During the Easter season you may have heard the story once again of the Last Supper Jesus had with his disciples, and the cup he used to share wine with them. The cup Jesus used came to be known as the Holy Grail. Does it still exist? Did it ever exist?
The fifth and supposedly last Indiana Jones movie, Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, was released in 2023. In his first movie he sought and found the Ark of the Covenant and in his third movie it was the Holy Grail. The fifth movie includes an encounter with the Lance of Longinus, the spear used to pierce Jesus’ side on the cross (John 19:34). But it is not just fictional adventurers who pursue such items. The night I started this article there was a program on TV about a reporter investigating claims that the Ark of the Covenant was taken by the son of the queen of Sheba (see 1st Kings 10) down the Nile to an island in Ethiopia. Over the centuries many people have searched for the Grail, including Monty Python. Even today some people make a serious effort to track down such relics. These stories, movies and TV programs are entertaining and contain a lot of interesting historical tidbits, but do these relics even exist? Are these adventurers wasting their time? Let’s start with the first relic pursued by Indiana Jones.
What about the Ark of the Covenant? It is described in Exodus 25: a box about 4 feet by 2 by 2, covered in gold, with two golden cherubim (winged warrior creatures) on top, to be placed in the most holy part of the tabernacle.
Ancient depiction of a cherub. No, a cherub is not like cute little Cupid.
Sounds like a beautiful object. Can you imagine what a priceless treasure this would be? I think you have to use your imagination, because I question if it ever existed. I say this for several reasons. First, the whole story of Moses is suspect; historians and archaeologists have struggled to find clear evidence of Moses and the surrounding story. In 1st Kings 8:9 it says the Ark contained the tablets of the Commandments, yet in the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:4) it says not to make any graven images “or any likeness of what is in heaven above or on the earth beneath.” I think that would include cherubim. Kind of ironic if the tablets of the commandments were contained in a vessel having graven images of heavenly creatures contrary to the commandments. In the New Testament the Book of Hebrews reveals a tradition not mentioned in the Old Testament, that the Ark also contained Aaron’s staff, which had budded flowers in miraculous fashion (Numbers 17:1-11), and a jar of manna, their miraculous sustenance during the Exodus (Hebrews 9:4). So, the Ark was said to contain various objects of miraculous origin. No problem for the faithful but questionable to the skeptic. And the Ark itself is reported to have miraculous properties. In Joshua 3 when the priests carried the Ark into the Jordan River it dried up so the people could pass through. When the Philistines took the Ark as described in 1st Samuel 5 it first caused the idol of Dagon to fall down during the night, and then be decapitated. When they moved it to Gath the people there were afflicted with hemorrhoids (you can’t say God doesn’t have a sense of humor!). Come to think of it, maybe Ethiopia’s problems like famine and civil war are evidence that they really do have the Ark! To the faithful such things are entirely possible, but a skeptic has to question its existence; it sounds like legend. Still, it is possible an artifact exists without the miraculous properties attirbuted to it. Finally, the stories involving the Ark occur in Israel’s earlier, more legendary history; in King Josiah’s time they supposedly put it in the temple without any hoopla (2nd Chronicles 35:3), and then it just disappears from sight. Seems like a rather inconsequential ending for such a supposedly glorious sacred object.
This has led to all sorts of speculation as to what happened to it (carried off by Nebuchadnezzar, buried in Jerusalem, taken off to Egypt or Ethiopia, taken to England by the Knights Templar, etc.). I suspect there is no record of what happened to it because it was more legend than eality. If there was some sort of vessel used during worship in the temple then it was likely taken away when the temple was ransacked by Nebuchadnezzar. It would have been valued for its gold, but otherwise would be of no significance to the Babylonians. It might have been repurposed for their pagan worship, or melted down for other uses. Who knows? This leads to an interesting passage from Jeremiah, which seems to sum up the Ark’s fate:
“And it shall be in those days when you become numerous and are fruitful in the land,” declares the Lord, “they will no longer say, ‘The Ark of the covenant of the Lord.’ And it will not come to mind, nor will they remember it, nor miss it, nor will it be made again.”
Jeremiah 3:16
If you read Jeremiah he harshly criticizes the priests and their elaborate system of worship. So it is not surprising that he makes light of their Ark and its significance. It will fade into obscurity. If you want to seek fortune and glory pursuing this relic, have at it. I think it’s a fool’s errand.
Then we have the Holy Grail, which is the cup Jesus used when he had the Last Supper with his disciples on the night he was betrayed. Jesus very well may have observed the Passover meal with his disciples that night. This certainly would have involved cups. But the gospels, especially Mark, make it clear that even then the disciples did not understand what was going on. They certainly did not think this was the “last” supper with Jesus. Even if Jesus said the words attributed to him during the meal, his emphasis was on the contents of the cup containing “My blood of the covenant, which is being poured out for many” (Mark 14:24). Despite the doctrine of transubstantiation[1] there is no reason to think the cup contained the actual blood of Jesus, which was still running around his vascular system. There was nothing special about the cup; nothing mystical about it. There was no reason for the disciples to take the cup with them. The owner of the room which they had catered (Mark 14:13-15) probably would have objected to them stealing his cup! He would have gathered up the utensils after the dinner and washed them for the next meal. Even if the disciples later realized it was special and went back for it, how would they recognize it? To suggest that the disciples would have kept the cup and passed it on is to ignore the details of the story as it is told. There is also a later legend that Joseph of Arimathea used the cup to catch some of Jesus’ blood at the crucifixion. That makes no sense to me. How did Joseph get the cup? He wasn’t at the Last Supper. Why would he collect some of Jesus’ blood? Creative, and gory, but not credible. Frankly, looking for the grail then or now is just an exercise in futility.
Then there is the Lance of Longinus, the spear used to pierce Jesus’ side on the cross. Most people probably do not realize that is mentioned only in the Gospel of John. But there are several relics today which are said to be parts of the lance, including one kept in the Vatican, although the Catholic Church does not claim it to be authentic.[2] But why would a Roman soldier regard that lance as something special? Some might point out that the centurion at the cross acknowledges that “Truly this man was the son of God!” Ironically, John alone mentions the piercing with the spear and John alone omits the part about the centurion’s confession. (Really, why would a pagan soldier think a man being crucified was the Son of God?) Even so, why would he think that made his lance special? Even if it was stained with Jesus’ blood of what significance would that be to a soldier who performed crucifixions and had seen plenty of blood? He wasn’t at the Last Supper to hear about it being “My blood of the covenant.” He was a soldier not a theologian. The disciples had dispersed in fear; it is not like they would be bold enough to ask the soldier for his spear, especially after he had just skewered their leader. Once again, it makes no sense for this lance to become a treasured relic.
A final thought about religious relics. After the emperor Constantine converted, his mother Helena traveled to the Holy Land to find holy sites, and sure enough, she found some! Like the site that is now the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. Imagine, the mother of the emperor comes and wants to know where Jesus was buried. Are you going to disappoint her? “Right this way, ma’am, here it is! And look, here are some of the nails used to crucify Jesus!” Yes, she reportedly was given two nails, which were put in Constantine’s helmet and horse bridle, to supposedly give him miraculous help in battle. And there is always the profit motive. Income from relics helped support individuals and churches down through the ages. No wonder there are various churches in Europe claiming to have pieces of Jesus’ cross. How easy to take a piece of wood and claim it was from the cross, and how profitable! And there is also an evangelistic angle. Some years ago I visited a Greek Orthodox church in our area and one of the members spent some time detailing some of the marvelous relics contained in churches in Europe; they clearly bolstered his faith (but not mine).
So, if the pursuit of holy relics strengthens your faith or simply excites your sense of adventure, have at it. I think you are wasting your time; fortune and glory does not await you. I think it is better to pursue what I see as the true legacy of Jesus, which is to feed the hungry, quench the thirsty, shelter the stranger, clothe the naked, care for the sick and visit the incarcerated (Matthew 25:35, 36). That is a challenging adventure available to each and every one of us.
(Be sure to leave comments or questions below.)
Thinking exercises:
1. Can you think of any relic from the Bible that would be truly faith-inspiring, especially for those who are skeptical and not already inclined to believe?
2. How would you authenticate the following? a) The Holy Grail. b) The Lance of Longinus. c) The tomb Jesus was buried in. d) A piece of the cross.
3. Given Ethiopia’s problems, don’t you think they should give the Ark of the Covenant back to Israel?
4. Why do you think an important religious object like the Ark of the Covenant just dropped out of sight without explanation?
5. The doctrine of transubstantiation says that in the Eucharist/Lord’s Supper the bread and wine actually become the substance of Jesus’ body and blood. How do you feel about cannibalism as part of your religion? Isn’t crucifying him bad enough without also eating him?
[1] Transubstantiation: the doctrine that during the Eucharist (Lord’s Supper) the wine actually becomes Jesus’ blood, and the bread his body, or at least is of the same substance.
[2] Look up “Holy lance” in Wikipedia for an interesting history of this relic, including the name origin.
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