Many a quests and adventures have been made in pursuit of what is known as the Holy Grail. While like many other lost historical artifacts, especially those considered to be sacred, the Holy Grail could be worth a considerable amount to the right person. This journey to uncover such an object has provoked treasure hunters and serious artifact collectors alike as well as provided a plot line for many novels dating back to the Middle Ages and as recent as the Indiana Jones series.
But what exactly gives the Holy Grail it's worth or draw? It’s presumed monetary value is enough to draw many, but what is the monetary value and what deems it as such? To understand the answer we must first truly understand what the Holy Grail is, and what it means to those who give it value.
The Holy Grail was believed to be the cup used by Jesus at the Last Supper when instituting the Eucharist, the sacrament in which bread and and wine was transubstantiated into His Body and Blood. Luke 22:26-28:
While they were eating, Jesus took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take and eat; this is my body.” Then he took the cup, gave thanks and offered it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.”
Legend also says that Joseph of Arimathea, the member of the Sanhedrin that got permission to take Jesus’ body off the cross and prepare it for burial, caught Jesus’ Blood in the Grail as it flowed when He hung from the cross.
Like many other religious and sacred artifacts, the Holy Grail is significant for worship and veneration. And although there are endless stories of the Holy Grail being missing, many of the Catholic faith believe they have the Holy Grail or Sangreal in the Cathedral–Basilica of the Assumption of Our Lady in Valencia, Spain. And there the faithful venerate it. It is believed that it was originally in Jerusalem at the Church of the Holy Seplucher for several hundred years after the death of Christ and a document says it was received at the cathedral in Valencia in 1437.
While the significance of the Grail for the religious faithful is evident, nonreligious for nearly a thousand years have sought the Grail for a different reason, divine power. The belief that drove King Arthur and the knights of the Round Table as well as SS soldiers was that such divine power would render a ruler undefeatable. For those that believe the Chalice of Valencia is not the true Holy Grail, the search for divine power continues.
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