HAVE, AND I'M VERY INTERESTED
IN THE TWO KEYSTONES, THE ONLY PROMINENT KEYSTONES
IN THE TOWER, THE EGG SHAPE HERE... - THAT EGG-SHAPED ROCK. - AND THE NOTCHED KEYSTONE
ON THE OUTSIDE. KEYSTONES OFTEN
HAVE A SPECIAL SHAPE. THEY'RE USED IN BUILDINGS TO CONNECT
THE CENTER OF AN ARCHWAY. THEY ALSO HAVE
AN ARCHITECTURAL PURPOSE AND SOMETIMES SERVE
AS A SIGNATURE OF THE BUILDER. - I WILL AGREE THAT
THESE ROCKS ARE SIGNIFICANT. THIS EGG-SHAPED ROCK HERE
IS VERY SIGNIFICANT BECAUSE, AS YOU KNOW,
ON THE WINTER SOLSTICE, THE SUN COMES UP, AND AT ABOUT A HALF AN HOUR AFTER IT SHINES THROUGH
THE WEST WINDOW, IT ILLUMINATES THAT ROCK
WITH A BOX OF LIGHT ON IT-- VERY DRAMATIC. IT IS A VERY IMPORTANT THING IN THE SENSE THAT
THIS BUILDING IS A CALENDAR, NOT ONLY TO KEEP TRACK
OF ALL OF THE DAYS OF THE YEAR BUT, MOST IMPORTANTLY,
DAYS LIKE EASTER. AND YOU KNOW WHAT
THE SYMBOL FOR EASTER IS THAT GOES ALL THE WAY BACK
TO MESOPOTAMIAN TIMES-- THE EGG. I DON'T REALLY THINK
THAT JOHN DEE WAS RELATED AT ALL
TO THE TEMPLAR. THEY HAVE THE SAME TRADITION
OF SACRED KNOWLEDGE. - AND YOU DON'T THINK
THERE'S A CONNECTION AT ALL? - WELL, THE TEMPLARS
PRETTY MUCH GOT OBLITERATED-- MOST OF THEM IN--
IN THE 1300s, AND JOHN DEE WAS 1500. WE'RE TALKING 250 YEARS LATER. - YOU MENTIONED
THAT THE TEMPLARS WERE PUT DOWN AND DESTROYED,
RIGHT? - RIGHT. - OKAY, YOU UNDERSTAND
THE CONCEPT THAT YOU CAN KILL PEOPLE,
RIGHT? - RIGHT. - BUT DO YOU THINK
YOU CAN KILL AN IDEOLOGY
OR A BELIEF SYSTEM? - SURE YOU CAN. THEY COME AND GO
ALL OF THE TIME. - WELL, I MAINTAIN THAT
THAT IDEOLOGY CONTINUED ON IN SECRET. AND THE INFORMATION
IS OUT THERE AND MORE AND MORE
OF THIS INFORMATION ABOUT THESE SECRET SOCIETIES THAT EVOLVED
FROM THE KNIGHTS TEMPLAR. I THINK THE FREEMASONS ARE THE MODERN-DAY KEEPERS
OF TEMPLAR SECRETS. MANY OF OUR NATION'S FOUNDERS-- SUCH AS BENJAMIN FRANKLIN,
JOHN HANCOCK, AND GEORGE WASHINGTON-- WERE FREEMASONS. THE SOCIETY
STILL EXISTS TODAY WITH MANY PROMINENT MEN CONTINUING
THESE SACRED TRADITIONS. AND WE SEE A LOT OF SYMBOLS
IN OUR SOCIETY THAT I THINK ARE SHARED BY BOTH THE TEMPLARS
AND THE FREEMASONS. TO ME,
THIS IS ALL EVIDENCE THAT THEIR IDEOLOGY
LIVED ON BEYOND THE PEOPLE
THAT STARTED IT. I'M CONVINCED
THIS IS A TEMPLAR STRUCTURE. IT'S GOT THE ARCHITECTURE
THAT'S SPOT-ON. IT'S GOT
THE ARCHAEOASTRONOMY FEATURES THAT WE KNOW
THE TEMPLARS EMBRACED AND WOULD INCORPORATE
INTO THEIR ANCIENT STRUCTURES. WE'VE GOT THE SOLAR ALIGNMENTS AND, OF COURSE,
THE ILLUMINATION. WE'VE GOT SYMBOLISM. YOU'VE GOT THE EGG SHAPE, THE MASTER MASON'S KEYSTONE. - THAT WE READ DIFFERENT WAYS,
BUT THAT'S OKAY. - BUT THERE'S SOMETHING ELSE
ABOUT THE TEMPLARS THAT'S VERY IMPORTANT. THEY HAD A REVERENCE
FOR THE PLANET VENUS. VENUS TO THEM AND TO MANY OTHER
ANCIENT CULTURES WAS A PHYSICAL MANIFESTATION
OF THE GODDESS IN THE HEAVENS-- VERY, VERY IMPORTANT. SO IF THIS
WAS A TEMPLAR STRUCTURE, THERE SHOULD BE VENUS ALIGNMENTS
IN THIS TOWER, AND THAT'S WHAT
I WANT TO TRY TO TEST. I'D LIKE YOU TO HELP ME
TAKE SOME MEASUREMENTS TOMORROW. ARE YOU UP FOR IT?
- LET'S GIVE IT A TEST. I'LL BRING THE LADDER.
- HEY, THANKS A LOT, JIM. - WE'LL SEE YOU IN THE MORNING.
- SEE YOU IN THE MORNING. - TAKE IT EASY. [suspenseful orchestral music] ♪ ♪ - IT'S BEEN ALMOST FIVE YEARS
SINCE I STARTED THINKING THERE COULD BE VENUS ALIGNMENTS
IN THE TOWER. I SEEM TO FIND CLUES
TO MY TEMPLAR THEORY EVERY TIME I'M HERE. I SHOULD HAVE KNOWN
THIS TRIP WOULD BE NO DIFFERENT. [line ringing] - HELLO. - HEY, PAUL.
THIS IS SCOTT WOLTER. - HEY, SCOTT.
- HEY, LISTEN. DO YOU REMEMBER THAT PIECE
OF CUMBERLANDITE WE LOOKED AT AT YOUR HOUSE
THAT NIGHT I WAS THERE? - YES.
- WHERE DID YOU FIND THAT AGAIN? - WELL, I FOUND THAT
ON AN ISLAND NORTH OF NEWPORT CALLED PRUDENCE ISLAND. - PRUDENCE ISLAND... WELL, I TELL YOU WHAT. I THINK I'VE JUST FOUND
A PIECE-- I<i> KNOW</i> I'VE FOUND A PIECE
HERE IN THE NEWPORT TOWER. - REALLY?
WHAT DO YOU THINK THAT MEANS? - WELL, I HAVE SOME IDEAS. COULD WE MAYBE GO THERE
AND TAKE A LOOK AND SEE IF WE COULD FIND
ANOTHER PIECE? - YEAH, SURE.
SURE. WHEN DO YOU WANT TO GO? - AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. - NOW, WE'RE GOING
TO PRUDENCE ISLAND. PRUDENCE ISLAND
IS THE SECOND LARGEST ISLAND IN THE BAY. - THESE ISLANDS
ARE SO STRATEGIC AND HAVE THIS RICH HISTORY. AND IT CERTAINLY
MAKES SENSE TO ME THAT THE TEMPLARS
WOULD HAVE BEEN EXPLORING ALL AROUND THE BAY, AND THEY CERTAINLY
COULD HAVE FOUND THAT PIECE OF CUMBERLANDITE
THAT'S IN THE TOWER. - SO, SCOTT,
WHY ARE YOU SO INTERESTED IN THE CUMBERLANDITE? - WELL, THERE'S
A PIECE OF CUMBERLANDITE IN THE SOUTH COLUMN
OF THE NEWPORT TOWER. IT SEEMS TO BE
STRATEGICALLY POSITIONED, AND I DON'T THINK
THAT'S AN ACCIDENT, AND THE REASON I THINK THAT
THAT STONE IS THERE IS THAT THE TEMPLARS
WHO BUILT THE TOWER, I THINK,
WOULD HAVE REVERED THIS STONE, AND THE REASON FOR THAT-- IT HAS SOME VERY UNIQUE
PROPERTIES. CUMBERLANDITE IS A MAGNETIC ROCK
FORMED IN ONLY ONE PLACE: CUMBERLAND, RHODE ISLAND. GLACIERS HAVE MOVED SOME OF IT
TO NARRAGANSETT BAY. THE ROCK WAS ALSO THOUGHT
TO HAVE SPIRITUAL POWERS AND KNOWN BY SOME
AS THE STONE OF THE GODDESS OR THE STONE OF VENUS. VENUS AND ALL IT REPRESENTS
WAS IMPORTANT TO THE TEMPLARS, MEANING ITS PLACEMENT
IN THE TOWER COULD HELP PROVE
WHO BUILT IT. IF WE CAN FIND
SOME OF THIS CUMBERLANDITE HERE ON PRUDENCE ISLAND, THIS COULD BE ANOTHER
IMPORTANT PIECE TO THE PUZZLE THAT TIES THE TEMPLARS
WITH THE NEWPORT TOWER. [ferry horn blares] - NOW, YOU SEE THESE ROCKS-- THIS IS WHERE YOU'LL FIND IT. - SO WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR
IS A BLACK ROCK WITH WHITE... - SEE, THESE ARE BARNACLES.
- YEAH. - BUT IT LOOKS SIMILAR. IT'S VERY SUBTLE. - LOOK AT THIS ONE. YOU KNOW,
THAT FEELS PRETTY HEAVY. AND THAT KIND OF LOOKS LIKE THE STUFF YOU HAVE
AT YOUR HOUSE. - YEP, YOU CAN FEEL IT.
- YEAH. - I THINK
YOU MAY HAVE FOUND ONE. - WELL, I TELL YOU WHAT. LET'S--LET'S DO
THE SUREFIRE TEST. I GOT THE MAGNET HERE. NOW, IT SHOULD PULL THIS. IT DIDN'T PULL THAT,
BUT... LOOK AT THAT. - NO KIDDING.
- I MEAN, IT'S DEFINITELY... - LET ME SEE.
- YEAH. - LOOK AT THAT, HUH? - IF THE TEMPLARS
FOUND CUMBERLANDITE HERE IN THE BAY
ACROSS FROM NEWPORT, IT MAKES SENSE
THAT THEY WOULD HAVE USED IT. THIS IS BECAUSE CUMBERLANDITE IS SOMETIMES CALLED
THE STONE OF VENUS, AND I THINK VENUS
WAS VERY IMPORTANT TO TEMPLAR BELIEFS. - THERE MIGHT BE
ANOTHER CONNECTION BETWEEN THE KNIGHTS TEMPLAR
AND CUMBERLANDITE. IN NORTHERN RHODE ISLAND,
IN CUMBERLAND, WHERE CUMBERLANDITE
HAS BEEN FOUND, THERE WAS
A CISTERCIAN MONASTERY. IT HAS SINCE BURNED DOWN. BUT AREN'T THE CISTERCIANS AND THE TEMPLARS
CONNECTED? - ABSOLUTELY THEY ARE. AND THERE'S
A CISTERCIAN MONASTERY HERE-- THEY'RE EXTREMELY RARE
IN THE UNITED STATES, AND TO HAVE ONE HERE
IN RHODE ISLAND I DON'T THINK
IS A COINCIDENCE. IN 1128,
THE KNIGHTS TEMPLAR ORDER WAS FOUNDED
BY A CISTERCIAN MONK, A GUY BY THE NAME
OF SAINT BERNARD DE CLAIRVAUX, WHO WROTE THE CHARTER FOR THEM THAT WAS BASED ON
THE CISTERCIAN CHARTER. AND THAT'S WHEN
THEY BECAME AN OFFICIAL ORDER. OF COURSE,
THEY EXISTED BEFORE THAT. BUT TO HAVE
A CISTERCIAN MONASTERY ASSOCIATED WITH--
WITH THE CUMBERLANDITE, TO ME, IT CAN'T BE
A COINCIDENCE, AND TO HAVE
THE CUMBERLANDITE ASSOCIATED WITH
THE NEWPORT TOWER-- WELL, EVERYTHING
SEEMS TO BE CONNECTING, AND THAT'S THE REASON
WHY THIS CUMBERLANDITE IS SO IMPORTANT TO ME,
SO... - I HAVE A PICTURE
OF THE CISTERCIAN MONASTERY, AND I SUSPECT WE MIGHT FIND
CUMBERLANDITE IN THAT AS WELL. HERE ARE THOSE PHOTOS OF THE CISTERCIAN MONASTERY
IN CUMBERLAND. LOOK AT THAT. - WELL, THIS--
THIS IS A PERFECT-- IT LOOKS JUST LIKE
CISTERCIAN ABBEYS THAT I'VE SEEN BEFORE. THIS IS A CLASSIC LAYOUT--
NO QUESTION ABOUT IT. AND THIS IS WHERE
THE CUMBERLANDITE SOURCE WAS, RIGHT? - THAT'S RIGHT. - WHAT'S INTERESTING IS THAT THE CISTERCIANS
AND THE TEMPLARS HAD A FASCINATION
WITH THE VIRGIN MARY. YOU CAN SEE,
THE NAME OF THE MONASTERY IS NAMED
"OUR LADY OF THE VALLEY." I MEAN, EVERY ONE
OF THESE MONASTERIES WAS NAMED
IN HONOR OF OUR LADY. THE PHYSICAL MANIFESTATION
OF THE GODDESS IN THE HEAVENS, TO THEM,
WAS THE PLANET VENUS, AND THEY REVERED
THE PLANET VENUS, AND THEY KEPT CLOSE TRACK
OF ITS MOVEMENTS. I BELIEVE
THERE'S NO QUESTION THAT VENUS WAS CENTRAL
TO WHAT THE TEMPLARS BELIEVED. CUMBERLANDITE
WAS THE STONE OF VENUS, AND TEMPLAR BELIEFS
CENTERED ON IT. AND I THINK
THERE ARE VENUS ALIGNMENTS IN THE NEWPORT TOWER THAT I BELIEVE SHOW
THAT TEMPLARS BUILT IT. AND NOW I'VE GOT AN EXPERIMENT
THAT COULD PROVE IT. - I THINK THAT THE NEWPORT TOWER
IN RHODE ISLAND WAS BUILT
BY THE KNIGHTS TEMPLAR LONG BEFORE
COLUMBUS CAME HERE. NOW I'M GOING TO TRY
AND PROVE IT. I ALREADY KNOW THAT
THE STYLE OF ARCHITECTURE MATCHES OTHER
TEMPLAR STRUCTURES. AND IN THE TOWER, I'VE DISCOVERED
THE USE OF CUMBERLANDITE, A RARE ROCK THAT SYMBOLIZES
THE PLANET VENUS. CUMBERLANDITE
COULD BE ANOTHER CLUE THAT THE TEMPLARS WERE HERE BECAUSE OF THE ROCK'S CONNECTION
TO VENUS. VENUS IS A SYMBOL
FOR THE FEMALE. IT WAS LIKELY AN IMPORTANT SYMBOL
FOR THE TEMPLARS BECAUSE IT REPRESENTED
SOMETHING THEIR LEADERSHIP BELIEVED IN
VERY STRONGLY: THAT MEN AND WOMEN
WERE EQUAL. THESE IDEAS PUT THEM AT ODDS
WITH THE CHURCH AND WERE PART OF THE REASON
FOR THEIR EXILE AND EXECUTION IN 1307. BECAUSE OF THE IMPORTANCE
THE TEMPLARS PLACED ON VENUS, THEY TRACKED IT IN THE SKY AND USED IT TO ORIENT THEIR CHURCHES
AND OTHER STRUCTURES AS A PHYSICAL WAY TO REPRESENT
THEIR REVOLUTIONARY BELIEFS. AND I THINK THEY USED
VENUS ALIGNMENTS IN THIS TOWER. SOME, INCLUDING JIM EGAN,
THINK I'M WRONG, SO I HAVE TO TRY AND PROVE THAT VENUS ALIGNMENTS
ARE REALLY HERE. OKAY, JIM,
SO HERE'S WHAT I THINK IS-- IS GOING ON
ON THAT UPPER FLOOR. NOW, YOU SEE THAT WINDOW
RIGHT THERE ON THE WEST SIDE? TO MY KNOWLEDGE TODAY,
NOBODY KNOWS WHY THOSE WINDOWS ARE THERE,
CORRECT? - NOT REALLY. THERE'S NOT MUCH INFORMATION UP THERE
ON THE SECOND FLOOR. - WELL, I'M ABSOLUTELY CERTAIN THAT THOSE WINDOWS
WERE USED FOR MAKING OBSERVATIONS
OF THE PLANET VENUS. - WELL, WHAT'S SO SPECIAL
ABOUT THESE WINDOWS? - I THINK THERE'S MORE
GOING ON HERE, OKAY. TO MANY ANCIENT CULTURES
GOING BACK THOUSANDS OF YEARS AND CERTAINLY TO THE TEMPLARS, THEY REVERED IT
FROM A SPIRITUAL SENSE, OKAY? - RIGHT. - SO VENUS REPRESENTS
THE GODDESS IN THE HEAVENS, AND SO IT RISES
BEFORE THE SUN, AND THEN THE SUN FOLLOWS. MANY OF THESE
ANCIENT STRUCTURES, THEY WOULD ACTUALLY
CAPTURE THE LIGHT OF VENUS. - HOW DO YOU MEAN,
"CAPTURE"? - WELL, THEY WOULD CAPTURE IT BY FOCUSING IT THROUGH
A VERY SMALL APERTURE LIKE WE HAVE IN THE TOWER. - YEAH. - AND THE LIGHT
WOULD COME THROUGH, AND IT WOULD BE CAPTURED
BY SOME TYPE OF RECEPTACLE THAT WOULD REFLECT
THAT LIGHT OF VENUS AND BRING THE GODDESS
INTO THE ROOM, SO TO SPEAK. WE MIGHT HAVE THAT,
MAYBE ON THE WINTER SOLSTICE, THE LIGHT OF VENUS
COMING THROUGH AND POSSIBLY BEING CAPTURED
IN THE NICHE ON THE WEST SIDE, ABOVE OUR KEYSTONES. - BUT YOU'LL NEVER SEE THAT
NOWADAYS. THEY--ALL OF THESE LIGHTS
ARE POLLUTION FROM THE CITY. - YOU'RE RIGHT ABOUT THAT. I THINK IT'S GONNA BE
VERY DIFFICULT FOR US TO SEE
WHAT THEY SAW, GOING BACK
TO THE 12TH CENTURY. HOWEVER,
WHAT I THINK WE CAN DO IS TO SEE
IF THERE IS AN ALIGNMENT THAT WOULD ALLOW THAT
TO HAPPEN. THERE MAY BE
A SPECIFIC DAY OF THE YEAR WHEN THAT HAPPENS--
THE WINTER SOLSTICE PERHAPS-- WHERE THE LIGHT
WILL GO THROUGH THAT WINDOW AT AN ANGLE
OF ABOUT 22 DEGREES, AND THEN THE LIGHT WILL HIT
THE BACK SIDE OF THAT NICHE. THROUGHOUT THE SIX MONTHS THAT VENUS
IS IN THE SOUTHEASTERN SKY DURING THE WINTER, ANYBODY LOOKING THROUGH
THAT WINDOW COULD MAKE OBSERVATIONS
OF THE PLANET VENUS. IT WOULD BE IN
A PERFECT POSITION FOR THAT. - OKAY. - FOR SIX MONTHS WHEN IT'S AN EVENING STAR, DURING THE SUMMERTIME, YOU LOOK THROUGH
THAT WEST WINDOW; YOU COULD MAKE OBSERVATIONS
FOR SIX MONTHS DURING THAT TIME. WE MIGHT ALSO HAVE A SIMILAR TYPE
OF CAPTURE OF THE LIGHT INSIDE OF A NICHE
COMING FROM THE WEST SIDE, THAT WILL COME THROUGH
AT ROUGHLY THE SAME ANGLE AND HIT SOMEWHERE ON
THE INSIDE OF THE TOWER. - ALL RIGHT.
- BUT THINK ABOUT THIS. WHEN WE HAVE THE LIGHT
COMING FROM THE EAST AND THE LIGHT
COMING FROM THE WEST, IT CROSSES--
NOT AT THE SAME TIME. BUT THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, WE GET THIS CRISSCROSSING
"X" SYMBOL, WHICH I FIND
VERY INTERESTING. THIS CROSS,
WHICH FORMS AN "X," IS A SYMBOL I'VE SEEN
ON MANY ARTIFACTS THAT I THINK
WERE LEFT IN AMERICA BY THE KNIGHTS TEMPLAR. IN FACT,
IT WAS ON AN ARTIFACT CALLED
THE NARRAGANSETT RUNE STONE ONLY ABOUT 20 MILES
FROM HERE THAT WAS STOLEN AND THAT STATE AUTHORITIES
ARE TRYING TO FIND. I THINK THE SYMBOL
WAS THE TEMPLARS' TRADEMARK, AND FINDING IT HERE
IN THIS SAME BAY SO CLOSE TO THE TOWER IS MORE EVIDENCE
THEY WERE HERE. TO SEE
IF MY ALIGNMENT THEORY WORKS, I NEED TO MEASURE THE ANGLE
OF THE NICHE FROM THE WINDOW. I KNOW THAT VENUS
APPEARS IN THE NIGHT SKY AT AN ANGLE OF AROUND 22 DEGREES
ON THE SOLSTICE. AND IF THERE'S A STRAIGHT LINE
FROM THE NICHE UP THROUGH THE WINDOW
TOWARDS VENUS, THEN IT'S ANOTHER CLUE THAT THE TEMPLARS
BUILT THIS TOWER. SO I'M GOING TO USE
MY BRUNTON COMPASS, MY GEOLOGIC COMPASS, AND I'M GONNA TRY TO MEASURE
THAT ANGLE. - WHAT ANGLE DO YOU GET? - THAT ANGLE
IS AROUND 25 DEGREES. - IT'S A PRETTY TEENY SLIVER. HOW ARE YOU GONNA BE ABLE
TO SEE THROUGH THAT? - THE ENGINEERING OF THIS TOWER
WAS VERY PRECISE, WAS IT NOT? - YEAH, ALL THESE THINGS
ARE SPECIAL. - WE'VE GOT
THE ALIGNMENT OF VENUS COMING THROUGH THAT WINDOW,
DOWN TO THIS NICHE. WE'VE GOT--
WHEN IT'S A MORNING STAR. WHEN IT'S AN EVENING STAR, IT COMES THROUGH THAT WINDOW
UP THERE, DOWN SOMEWHERE
HERE ON THIS WALL, PERHAPS TO THAT NICHE,
AND IT MAKES AN "X." AND IF WE CAN SHOW THAT, THAT'LL BE ANOTHER
PIECE OF THE PUZZLE THAT PROVES THAT THE TEMPLARS
BUILT THIS TOWER. YOU KNOW HOW
WE'RE GONNA FIGURE IT OUT? - HOW? - WE HAVE TO COME BACK HERE
ON THE WINTER SOLSTICE. - I'M BACK IN RHODE ISLAND,
HEADING TO THE NEWPORT TOWER. IT'S BEEN TWO MONTHS
SINCE I WAS HERE PREPARING FOR WHAT I THINK
IS GOING TO BE A SPECTACULAR ALIGNMENT
WITH THE PLANET VENUS. CLEARLY SEEING VENUS
IN THE NIGHT SKY IS IMPORTANT TO PROVING THIS IS
A KNIGHTS TEMPLAR-BUILT TOWER. BUT DURING
THE WINTER SOLSTICE, THE STARS MAY ONLY ALIGN
FOR A SHORT WINDOW OF TIME: THE DAYS EITHER SIDE
OF THE SOLSTICE. MODERN AMBIENT LIGHT POLLUTION MEANS THAT THE LIGHT OF VENUS WON'T EVER BE AS BRIGHT
AS IT ONCE WAS. I'M GOING TO USE FOG
AND LASERS TO SHOW HOW I THINK
THE SHAFTS OF LIGHT WOULD HAVE PENETRATED
THE WINDOW AND HIT THE NICHES
ON THE TOWER WALLS. YOU KNOW, JIM,
I KNOW YOU THINK JOHN DEE BUILT THIS TOWER
DURING ELIZABETHAN TIMES... - 1583. - BUT YOU'RE WRONG. - WELL, WHY? - I'M ABSOLUTELY CONVINCED THAT THE KNIGHTS TEMPLAR
BUILT THIS TOWER, AND IF THIS VENUS ALIGNMENT
WORKS THE WAY I THINK IT WILL, IT'S ABSOLUTELY
GONNA SOLIDIFY THE TRUE HISTORY OF THIS TOWER
AND WHO BUILT IT. - ALL RIGHT,
SO HOW IS IT GONNA WORK? - WE'RE GONNA TAKE OUR LASER
AND PUT IT UP INSIDE THAT NICHE AND SHINE IT UP
INTO THAT WINDOW TO REPLICATE
THE LIGHT OF VENUS. I BROUGHT A FOG MACHINE, AND WE'RE GONNA FOG UP
THE INSIDE OF THE TOWER. - [chuckles]
RIGHT. - SO WHEN WE GET THE LASERS
CROSSING, WE'LL BE ABLE TO SEE THEM. AND THEY WILL MAKE AN "X." THAT "X" SYMBOL REPRESENTS THE ESSENCE
OF THE IDEOLOGICAL BELIEF SYSTEM OF THE PEOPLE THAT I BELIEVE
BUILT THIS TOWER-- THE KNIGHTS TEMPLAR. IN MY MIND, JIM, FINDING THIS "X" SYMBOL
IN THE VENUS ALIGNMENT COULD ONLY BE THE WORK
OF THE KNIGHTS TEMPLAR. ♪ ♪ - LET'S SEE WHAT THIS LASER TEST
OF THE GIANT "X" IS. - YOU READY? - YEP, PRESSING. - ALL RIGHT, LET'S DO THIS. - ALL RIGHT, GREEN ONE'S ON.
POSITION'S GOOD. - HEY, LOOK AT THAT. THE BLUE ONE'S ON.
HEY, HEY, HEY! - WHOA, LOOK AT THAT. - AND THERE'S THE "X." THE VENUS ALIGNMENTS CROSS
AND MAKE A PERFECT "X." NOBODY BUT THE TEMPLARS WOULD DESIGN THIS
INTO A STRUCTURE LIKE THIS. - I KNOW--
THEY WERE THE ONLY ONE WITH LASER LIGHT SHOWS
BACK IN THE 1200s. BUT THAT'S WHAT YOU<i> THINK</i>
IS GONNA HAPPEN, THAT THE LIGHT'S GONNA
SHINE THROUGH THIS INTO HERE. VENUS IS GONNA BE UP
IN A COUPLE OF HOURS. LET'S SEE
WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPENS. - ALL RIGHT. WE'RE GONNA SEE
THE LIGHT COME THROUGH. YOU'RE GONNA LOVE IT. - WELL, LET'S SEE. - IF THE WEATHER IS CLEAR
TODAY, THEN I CAN TRY AND PROVE
MY THEORY, BUT IF IT'S NOT,
THEN I COULD LOSE MY SHOT. THERE'S ONLY A FEW DAYS
AROUND THE SOLSTICE WHEN I THINK
VENUS WILL LINE UP. WELL, THERE IT IS. WE GOT LUCKY
ON THE FIRST DAY. YOU THINK
THE WEATHER'S GONNA HOLD? - OH, YEAH. - I TELL YOU WHAT. IF THE LIGHT
COMES THROUGH THE WINDOW AND HITS THAT NICHE-- AND EVEN IF IT'S CLOSE...
- YEAH. - IT BASICALLY PROVES MY THEORY. - BUT I STILL THINK THAT IT'S GONNA RISE REALLY LOW
AND GO-- AND BE LOW IN THE SKY, LIKE, WHERE THE SUN
IS ABOUT 26 DEGREES ABOVE THE SOUTHERN HORIZON, AND I DON'T THINK IT'S GONNA GO
ANYWHERE NEAR YOUR WINDOW. - IT'LL BE CLOSE,
BUT DOES IT HIT IT? THAT'S WHAT
WE GOT TO FIND OUT. THE CLOUDS HAVE MOVED IN.
I CAN'T BELIEVE IT. - YEAH, IT'S STILL A LITTLE
CLOUDY ON THE HORIZON THERE. IT'S STARTING TO BRIGHTEN UP
A LITTLE BIT 'CAUSE THE SUN'S COMING UP. - DAMN IT. I--IT'S LIKE THESE CLOUDS
JUST CAME OUT OF NOWHERE. DAMN IT. - WELL, THERE'S ALWAYS
TOMORROW. - ALL RIGHT. I GUESS WE'RE JUST GONNA
HAVE TO HOPE FOR THE SUN. THE STARS ONLY ALIGN
FOR A SHORT WINDOW OF TIME RIGHT AROUND THE SOLSTICE. BUT THE STARS
AREN'T ALIGNING FOR ME. SEEING VENUS CLEARLY
IN THE NIGHT SKY IS IMPORTANT
TO SHOWING OTHER PEOPLE THAT THE KNIGHTS TEMPLAR
BUILT THE TOWER. - RAINED OUT AGAIN. - YEAH, YEP. IT'S ALMOST 9:00. AND IT'S NOT GONNA HAPPEN
TODAY. WE'VE ONLY GOT TWO MORE DAYS. - WELL, I HEAR IT MIGHT
CLEAR UP TOMORROW. - IF I HAVE ANY CHANCE OF CONVINCING JIM
AND OTHER PEOPLE THAT THE TEMPLARS
BUILT THIS, I NEED THE WEATHER
TO COOPERATE. [line ringing] - HELLO.
- HEY, HONEY. - HI, HONEY.
HOW'S IT GOING OUT THERE? - IT'S GOING TERRIBLE. THIS IS THE FOURTH DAMN DAY
IN A ROW OF JUST THE WORST WEATHER
I'VE EVER SEEN OUT HERE. I MEAN, IT'S BEEN CLOUDY, JUST IN
THE MOST INOPPORTUNE TIME. IT'S BEEN RAINING, AND TODAY IT'S CLOUDY,
RAINING, AND THE WIND IS BLOWING. YOU KNOW, JAN,
YOU AND I BOTH KNOW THAT THESE VENUS ALIGNMENTS
ARE DEFINITELY THERE. WE KNOW THE SOLAR ALIGNMENTS
ARE THERE, AND THE ONLY PEOPLE
THAT COULD HAVE DONE THIS ARE THE TEMPLARS. IF THIS WEATHER DOESN'T CLEAR,
THOUGH, GOD... WE HAVE TO FIND A WAY
TO PROVE THIS. - HANG IN THERE. HOPEFULLY
IT'LL CLEAR UP TOMORROW. - HEY, WAIT A MINUTE. I JUST NOTICED SOMETHING. - WHAT IS IT? - IT'S A KEYSTONE
IN ONE OF THE ARCHWAYS THAT HAS
A VERY SPECIFIC SHAPE. - WELL, WHAT DOES IT MEAN? - I'LL TELL YOU
WHAT IT MEANS. IT MEANS THAT
NO MATTER WHAT HAPPENS WITH THE EXPERIMENT TOMORROW,
EVEN IF WE GET IT OR NOT, I THINK WE HAVE
A FINAL PIECE OF EVIDENCE TO SEAL THE DEAL. I'VE SEEN THAT KEYSTONE
BEFORE, BUT I JUST NOW REALIZED
WHERE ELSE I'VE SEEN IT AND HOW IT MIGHT BE
ANOTHER IMPORTANT CLUE TO SOLVING THIS MYSTERY. - [sighs] FINALLY,
AFTER FOUR DAYS OF FRUSTRATION, LOOKS LIKE WE'RE GONNA GET
A CLEAR DAY. - YEAH, TO SEE VENUS--
IT'S GONNA SLOWLY RISE. AND I THINK
IT'S GONNA STAY CLEAR BECAUSE YOU CAN SEE ALL THESE OTHER STARS
IN THE SKY, SO WE SHOULD BE GOOD. - LET'S DO IT.
- ALL RIGHT. - JIM DOESN'T BELIEVE
THE VENUS ALIGNMENT IS GOING TO COME
ANYWHERE CLOSE. LIKE A LOT OF PEOPLE,
HE DOUBTS MY THEORY THAT THE KNIGHTS TEMPLAR
CAME HERE AND BUILT THIS TOWER, BUT I'M ABOUT TO TRY AND PROVE
THEY'RE WRONG. - IT'S RISING A LITTLE BIT
AS WE SPEAK HERE IN THE EASTERN HORIZON. - I THINK VENUS IS STILL
A LITTLE BIT LOW IN ALTITUDE. - I DON'T THINK THERE'S
ANY WAY THIS IS GONNA HAPPEN. I THINK IT'S GONNA BE
MUCH MORE FURTHER TO THE SOUTH. - I CAN SEE VENUS. IF IT DOESN'T HIT THE NICHE,
IT'S GONNA BE DAMN CLOSE. YOU KNOW WHAT, I THINK IT IS
A LITTLE BIT TO THE SOUTH. I THINK VENUS
IS OFF TO THE RIGHT, TO THE SOUTH A LITTLE BIT,
SO IT'S-- IT'S ACTUALLY HITTING
OVER HERE BEHIND ME. IT'S NOT GONNA HIT
MY NICHE. DAMN IT. - YEAH, IT MIGHT NOT
HAVE HIT YOUR ANGLE THAT YOU WERE
TALKING ABOUT, BUT, YOU KNOW,
IT DEFINITELY IS GONNA COME THROUGH
THAT WINDOW SOMEPLACE. - WHAT COULD EXPLAIN THAT
IS THE POSSIBILITY THAT THE PRECISION
OF THESE ALIGNMENTS IS NOT THE SAME
AS IT WAS IN THE DISTANT PAST WHEN THIS WAS ORIGINALLY BUILT. EVEN THOUGH
WE DIDN'T HIT IT TODAY INTO THE NICHE, MAYBE IN THE PAST,
IT DID. THE AXIS OF THE EARTH
IN RELATION TO VENUS HAS CHANGED
IN THE PAST 500 YEARS, AND EARTHQUAKES MAY EXPLAIN
WHY THINGS NO LONGER LINE UP. THE VENUS ALIGNMENT MAY NOT HAVE WORKED
EXACTLY LIKE I WANTED, BUT IT'S NOT
THE ONLY ILLUMINATION HERE THAT TELLS ME
THE TEMPLARS BUILT THIS. AT 9:00 A.M., A TIME WHEN TEMPLAR MONKS
WOULD BE AT PRAYER, AN INCREDIBLE EVENT OCCURS. THE MORNING SUNLIGHT ILLUMINATES
THE EGG-SHAPED KEYSTONE. AND I THINK
THE WAY THIS HAPPENS IS SOMETHING ONLY THE TEMPLARS
WOULD HAVE ENGINEERED. [dramatic orchestral music] ♪ ♪ WHEN THE SUN
COMES INTO THIS WOMB-- THIS ALLEGORICAL WOMB, WITH THE EGG
IN THE WEST ARCHWAY-- THEN THE SUNLIGHT
SENDS A SHAFT OF LIGHT INTO THE WOMB AND ALLEGORICALLY
FERTILIZES THAT EGG ON THE SHORTEST DAY
OF THE YEAR. THIS IS VERY SIGNIFICANT, AND TO THE PEOPLE THAT
I BELIEVE BUILT THIS TOWER-- THE KNIGHTS TEMPLAR-- THEY EMBRACE THIS
SACRED FEMININE ARCHITECTURE, AND IT'S A WONDERFUL ALLEGORY MARKING THIS IMPORTANT DAY
OF THE YEAR. ♪ ♪ WELL, JIM,
I THINK WE CAN AGREE THAT THIS IS NOT
A COLONIAL STRUCTURE AND IT GOES BACK AT LEAST
HUNDREDS OF YEARS FOR SURE. - YEP, I'M ON YOU
WITH THAT ONE, SCOTTY. - OKAY. THE MORE RESEARCH
THAT'S DONE, THE MORE WE'RE GONNA LEARN
ABOUT THIS TOWER, BECAUSE I THINK
YOU'LL ALSO AGREE WITH ME THAT THERE'S PROBABLY THINGS
GOING ON IN THIS TOWER WITH THESE HEAVENLY BODIES
THAT WE DON'T KNOW ABOUT YET. - OH, ASTRONOMERS,
ARCHAEOLOGISTS-- THEY WOULD HAVE A FIELD DAY
WITH THIS. IT'S INCREDIBLE. I DON'T KNOW WHY THERE AREN'T MORE OF THEM
THAT STUDY IT. - I MEAN, LET'S FACE IT. THE ACADEMIC COMMUNITY
HAS DROPPED THE BALL-- NOT JUST WITH
THIS NEWPORT TOWER BUT WITH MANY OF THESE
ANCIENT SITES AND ARTIFACTS THAT INDICATE
THAT PEOPLE HAVE BEEN COMING TO WHAT IS NOW AMERICA
FOR THOUSANDS OF YEARS. AND, JIM, I REALLY BELIEVE THAT THE SOCIETY
THAT THE TEMPLARS ENVISIONED WAS EVENTUALLY LAID OUT
BY MODERN FREEMASONS OVER A PERIOD OF CENTURIES. AND THOSE SYMBOLS--
THE SIGNS ARE ALL AROUND US, HIDDEN IN PLAIN SIGHT. WHILE WAITING
FOR THE WEATHER TO CLEAR, I NOTICED A SPECIAL STONE
IN THE TOWER THAT WAS IN THE SHAPE CALLED THE MARK MASTER MASON'S
KEYSTONE. IT UNITES
THE ARCH IN THE TOWER, BUT IT'S ALSO A SYMBOL OF UNITY
USED BY THE TEMPLARS AND THE MODERN-DAY FREEMASONS, THE GROUP WHO I THINK
CARRY ON TEMPLAR BELIEFS TODAY. THIS CONNECTION MAKES ME CERTAIN
THAT THESE SYMBOLS, LIKE THE KEYSTONE, ARE HIDDEN ALL OVER AMERICA, SOMETIMES RIGHT IN FRONT
OF OUR EYES. AND I THINK THE FREEMASONS
PUT THIS SYMBOL SOMEWHERE VERY IMPORTANT
TO ALL AMERICANS. ♪ ♪ [horns honking] ♪ ♪ I'VE SEEN THAT KEYSTONE SYMBOL
MANY TIMES, BUT THERE'S ONLY ONE WAY
I CAN REALLY SEE IT. [engine rumbling] HEY, JIM.
- HEY, SCOTT. HOW ARE YOU?
- HEY. - HELLO, TOWER,
HELICOPTER 4-1 SIERRA JULIET. WE'RE AT THE HOTEL BRAVO
INTERSECTION. LIKE TO DEPART TO THE NORTH,
PLEASE. - KILO 1 SIERRA JULIET,
REMAIN EAST AT 422 AT ALL TIMES. CLEAR FOR TAKEOFF. TAXIWAY BRAVO PAPA. ♪ ♪ - OKAY, JIM,
HERE'S WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR. - OKAY. - THIS IS A PICTURE
OF A KEYSTONE. IT'S CALLED
A MARK MASTER MASON'S KEYSTONE. AND YOU CAN SEE THAT IT'S GOT THESE NOTCHES HERE
UP AT THE TOP. AND IF WE CAN FIND THIS
OUT HERE, I THINK WHAT IT WOULD DO IS NOT ONLY PROVE
THAT THE KNIGHTS TEMPLAR AND THE MODERN-DAY FREEMASONS
ARE CONNECTED, BUT IT WOULD ALSO PROVE
THAT THESE TWO ORDERS WERE RESPONSIBLE FOR FOUNDING
OUR UNITED STATES ITSELF. - JULIET, TRAFFIC
FROM YOUR 12 TO 10 O'CLOCK, SO IT'S AT 1,400. JUST USE CAUTION THERE. - ROGER THAT.
1 SIERRA JULIET. - OKAY, JIM, CAN YOU GET US
A LITTLE BIT CLOSER? - YES, SIR.
- OKAY. - ROGER AT THE CLOCK TOWER. 500 FEET, GONNA BE MAKING A COUNTERCLOCKWISE TURN
AROUND THE LADY. - JIM, THERE IT IS.
THERE IT IS. I SEE IT.
- ALL RIGHT. - RIGHT THERE.
[laughs] ♪ ♪ THE NOTCHED KEYSTONE-- SHE'S HOLDING IT
IN HER LEFT HAND. THE HONOR OF PUTTING
THE FINAL KEYSTONE WAS GIVEN
TO THE MASTER MASON, SO HE WOULD CARVE
THE NOTCHES AT THE TOP, AND THAT WAS HIS HONOR--
TO TIE THAT STRUCTURE TOGETHER, STRUCTURALLY
AND ALLEGORICALLY. THE GOLD FLAME REPRESENTS
ILLUMINATION OR ENLIGHTENMENT, WHICH IS ONE OF THE TENETS
OF THE PEOPLE THAT I THINK BUILT THIS--
THE FREEMASONS. THE TEMPLARS USED THE SYMBOL
BEFORE THEM, AND IT'S ONE
OF THE MANY THINGS CONNECTING THESE TWO HIGHLY
SECRETIVE ORGANIZATIONS TOGETHER THROUGH HISTORY. THIS SYMBOL WAS PUT HERE
ON THE STATUE OF LIBERTY FOR ALL THE WORLD TO SEE. ALL THE CLUES THAT I'VE SEEN
SCATTERED ACROSS OUR NATION TELL ME SOMETHING AMAZING ABOUT WHO I THINK
REALLY SHAPED OUR UNITED STATES. I BELIEVE THE TEMPLARS
CAME TO THE NEW WORLD, AND THE NEWPORT TOWER
IS UNDENIABLE PROOF THEY WERE HERE. I THINK THEY CAME TO AMERICA
IN SEARCH OF RELIGIOUS FREEDOM AND TO ESCAPE PERSECUTION. IN THAT WAY, I THINK
THE TEMPLARS SET THE STAGE FOR COUNTLESS OTHERS
TO EMIGRATE FOR THE SAME REASON, BE THEM PURITAN OR QUAKER, JEWISH OR MUSLIM. I THINK THE TEMPLARS
PASSED ON MANY OF THEIR IDEALS TO THE FREEMASONS, SOME OF WHOM
WERE FOUNDING FATHERS OF THE UNITED STATES. BY INCORPORATING
THEIR UNIQUE SYMBOL INTO ONE OF THE MOST
ICONIC PIECES OF U.S. HISTORY, I'M CERTAIN BOTH THE TEMPLARS
AND THE FREEMASONS LEFT NO DOUBT THEY WERE INSTRUMENTAL
IN AMERICA'S DESIGN. TO ME, THE TEMPLARS, WHOSE PRACTICES AND BELIEF
LIVE ON IN MODERN FREEMASONRY, DETERMINED
THE VERY DESTINY OF OUR NATION.
