The Enigmatic King Philip IV: A Quest for Gold with a Mysterious End

Philip had a love for money. And while we all need money, his obsession was extraordinary. Unfortunately, Philip was also the King of France. In 1276, following the murder of his elder brother Louis, Philip ascended the throne of a financially drained kingdom, burdened by reckless extravagance and useless wars.

Upon taking the throne, Philip searched for ways to fill the royal treasury. One of his notorious actions involved waging a brutal campaign against the Knights Templar, a powerful military order with incredible wealth. Foolishly, the Templars had lent money to the king. Detesting the idea of being indebted, Philip accused them of heresy, fabricating criminal charges against them. Through suspicious means, he secured shocking 'testimonies' about their alleged heinous acts. Most laughable were claims of human sacrifices and worship of a giant demonic cat. Despite not being paragons of virtue, the Templars were subjected to horrific torture by Philip’s decree, forcing admissions of false crimes. Thirty-six Templars died under torture, and another 122 confessed. After years of sham trials, they were burned in public squares, denouncing their forced confessions and cursing their persecutors. Treasure hunters still seek the Templars' rumored riches, never found by Philip.

In 1306, Philip turned his attention to the Jews. Jewish creditors were crucial to many French merchants. On Tisha B'Av, Jews were starkly ordered to leave France, relinquishing all property and the debts owed to them. Philip announced he would collect the debts himself, effectively transferring all dues to his own coffers. Among the exiled were notable scholars like Rabbi Aaron of Lunel and Rabbi Yedidya HaPenini. Forced to relocate to Provence and Spain, they struggled to rebuild their lives.

The expulsion didn’t sit well with the non-Jewish merchants who complained the economy suffered without the Jewish community. Despite growing pressures, these matters didn’t concern Philip much. Unfortunately, his actions did him no favors in the long run. At age 46, Philip died unexpectedly from unknown causes. His son, Louis, succeeding him, eventually responded to public demand and invited the Jews back to France.