Veritas vos liberabit

One of the weaker points in Raymond Khoury’s “The Last Templar” is the use of the phrase Veritas vos liberabit (The truth will set you free). This Bible verse from John 8 is enigmatically presented as a common Templar motto, because it can be supposedly seen on the walls of some Templar castle in France (Chateau de Blanchefort, to be precise). I was unable to find any references to this inscription. Seriously, if every Templar castle had this inscription prominently displayed… According to the novel, the markings are there, in plain sight. Why can’t I find any pictures with these words anywhere? The answer is probably quite simple. This phrase never was used as a motto by the legendary military order. If you are trying to find a Bible verse that defines this elite group of warrior monks, there is nothing better that the words from the book of Psalms: Non nobis, Domine, non nobis, sed nomini Tuo da Gloriam. Not to us, not to us, O Lord, But to thy name give glory. There is irrefutable evidence that the Knights sang a hymn containing these words before going into battle. They were much less concerned about their own future than about glorifying the name of the Lord.

This phrase is also used as a motto by many schools and institutions. Most famously, the California Institute of Technology.

P.S. According to one of the comments I have received, the name of the castle is Chateau Blanquefort. The book clearly states Blanchefort. Perhaps it is a minor issue, because I would be sufficiently happy to see any Templar structure or document with this phrase.