The Oak Island Deception: Part II - Solomon's Gold and Zena's Map

Solomon's Gold:

1400 years before the Romans buried the Temple relics and Jesus on Oak Island, on the other side of the world, King Solomon was beginning his rule of Israel. Solomon, being the son of King David, was instructed on the value of diplomacy and treaties between nations by his father. King David was a warrior, but he developed strong regional friendships as well, such as Hiram, King of Tyre (ancient city in Lebanon). It's interesting that such a friendship would be possible considering Hiram worshipped Baal, which the Jews were instructed by the Lord in the Old Testament was evil and should be destroyed. Solomon himself married 700 women from different nations and tribes of Israel, which did not include his 300 concubines. He did so to cement alliances - mostly economic. He focused on international trade, and used the navies of Lebanon and Tarshish (modern southernmost Spain) to grow Israel's economy and power. 

Through his relations with the Tarshish, Solomon discovered the riches of Ophir - which normally referred to the "gold of Ophir" as described in the Old Testament. The Old Testament (meaning the Jewish Bible) described the arrival every 3 years of the ships of Tarshish with gold, silver, ivory, peacocks, precious stones and algum wood. There was only one place in the world where all these items were indigenous and that was India - in this case the Indian territories known as Kerala and Karnataka (South Western India). Southern India was the site of ancient gold mining in India:

Although many people debate where the biblical Ophir is, Google Earth labels Ophir as:

The  truth is "Ophir" was not a city, but a massive valley in Southern India. The Indians had developed bedrock mining in ancient times, and it was not uncommon for their mine shafts to be 100's of meters deep into the bedrock. This fact will be discussed further when we talk about Zena's map. The "Kochi Jews" claim their residency in India from Solomon's time. They started their Indian life in Cranganore, which was the main port city of Western India during Solomon's times. It was later filled in by silt during a tsunami, and the major port functions shifted to the south at Kochi. When that happened the Jewish residents also moved to Kochi, and became known as the Kochi Jews. The Kochi Jews were involved in the trading of diamonds, gold, and silver. They were the ultimate middlemen for King Solomon. Solomon was highly respected in India, and the Kochi Jews were granted land and what can best be described as Royal protection. Even the Chinese trading missions respected the position of the Kochi Jews. Kochi is located roughly 50 miles from the Ophir Valley.

Apparently Solomon figured out that if he built a fleet of ships in the southern Israeli city of  Ezion Geber he could stop using Tarshish ships, which travelled around the Horn of Africa to reach India (a 3 year return round trip journey), and sail directly to the port city of Cranganore. Solomon would receive 16 tons of gold each trip in a third of the time. India's gold made Solomon and Israel rich. 200 years later, Judean King Jehoshaphat attempted to build his own fleet in Ezion Geber, to replicate Solomon's direct trade with Cranganore/Ophir, but his entire fleet was destroyed during a storm and they never made it. The story of the gold of Ophir is very important in relation to Zena's Map, and the next part of the series, so please remember this. 

Interestingly, the Romans also traded with southern India after they conquered Egypt. Here is a Roman axe pin made of gold from the 3rd century, which was found in the Kochi area:

Zena's Map

                                                                        Zena Halpern

Zena Halpern came onto the Curse of Oak Island show for seasons 4 and 5 before she passed away. Zena studied everything Knight's Templar, which is interesting because her faith is Jewish (the story will explain why as we go). Zena presented to the Lagina brothers a map that she claimed to have discovered loosely placed in a book she found while researching the topic. The map claims to be a Templar map of Oak Island from 1347, and is sent from one "Lion Cub of Talmont" to one "Mr. Frangorska Rochefoucauld". It describes its purpose as: a "tiny bit of knowledge"; describes the process of reaching the island; obstacles to avoid; an entrance to something; and landmarks on the island. It is a fascinating glimpse into Oak Island as it existed in 1347, and the state of construction at that point in time. 

The "Lion Cub of Talmont" actually refers to Louis De La Cerda (1291-1348). He was a French naval officer, who subsequently became Admiral of the French Fleet - his rank when the map was made. In 1344 Pope Clement VI made him the Prince of Fortuna (the Canary Islands). He was the first Count of Talmont, and died on July 5, 1348 - one year after the map's date. 

Mr. Frangorska Rochefoucauld was Guy VII de Rochefoucauld, a knight and noble in west central France. He combined several small towns into one town known as Rochefoucauld. His family was known for building the first castle in the area on solid rock - hence the beginning of the name "Roche" or rock in English. After Guy VII built a Carmalite Convent in Rochefoucauld, the Bishop of the area, Bishop Aglin de Blaye, excommunicated him from the Catholic Church. The Carmalite Order was not based on any Catholic saints, which was rare, but on the Jewish prophet Elijah - hence the ex-communication. He died at the side of the King of France in the Battle of Poitiers in 1356, 9 years after Zena's map was created. The "Rochefoucauld  Grail", a hundred miniature paintings of noble life and chivalry at the time, was made in his honour. 

The map itself has come under attack by critics who claim it cannot be authentic, because the French used in it is rudimentary and sometimes wrong. They have a point, and what they say is true, but they speak from ignorance of the structure of Catholic holy orders. In the 1300's there were a number of Catholic military orders. These orders spread all over Europe. The key to understanding the authenticity of Zena's Map is the word "Frangorska". Frangorska in English means "man from the mountain".  The "mountain" part of the name is telling and comes later in this series, but the use of the term "gorska" is of Polish origin. In the 1300's the dominant holy military order was the Teutonic Knights, with a minor order named Knights of the Cross and Red Star also existing in the area - they originated from Prague, but made their way to a small part of southern Poland. It is more likely than not that Zena's Map was a reproduction of the original for use amongst the Teutonic Knights. It gave them knowledge of the treasure, and was handed down over the years. You may think this is a stretch, but the links between the Teutonic Knights and the Masonic Order of Royal Archer Masonry are real. 

The Order of the Royal Archers was at one time the bodyguards of the Scottish King. Today it is the Order dedicated to protecting the treasure on Oak Island, specifically the Ark of the Covenant - we'll get into that later. Here is a picture of modern Royal Arch Masons getting together with modern Teutonic Knights. The Royal Arch Masons wear the Red Cross of the Templars, and the Teutonic Knights wear the Black Cross of their order:

The fact is, the Polish reproduction of the Zena Map is authentic, and the features it does and does not show, prove that. It's a picture in time - 1347. In all probability, Louis De La Cerda, the Lion Cub of Talmont, knew he was dying of an illness and wanted to share his secret with Rochefoucauld before his death at age 57. He may have succumbed to the Black Plague which was striking Europe at that time, or something he picked up from his journey to Oak Island and back. Finding his cause of death has been impossible, other than it was "untimely". One side note, which I will expand on later, is the term "Lion Cub of Talmont". The "Lion Cub" part of the title is not referring to Richard the Lion Hearted, as is sometimes suggested, but rather to the "Young lions of Tarshish" from the Old Testament. The young lions of Tarshish were those men that sailed the seas without fear to bring gold from southern India to Israel. The underlying preposition is that  Louis De La Cerda, a secret Templar, was transporting Ophir gold to Oak Island - more on that later.

Zena's Map has several verifiable details on it:

Firstly it shows the "anchor stones", which have been found on Oak Island and are still there. The rest has yet to be dug up, which is strange if you consider the "entrance at the Oak tree", was the original shaft built by the Templars. It also shows a dam, which was coincidentally invented by Roman Emperor Vespasian to desilt harbors. From Lidar images the outlines of the ancient dam still remain. It shows the reef near Oak Island and advises not to take ships through there.

The Zena Map really describes the logistics of the Oak Island operation. It shows a Lebateau, or large ship, taken to the west, and a small boat, Le barque heading east. The underlying meaning is they come fully loaded when heading west, and are fully unloaded when  heading home. It also shows that they anchor their ships behind Frog Island nearby, and bring small boats to Oak Island, which would suit both the avoidance of the reef and being hidden from the open sea. It shows the existing hatch, valve, death triangle (used to drag cargoes over land, to lower cargoes into shafts, and to remove stone debris from shafts), the anchor stones (which were surveying points), the original Templar shaft at the southeast of the swamp, and the subsurface vault. It's a fascinating look at the early days of the Oak Island project.

The Zena Map is also equally fascinating for what it doesn't show. It doesn't show the circular feature on Lot 5, Nolan's Cross, a massive swamp, or any other shafts being built. It doesn't describe why the feature was being built, or what treasure they found under the hatch. The only hint of that treasure was the words "Lion cub of Talmont", meaning the young lions of Tarshish who transported the gold from India. Zena's Map does give a tantalizing hint to this end: "the southern Indians work very good". In 1347 there were only one people that were referred to as "Indians", and they were the people of India. The reference to "southern" Indians refers to the bedrock miners of Kerbela and Karnataka, India. It is they who toiled to build the vast underground complex on Oak Island. Yes that is also the region of King Solomon's Ophir, and the place of the Kochi Jews. In case you are wondering if the reference to "lion cub" is synonymous with the biblical "young lions", have a look of this picture from the closed Masonic lodge in Mahone Bay, NS - the town just off Oak Island:

As you can see, the picture shows Solomon on his throne. The arm rests of his throne are large grey lions, but flanking them are golden lion cubs. In the background, on the right, you can see the outline of the Templar fort in Acre - their last stand in the Holy Land. The message is that the Templars left Acre, with their gold, and the sun no longer shines on it, because it has moved to a new land. The golden lion cubs signify the transportation of gold from Ophir, India, which was the source of Solomon's wealth, to the new world (Oak Island). There are three more frescoes in the Lodge that we will deal with later that get far more specific about the treasure. It is noteworthy that this Masonic Lodge closed in 2014, the same year the Curse of Oak Island started airing on television.

CONCLUSIONS:

1.  King Solomon was aware of the gold deposits in southern India, and this is the biblical Ophir gold.         Solomon sent a Jewish contingent to Kochi area to organize the export of this gold, as well as other      luxury goods, and to act as his ambassadors. He used the young lions of Tarshish to transport the             gold in three year cycles, but eventually built his own fleet in southern Israel to facilitate a much             quicker return trip, and cut out the Tarshish middlemen. 

2.  Zena's Map is a true copy of the original and it originated in Poland with the Catholic military                 order of the Teutonic Knights. It's purpose was handing down the information between Catholic             military orders. The originator of the map and the receiver of the map are real historical figures             linked to the Catholic military order of the Knights Templar. Zena's Map acts as a historical snap             shot of the existing works on Oak Island in 1347, and the logistical approach taken to build the             works by its early engineers. 

3. The Knights Templar, in conjunction with other Catholic military orders, transported massive                quantities of gold from Acre and southern India to Oak Island. The knowledge of this treasure, and        where it was buried was handed down to the Masons, because the original survey of Oak Island,            done by a Mason, shows knowledge of the surveying system used by the Templars during deposit.        The Royal Arch Lodge was and is responsible for the safe guarding of the Oak Island treasure, and         particularly with guarding of the Ark of the Covenant.

EPILOGUE:

    The connection between King Solomon and the Oak Island treasure cannot be understated. Not only     is it a treasure of gold from his mines, but it contains the holy relics from his Temple to the Lord. The     true nature of the Templar's wealth was not by way of land grants and donations, but the gold of            southern India. It is why so much of the current Masonic symbolism and culture is devoted to King        Solomon. In fact, much of it is a way of passing knowledge on to each generation of the treasure,            cloaked in rituals that give it a "humanistic" meaning. The real reason for the rituals, and the exact        nature of the Oak Island treasure are cloaked in secrecy until the Mason has successfully completed        the Royal Arch Masonry right. The natural and logical conclusion, with much more evidence to            come, is that the Masonic order is perpetuating something that began a long time ago - a grand                deception.