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The
Holy Grail
What Is the Holy Grail? Is it in the Bible and Does it
Really Exist?
Hope
Bolinger
If you’ve
ever had a chance to watch Monty Python or Indiana
Jones and the Last Crusade, you will have touched on culture’s obsession
with this supposed holy chalice.
It had
its pique of interest in the mid-middle ages but fizzled out in the nineteenth
century.
Revivals
of interest in objects akin to the grail (seen in literature by C.S. Lewis and
Dan Brown) have brought this inconspicuous object back into the light.
Where did
this mythical grail come into existence? Why does it have ties with
Christianity? And what part does it play in history?
Let's
first look at: What is the Holy Grail?
The
“Christian” relic known as the Holy Grail has dotted the lines of medieval
literature.
Whether
the Holy Grail is a cup, cauldron, or stone depends on which version of the
legend you're reading.
Supposedly,
it was a vessel of importance, used by Jesus or one of his followers during his
ministry.
Read more
on this in the possible scriptural influences section below.
The
object has varied in size throughout the various narratives from a wine bowl,
to a stone that fell from heaven, to the now culturally accepted cup.
As for
what the grail can do, that differs by account as well. Some say it carries the
elixir of eternal life.
Other
writers reimagined the grail as the philosopher’s stone, a stone with the
ability to give longevity.
Or
perhaps it also played into the fountain of youth narrative that later played a
role in historical conquests.
Other
myths have attributed the Holy Grail to satisfying the needs of whoever drank
from it, or providing the ultimate spiritual or mystical experience.
Supposedly,
according to Arthurian legend, the Holy Grail was guarded in a
castle.
It
appears first, however, in a 12th century text known as Conte
del Graal ('Story of the Grail'), written but never completely finished in
1180.
Is the
Holy Grail in the Bible? Possible Scripture References:
Although
no verse in the Bible points to a specific Holy Grail object, several verses
point to where this legend may have sprouted from.
Some
stories have attributed the Holy Grail to the cup of wine Jesus used during the
last supper (Luke 22:20).
Others have placed the grail in the hands of Joseph of Arimathea, who
according to legend, collected Jesus’ blood in the grail while Jesus was on the
cross, literalizing “this is my blood shed for you.”
According
to this version of the legend, Joseph is thrown in jail for collecting Jesus’
blood, and during his stay, Jesus expands upon the powerful properties of the
grail.
In jail,
the grail provides for his biological needs.
Supposedly
from there, Joseph of Arimathea made a trek to the British Isles, where the
grail was later housed and quested after by Arthur and his knights.
And
others have tied the grail to the cup offered to Jesus on the cross which had
sour wine (Mark 15:23).
Is the
Holy Grail really a Christian object?
No, it’s
not. Although it has some ties with certain verses in Scripture, it also has
origins in Celtic magic and mythology.
We do
have to keep in mind, not everything that has ties to the Christian Scripture
is Christian.
The
Quran, for instance, has a number of people in it from Scripture such as: Aaron
(Moses’ brother), Abraham, Adam, David, the Disciples, Gabriel, Jesus, and
more, but that doesn’t make it a Christian text.
Anything
not mentioned in Scripture has to be evaluated with extreme caution.
We also
should be wary of the various opinions on what the grail promises: youth,
eternal life, or a grand mystical experience.
As
Christians, we know eternal life only comes from the Lord, not from relics.
Relics
played a major role in medieval church history.
Bones of
saints and relics used by Jesus and the apostles supposedly had supernatural
powers and abilities.
Christians
would travel on pilgrimages to holy sites to see such objects and hopefully
experience the same healing powers from them that those who had encountered
Jesus had done so in his ministry (Luke 8:43-48).
Objects
associated with Jesus or Mary had the most power, so an object such as the
grail would have an extremely powerful importance.
Some of
such relics Christians supposedly housed in holy sites and churches were:
- Jesus’ baby teeth
- The milk of the Virgin Mary
- St. Peter’s bones
- The Shroud of Turin (supposedly the burial shroud of Christ)
- The finger of St. Thomas
- The Body of St. Mark
Throughout
medieval history many relics were duplicated (two or more places would
supposedly have the same “relic”) or stolen; and several were destroyed
throughout history.
Why does
a quest to understand the Holy Grail matter?
It does
and doesn’t matter.
It matters because
it can serve as a potential warning for placing our trust in anything aside
from Jesus.
If we
spend our lives questing after supposed relics with supernatural powers, we
miss the point of true Christianity and our purpose here on earth to spread the
Gospel.
Healing
comes from God alone, not from objects Jesus or some saint supposedly touched.
It also
matters because it can show us how easily one can mix Christianity with other
religions.
The Holy
Grail has roots in pagan Celtic religions, and some historians argue can trace
back even further to Ancient Roman religions.
Either
way, if anything twists the Gospel or takes the truth of the Gospel and mixes
it with a lie, it does not come from God.
We have
to keep in mind Satan likes to operate in half-truths instead of whole-lies. He
often likes to take the truth and twist it just enough where it sounds real.
It doesn’t
matter because although we can explore how the grail (and other
relics) have shaped church history throughout the centuries, it has no true
bearing on our eternal standing.
What
matters is we accept Jesus as our Savior and Lord, spread the Gospel, and do
justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with our God (Micah 6:8).
Hope Bolinger is a literary
agent at C.Y.L.E. and a recent graduate of Taylor University's professional
writing program. More than 350 of her works have been featured in various
publications ranging from Writer's Digest to Keys for Kids. She has worked for
various publishing companies, magazines, newspapers, and literary agencies and
has edited the work of authors such as Jerry B. Jenkins and Michelle Medlock
Adams. Her column "Hope's Hacks," tips and tricks to avoid writer's
block, reaches 6,000+ readers weekly and is featured monthly on Cyle Young's blog. Her modern-day
Daniel, “Blaze,”
(Illuminate YA) just released, and they contracted the sequel for 2020. Find
out more about her here.
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