If I could travel into the past: The original Friday 13th

If I could time travel, I would go to France on Friday, October 13, 1307, to witness the most perfectly executed conspiracy in medieval history. The simultaneous arrest of every Knight Templar in the kingdom.

I want to be there at dawn, watching this breathtaking feat of coordination unfold across an entire country. 

Imagine witnessing a secret operation so vast that it required sealed orders sent to every bailiff, every seneschal, every royal official in France, all opening their instructions at precisely the same moment. This is medieval logistics on an impossible scale, orchestrated by King Philip IV with the precision of a modern military operation.

I want to see the moment when these legendary warrior-monks, men who had fought in the Crusades, who controlled vast fortunes and commanded respect across Europe, suddenly find themselves branded as heretics and hauled away in chains. 

The sheer audacity of it takes my breath away. 

These aren't ordinary criminals being arrested; these are the most powerful military order in Christendom, and they're being taken down by royal decree in a single morning.

What fascinates me most is the political chess game behind it. 

Philip IV, drowning in debt to the Templars, has just solved his financial crisis by destroying his creditors. 

He's convinced Pope Clement V to go along with charges of heresy, blasphemy, and obscene rituals, accusations so scandalous that even questioning them becomes dangerous. 

I want to witness this masterpiece of medieval propaganda in action, seeing how efficiently a king can rewrite history when he controls both the narrative and the arrests.

I want to be there when the news spreads, watching the ripple effect across Europe as people realize what has happened. 

The Templars were incredibly wealthy, they were the medieval equivalent of an international bank, with assets from London to Jerusalem. 

Their sudden fall would have sent shockwaves through every royal court, every merchant house, every monastery. 

I want to see the faces of those who owed the Templars money, suddenly realizing their debts might have just vanished. 

I want to see the terror in the eyes of other powerful orders, understanding that if the Templars could fall this quickly, anyone could.

I want to see Jaques De Molay, the last grand master of the templars, arrested and burned alive.

Most of all, I want to witness the moment when people begin to understand the implications of what real power means.

A king proving that no institution, no matter how powerful or sacred, is beyond his reach. 

Philip has just demonstrated that political necessity can override religious authority, that financial desperation can justify any accusation, and that even the most respected organizations can be destroyed overnight if they become inconvenient.

The entire medieval world is watching its assumptions crumble in real time, and I want to be there to see it happen.

BUT….what I really want to see, or understand, is what happened next. 

Where did they go? 

What happened to their wealth? 

Are the rumors true?