I haven't been able to find any additional information as yet, but I thought this might be of interest to some of you...

From the Daily Telegraph...

First Knights Templar are discovered

April 10, 2006

LONDON: The first bodies of the Knights Templar, the mysterious religious order at the heart of The Da Vinci Code, have been found by archaeologists near the River Jordan in northern Israel.

British historian Tom Asbridge yesterday hailed the find as the first provable example of actual Knights Templar.

The remains were found beneath the ruined walls of Jacob's Ford, an overthrown

castle dating back to the Crusades, which had been lost for centuries.

They can be dated to the exact day -- August 29, 1179 -- that they were killed by Saladin, the feared Muslim leader who captured the fortress.

"Never before has it been possible to trace their remains to such an exact time in history,' Mr Asbridge said. "This discovery is the equivalent of the Holy Grail to archaeologists and historians. It is unparalleled."

http://www.dailytelegraph.news.com.au/story/0...27,00.html

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I find it particularly abhorrent that they need mention "The DaVinci Code" in conjunction to a respectable historical find.

The book is a work of fiction (and IMHO a bad one at that). I say leave it's stain where it belongs, specifically not in real history.

edit: Using the Da Vinci Code as reference to this would be similar to introducing the real life Saladin as the Arab Leader in the movie Kingdom of Heaven.

Those curious about Tom Asbridge's credentials can find out a little bit more about him from his staff page at the Queen Mary University of London, here. I haven't read his recent work on the first crusade, but I have heard very positive things, and it's in the queue. Has anyone else already given it a try?
I also discovered a woefully out of date website containing a few photos of the dig itself, located here, which also contains a little bit of background information.

I am resigned to the importance of using some sort of "hook" like The DaVinci Code. Many people are woefully undereducated when it comes to history, and most don't much care. Without the Templars and Dan Brown (and a plagiarism trial to boot), it is likely the Daily Telegraph wouldn't have even run the article. At least they did run it, so that those of us who do care can look for further information.

I know that whenever I'm talking to "Joe Public" about my area of expertise (I'm a paleontologist), I always have to put things into perspective for them by relating almost whatever I'm talking about to Tyrannosaurus rex and Jurasic Park. Completely different field, but same concept.

I thought tombs of Templars and former Templars were well-known? Perhaps these are just the first actual bones?

I find that article very puzzling.

The first provable example of actual Knights Templar? I didn't realize this needed proving.

How did they know that these bodies were those of Templars? Were there artifacts in the graves that tied them to the Order? Just because the graves were dated to the time that Saladin captured the castle, how does that make them Templars? Were there marks of execution on their bones? If so, even that doesn't nail down their identity as Templars.

Never before has it been possible to trace their remains to such an exact time in history,' Mr Asbridge said. "This discovery is the equivalent of the Holy Grail to archaeologists and historians. It is unparalleled." Why? I smell a powerful odor of hyperbole.

The castle of Jacob's Ford had a very short and violent history: http://www.deremilitari.org/resources/articles/barber1.htm
It seems to have been inspired by the Templars and garrisoned by them, although that doesn't clearly exclude other sources of soldiery. It seems reasonable that graves in the castle are very likely related to the Templars. I have no idea if there are any other or earlier Templar graves that are known.