The Holy Grail - Where is it?

The Holy Grail has been sought after by everyone from King Arthur to Indiana Jones. Can the Holy Grail, the cup Jesus drank from at the Last Supper, ever be found? Is it conceivable it has already been found?

For me the Holy Grail is the easiest of the artifacts directly related to Jesus to believe would have been kept. Both the cross and the nails likely would have been kept by the Romans and re-used. The crown of thorns likely would have been thrown out, and the garments of Jesus would have been taken by the soldiers. The cup however, is a different type of artifact. It is highly conceivable the apostles carried

some items with them, and personal drinking cups may have been included. I can certainly envision someone packing these up after the Last Supper in a pack of some type so they could use it at their next meal. After the crucifixion, it is doubtful the apostles would have thrown out the Lord’s cup. So, if it was in fact saved, where is it today?

Many would have you believe the Holy Grail is in the Chapel of the Holy Chalice located inside the Valencia Cathedral in Spain. The chalice has been housed in the cathedral since 1399  and is commonly credited with being the authentic cup of Christ.

The chalice stands seven inches tall and the cup has a diameter of three and a half inches. It is an Agate cup, dark red with a knobbed stem and two curved handles. Experts believe the chalice was produced in either Palestine or Egypt sometime between the 2^nd and 1^st century B.C. This would mean the cup was possibly over 100 years old when Jesus began to use it. Where and how it came to belong to Jesus is unknown.

While the Chalice in Spain is considered authentic by many, there are several others who claim to posses the true Holy Grail. These Chalices include, but are not limited to, the Chalice of Dona Urraca, the Antioch Chalice, and the Nanteos Cup. While each of these, as well as others, make claims of authenticity, doubts linger around them all. While the ‘Cup of Christ’ may have certainly been kept by His apostles, where it is now, nearly two thousand years later, remains uncertain

Nails from the Cross of Jesus

 It has been shown that people who were crucified had their hands and feet nailed to the cross rather than being tied. This of course means nails, rather large nails, were required. In most paintings or depictions of Jesus being crucified He has one nail in each hand and his feet are set one atop the other with a third nail driven through both feet. This is certainly possible, but most consider it unlikely. Some believe this trio of nails is a symbolic remembrance of the Holy Trinity.

In reality the crucified person would likely have a nail through each hand or wrist, and each foot would be separately nailed to each side of the cross. In this scenario there would be four nails used in a crucifixion. The evidence seems to indicate the only times the nails were left with the body was if they could not be removed. The only reason they would need to be removed is if they were planning to reuse the nails. If this is the case, it is highly unlikely anyone would have the true nails from the crucifixion of Jesus.

While unlikely the actual nails were saved, there is a very interesting theory concerning two nails that some people claim were used in the crucifixion of Jesus. These people claim two nails were found in the ossuary of the High Priest Caiaphas. They had the nails tested and they claim there was remnants of both wood and blood on the nails. They go on to say this proves they were used in a crucifixion. While it raises the possibilities, it certainly does not provide proof.

The theory goes that Caiaphas saved at least two of the nails used to crucify Jesus. This theory was boosted somewhat with claims that a new test confirmed the nails had a coating of the same residue found in the Caiaphas ossuary. The story might be easy to dismiss but the IAA has confirmed that two nails were found in the tomb. One in an ossuary and one on the floor. They say the nails were approximately three inches long but were not measured. In true conspiracy form, the nails were not photographed, sketched or otherwise cataloged. In true fashion the nails were then lost. Could these have been the actual nails from the cross of Jesus. If the nails are found or brought forward, what tests could be conducted that would prove they were associated with Jesus? There are none, but it is still a very interesting possibility.