UPDATED 25 OCTOBER, 2020 - 01:06 DHWTY

The Templar Tunnel: Knight’s Strategic Passageway Was Lost for 700 Years

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The Templar Tunnel is an underground passageway located in the city of Acre, in what is now Israel. This tunnel was built by the Knights Templar when the city was under the rule of the Kingdom of Jerusalem, and served as a strategic passageway connecting the Templar palace to the port. After Acre fell to the Mamluks during the 13 th century, the Templar Tunnel was lost and forgotten. It was only in 1994 that the tunnel was rediscovered by a woman battling a pesky blocked sewage pipe beneath her house. 

The Kingdom of Jerusalem was established in 1099 following the conquest of Jerusalem by the participants of the First Crusade. About two decades later, the Poor Fellow-Soldiers of Christ and of the Temple of Solomon (known simply as the Templars) was founded by the French knight Hugues de Payens. This military order had their headquarters on the Temple Mount , and its main task was to protect Christian pilgrims who were travelling to the Holy Land. 

Acre Under Siege

Jerusalem was re-captured by the Muslims under Saladin in 1187 and the Templars effectively lost their headquarters. Although much of the Kingdom of Jerusalem had been overrun by the Muslims, the city of Tyre, along with a few isolated Crusader fortresses, continued to resist. In 1189, Guy de Lusignan, the king of Jerusalem, launched the first significant counter-attack against Saladin by marching against Acre. Despite the small size of his army Guy was able to put the city under siege. Saladin was not able to muster his forces in time to crush the besiegers, who were soon reinforced by participants of the Third Crusade from Europe.

• Mystery of the Knights Templars: Protectors or Treasure Hunters on a Secret Mission? 
• The Powerful Curse of Jacques de Molay, the Last Grand Master of Templars 
• Why were the Knights Templar so Interested in Harran, One of the Oldest Cities in the World? 

Portrait of Guy de Lusignan. ( Fabiodevivo / Public Domain )

The siege of Acre lasted until 1191 and resulted in the city’s capture by the Crusaders. The city became the new capital of the Kingdom of Jerusalem and the Templars were able to establish their new headquarters there. The southwestern sector of the city was allocated to the Templars and it was here that the knights constructed their main fortress. A 13 th century Templar wrote that this fortress was the strongest one in the city and that its entrance was protected by two towers with 8.5 meters (28 feet) thick walls. On each side of these towers were two smaller ones and each tower was topped by a gilded lion. 

The Templar Fortress

The Templar fortress marks the western end of the Templar Tunnel. This fortress is no longer in existence and the most noticeable monument in the area is the modern lighthouse. The western end of this tunnel is situated close to this lighthouse. The Templar Tunnel is 150 meters (492 feet) in length and crossed the city’s Pisan quarter. The tunnel was carved into the natural stone as a semi-barreled arch and its ceiling is supported by a layer of hewn stones. The eastern end of the tunnel is located in Acre’s southeastern sector, in an area that once was the internal anchorage of the city’s port. Today, this is the site of the Khan al-Umdan (meaning ‘Caravanserai of the Pillars’), which was constructed in the 18 th century when the city was under Ottoman rule. 

Old City of Acre, Lighthouse where Templar fortress used to stand. ( andreiorlov / Adobe) 

Acre Falls

In April 1291, Acre was besieged by the Mamluks of Egypt and the city fell to the Muslims about a month later. The Mamluk sultan, Al-Ashraf Khalil , ordered the city’s walls, fortresses, and other buildings to be razed to the ground, so that it may never be used by the Christians again. Acre lost its status as an important port city and remained neglected until the end of the 18 th century. 

Templar Tunnel Rediscovered 

As for the Templar Tunnel, no one knew about its existence in the centuries following the fall of Acre to the Mamluks. It was only in 1994 that this structure was rediscovered. In that year, a woman who was living directly above the tunnel had some problem with a blocked sewage. It was when the problem was investigated that the Templar Tunnel was stumbled upon. Subsequently, the tunnel was cleaned, and a walkway, lights, and access were added. In 1999, the Templar Tunnel was opened to the public and became one of the city’s tourist attractions. 

The Templar Tunnel in Acre, Israel. Source: Geagea / CC BY-SA 2.0 .

Underground Knights Templar citadel of Acre, Israel. ( PROMA / Adobe) 

Top image: The Templar’s Tunnel ( olegmayorov / Adobe Stock) 

By Wu Mingren

Overcoming Daily Fear

April 30, 2022 Saturday of the Second Week of Easter Readings for Today Saint Pius V, Pope—Optional Memorial

Video When they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and coming near the boat, and they began to be afraid. But he said to them, “It is I. Do not be afraid.”  John 6:19–20 This very familiar phrase was spoken once again:  “Do not be afraid.”   The setting is significant.  It is dark and the Apostles are out to sea.  If you’ve ever been out in the middle of the sea when it’s dark out you’d know that this is a bit frightening.  You cannot see the land and you feel as though you are surrounded by nothing.  The Apostles would have been feeling a bit lost as if they were in the middle of nowhere.   But, in the midst of this experience, Jesus came walking to them and told them, “It is I.  Do not be afraid.”  This would have been quite consoling to them.   We must see in this experience of the Apostles the daily experience so many have.  Many can feel as if they are surrounded by nothing, alone and lost.  Sure, this may not be an overwhelming feeling for some, but it is all too often an experience many do have to one degree or another.   This Gospel passage reveals to us that Jesus comes to us no matter where we are or whatever the situation is that we find ourselves in.  He does not wait for us to come and find Him, rather, He enters into our lives right where we are. This experience of being at sea in the dark comes in many forms.  Perhaps your life is filled with activity, but you still feel alone.  Perhaps your life is one where you do not have many around and feel the constant experience of isolation.  Or perhaps you put on a good face and present yourself as one who has it all together, but inside you are deeply struggling.  Whatever the case may be, Jesus wants to come to you and to console you. Reflect, today, upon these words of Jesus.  Listen to Him say to you, “It is I.”  As you hear Him say these words, turn to Him and acknowledge His presence.  Let Him come into the dark sea that you may feel surrounds you.  Hear Him say, “Do not be afraid.”  There are so many experiences in life that we can fear.  So many times that fear can take hold of us.  If we but let ourselves focus in on Jesus, the fear of our daily surroundings disappears.  We discover, deep within, that Jesus is right there and that all is well because He cares and is in control.  Let Him into the boat of your heart and let Him take over.  He is coming to you and is waiting for a response. Lord of all consolation, so often I fail to acknowledge Your divine presence in my life.  So often I fail to see you coming to me.  Help me to know that You are always there.  Free me from the many fears of life, dear Lord, and give me courage to welcome You fully into my life.  Jesus, I trust in You.

Being Tested

April 29, 2022 Friday of the Second Week of Easter Readings for Today Saint Catherine of Siena, Virgin and Doctor of the Church—Memorial

Video When Jesus raised his eyes and saw that a large crowd was coming to him, he said to Philip, “Where can we buy enough food for them to eat?” He said this to test him, because he himself knew what he was going to do.  John 6:5–6 God always knows what He is going to do.  He always has a perfect plan for our lives.  Always.  In the passage above, we read a snippet from the miracle of the multiplication of the loaves and fish.  Jesus knew He was going to multiply the few loaves and fish they had and feed over five thousand people.  But before He did this, He wanted to test Philip, and so He did.  Why does Jesus test Philip and why does He test us at times? It’s not that Jesus is curious about what Philip will say.  And it’s not that He is just playing games with Philip.  Rather, He is seizing this opportunity to let Philip manifest His faith.  So, in fact, this “testing” of Philip was a gift to him because it gave Philip the opportunity to pass the test. The test was to let Philip act on faith rather than just on human logic alone.  Sure, it’s good to be logical.  But very often the wisdom of God supersedes human logic.  In other words, it brings logic to a whole new level.  It brings it to a level where faith in God is brought into the equation. So Philip, in that moment, was being called to offer a solution given the fact that the Son of God was there with them.  And he fails the test.  He points out that two hundred days’ wages would not be enough to feed the crowd.  But Andrew somewhat comes to the rescue.  Andrew states that there is a boy who has a few loaves and some fish.  Unfortunately he adds, “but what good are these for so many?”   This little spark of faith in Andrew, however, is enough faith for Jesus to have the crowds recline and to perform the miracle of the multiplication of the food.  It seems that Andrew at least had a small insight into the fact that these few loaves and fish were important to mention.  Jesus takes this from Andrew and takes care of the rest. Reflect, today, upon the precious gift of even a little faith.  So often we find ourselves in difficult situations where we don’t know what to do.  We should strive to have at least a little faith so that Jesus has something to work with.  No, we may not have the full picture of what He wants to do, but we should at least have a small inkling of the direction God is leading.  If we can at least manifest this little faith then we too will pass the test.   Lord, help me to have faith in Your perfect plan for my life.  Help me to know that You are in control when life seems out of control.  In those moments, may the faith I manifest be a gift to You so that You can use it for Your glory.  Jesus, I trust in You.

The Old Man Burst Into Tears When He Saw What The Raven…

It often happens that the older a person gets, the more they forget the details of their youth. Young people may not understand how this is possible, but elderly people can confirm this fact that over time, memories and even dear faces start to fade. When this happens, elderly people can start to lose connection with the world and may even get depressed because they feel all alone. This is how the man in our story today felt until one event occurred that caused him to look at the world around him with a fresh perspective. This story happened on the outskirts of a city.

There, in an old apartment, an elderly man lived alone. A year ago his beloved wife passed away. She had lived with him for so many years, gave birth to the children they raised together and was always with him through thick and thin. But now she was gone and he was left alone. Of course, his adult children supported him, regularly visiting him in his small apartment, but over time he became so grief-struck that he stopped communicating with them.

The only exception was his youngest daughter, who, despite all her father’s protestations, came to visit him and spoke to him. It was with her that the man shared his innermost thoughts and increasingly talked about how lonely and sad he was and how much he missed his beloved wife, who was no longer with him. No matter how much his daughter tried to cheer him up, she could not bring her father out of his depression. The man stayed at home more and more. He went outside less and less, and he spent all his time on the balcony from where he watched others live their lives, finding at least some form of entertainment for himself.

In addition, he loved to watch birds. They often sat on the railing of his balcony and chirped, dispelling his anguish. The man watched them and their behavior for a very long time, and then he started to feed them with pieces of bread. At first, mainly pigeons gladly accepted the feast. Then sparrows began to fly in.

They quickly picked up all the breadcrumbs that the elderly man treated them to, and then they flew away just as quickly as they came. But one day, among all these birds, a man noticed one large blackbird who always sat at a distance and only watched how other birds ate from the man’s hands. It was a Raven. The man tried to treat him several times, but the Raven would always fly to a safe distance when the man held out his hand with the bread. Once the elderly man was sitting at home in the kitchen and heard a knock on the glass.

He pushed aside the curtain and was surprised to see the familiar Raven on the other side of the window. He carefully opened the window and placed some bread on the cell. The Raven gratefully took it and flew away. The next day the same thing happened, but this time the Raven did not fly away immediately. Instead, he sat for a while looking at the elderly man.

Before long, the Raven was no longer afraid of the man but flew in. Every time he came out to the balcony, the Raven would sit next to him for a long time as if he wanted to alleviate the man’s loneliness. Over time, they got used to each other and spent all day together on the balcony. The elderly man told him the story of his life, and the birds seemed to listen to him with great interest. Once the man caught a very bad cold and fell ill with fever and cough.

He was so weak that he could no longer go out onto the balcony to see his Raven. The bird often flew to the window but eventually stopped. Later, his youngest daughter came to take care of her sick father. She gave him medicine and cooked food for him, and under her careful supervision, he quickly recovered. The first thing he did when he was able to get out of bed was to put on his jacket and walk out onto the balcony.

He took a treat for the Raven, put it on the edge of the railing, and waited for his friend, but the Raven never came. The elderly man was still very weak, so his daughter persuaded him to move into her house for a while so that she could fully care for him. After much resistance, he finally agreed. He lived with his daughter for a week, but he was very bored and lonely. He missed his feathered friend very much, and he worried that he would never see him again.

It was at this moment that he heard a familiar knock on the glass. The man rushed to the window as fast as he could. How surprised he was when he saw his Raven outside the window. How. How could he find him a hundred miles from home?

Something glittered in the Ravens beat the man, put on his jacket, and went out to see what the bird had brought. When he came closer, he was simply stunned. It was an earring, but not just any earring. It was his deceased wife’s earring. There was no doubt who it was because the man gave her those earrings many years ago, but she lost one soon after.

They searched for it for a long time but never found it. The Raven found the earring many years ago and took it to his nest, where it was all those years. And now, when he felt that this man needed support, he brought him the most precious thing he had and returned it to his friend. The man took the earring with shaking hands and realized that he had more to live for. He firmly decided to no longer lock himself in his apartment but to start spending more time with his children and grandchildren.

This is how the act of a bird was able to bring a person out of depression and return to him the joy of life. Share in the Comments If you liked this story.

https://lifebaz.com/the-old-man-burst-into-tears-when-he-saw-what-the-raven/

No Rationing of the Spirit

April 28, 2022 Thursday of the Second Week of Easter Readings for Today Saint Peter Chanel, Priest and Martyr—Optional Memorial Saint Louis Grignon de Montfort, Priest—Optional Memorial

Video He does not ration his gift of the Spirit.  John 3:34 At wartime, when soldiers have a scarce amount of food, they have to ration it.  They only eat small measured portions each day so that the food will last as long as possible.  If they do not, they may run out and starve.   What if this were the case with God and His grace?  What if the Holy Spirit were to say to us, “Now I’m only going to help you to a limited degree.  Once you use up the grace I’m offering you, you’re on your own.”  Ouch!  That would be problematic. Of course the good news is that God acts in the completely opposite way with us.  He commits to a full outpouring of the Holy Spirit and offers all the grace we could ever need or want.  The problem is that we often “ration” His grace anyway.  We don’t do this because we believe God is limited.  Rather, we often do it because we are afraid to let God unleash His almighty power in our lives. Reflect, today, upon what your life would look like if you let God do whatever He wanted with you.  What would change?  How would your daily life, your relationships, your words, your actions and your future be different?  Intellectually speaking, we know it’s right to fully embrace the will of God in all things.  But when it actually comes to doing it, there is often much hesitancy. It may be fear of the unknown.  Or it may be that we do not fully want to change.  Whatever the case may be, God is offering you an unlimited amount of grace by the full outpouring of the Holy Spirit.  It’s up to you to decide if you will ration or not. Lord of superabundance, I do want to let You do whatever You want in my life.  I want to be fully immersed in Your grace.  Help me to say “Yes” to You no matter what that leads to and help me to trust in this glorious “Yes” You are calling me to make.  Jesus, I trust in You.

What Do You Prefer?

April 27, 2022 Wednesday of the Second Week of Easter Readings for Today

Video And this is the verdict, that the light came into the world, but people preferred darkness to light, because their works were evil.  John 3:19 What a strange thing to be so true.  God the Father sent the Son into the world to be Light for us all.  He is the Light that dispels all darkness.  But, according to the Gospel above, “people preferred darkness to light.”  They preferred their own sins to freedom from sin.  Why is that? As an example of this reality, all we have to do is watch the news or read the newspaper.  It seems that 90% of what is reported in the news media is a sensationalistic presentation of darkness.  We hear of one murder after another or one scandal after another.  Why does the media focus upon this so much?  Because it’s what sells.  And why does it sell?  Because we too often are drawn to darkness more than we are to light.   Certainly that is not the case for everyone.  So many are quite disinterested in the darkness of the world and the sensationalistic sins all around us.  But the fact that the darkness of evil is so front and center all the time should offer us a certain warning about our fallen human nature.  We tend to be drawn into mud and too often are all too happy there. Easter is a time to examine what it is you are drawn to.  Do you let yourself be drawn into the Light?  Are you attracted by those things that brighten your day?  Are you drawn to the many ways that God is present and active in the world all around you?  Hopefully you are.  But there is most likely some degree of pull toward disorder, sin and darkness.  There can be an interior conflict that everyone experiences.  It’s good to be aware of this, to identify it as part of our fallen human tendency, and to seek to shed all interest in the chaos and evil all around us.   As a follower of Christ, we are called to keep our eyes on Him and on Him alone.  We are called to penetrate the darkness with our faith and to let our whole being be attracted to and drawn toward Christ Jesus.  Perfection means that even our passions and desires are ultimately drawn to Christ as the Light of our life.   Reflect, today, upon that which you are drawn toward the most.  Commit yourself to the Light this Easter Season.  Move your eyes from the temptation to become drawn in and fascinated by the evil around us, to the joyful vision of our Resurrected Lord alive and at work all around us.  Let this Light guide your daily life. Lord of Light, help me to live in Your light.  Help me to keep my eyes firmly focused upon the glory of Your Resurrection.  May the joy of that gaze keep me from the countless distractions of evil all around me.  Jesus, I trust in You.

What foreign food can you not live without?

Peter Wade

visited 79 countries, all 7 continentsMon

What foreign food can you not live without?

Living in America, I love the tremendous variety of our cuisine. But as a gourmet cook and world traveler, I’m equally obsessed with foods that are not native to my country. Whether it was a foreign dish my parents made - both of them professional chefs who were masters of international recipes - or a dish I discovered during my travels to nearly 80 countries, there are almost too many to count.

I think about that impeccable alpaca steak at a five-star restaurant in Peru, the sausages we frequently sampled while living in Hungary, this stunning fried fish we had in China, the Tonkatsu we discovered in a tiny restaurant in Shibuya, Japan. But with an abundance of incredible culinary options in the United States, I feel I can find similarly delicious cousins of these dishes if I go to the right place. I need to narrow this down to the international foods that are unique and have no equal.

I also have to consider that most of my favorite Mexican dishes existed in Mesoamerica, prepared by ancient populations who were indigenous to some of the land that became the United States. So I suppose I cannot claim items like tortillas nor tamales as foreign.

However, there are dishes truly foreign to Americans that simply have no substitute. If I had to consider all of my favorite foreign foods, the following would be the top 10 that I simply cannot live without (listed by the frequency with which I eat each food item).

1.) Parmigiano Reggiano

While some of my recipes are better with SarVecchio Parmesan made by the award-winning Sartori company in Wisconsin, many of my authentic Italian recipes wouldn’t be the same without legitimate Parmigiano Reggiano imported from Italy. I buy it at least once a week and there is nothing else like it in the world.

2.) Nigiri

I’m not a huge fan of the veggies that accompany traditional sushi. So I opt for the simplicity of nigiri, just an exquisite piece of seafood atop sushi rice with a thick piece of pickled ginger. I’ll eat it once or twice a week and could not imagine a world without nigiri, especially eel. I’ve eaten this everywhere from San Francisco to Tokyo with unforgettable results.

3.) Pasta

This is another Italian staple I buy weekly and could not live without. Italian-made pastas are so much better than the American-made versions that we just cannot bring ourselves to cook with domestic pasta. We love Seggiano pasta, a British company run by Italians that is available at our local grocery store.

4.) Panang

This famous Thai concoction could actually be my favorite foreign dish! I’ve eaten it in Thailand, I’ve had it in reputable American restaurants, and I make a wonderful version at home. I don’t see myself going more than a month without panang!

5.) Tikka Masala

We ate a lot of this when we lived in India, and I still have this spicy curry once a month. I’m trying not to duplicate similar dishes here, but the curries of panang and tikka masala are so significantly different that each deserves a spot on the list. Restricting myself to panang for the rest of my life would be sad.

6.) Sambal Oelek

This spicy chili paste that originated in Indonesia is something we always have in stock in our kitchen. Whether I’m making sweet chili sauce for crab wontons, or hot Korean food, or even sneaking it into a chicken curry for a little kick, life would not be complete without a jar of sambal oelek.

7.) Spanakopita

My father introduced me to this glorious Greek dish as a child. We used to eat it two to three times each month. Then I started making an award-winning version of my own. I’ve eaten it in Greece too! If I could only have ten dishes from any country for the rest of my life, this would certainly make the list.

8.) Wontons

I eat a lot of wontons. Whether they’re the traditional steamed dumplings that date back to the Han Dynasty, or even the American invention crab wontons (which would be disqualified under the rules of this question), I will not live in a world without wontons.

9.) Ceviche

That picture has me salivating! Nothing can compare to an expertly prepared ceviche, especially the Peruvian version (which I prefer to the other Central and South American adaptations).

10.) Puri

Our Indian neighbors used to make this soft, chewy, puffy bread almost daily. We also got addicted to it in India, and it narrowly outranked other foreign dishes I cannot live without to squeak into my top 10.