Templar Ship

Today, April 16 is the feast day of Thibaud Gaudin, second-to-last Grand Master of the Knight’s Templar (succeeded by Jacques de Molay), who is said to have passed beyond the Diamond Gate (died) on this day in 1292. In 1291, while treasurer of the order, Gaudin was part of the knights who attempted to defend Acre, Israel during the Siege. After Acre fell, Gaudin and a few remaining knights fled to Sidon with the treasure of the order, but eventually sailed for Cyprus where he was confirmed Grand Master. There, legend has it, Gaudin was initiated into a Paphian sect called The Eyes, a group who claimed to be protectors of the original archives, including the codified system of belief, from the Knights and Sisters of Paphos.