Templars Did NOT Find or keep the Holy Grail

Holy Grail is… well, a myth – an important part of Arthurian mythology (that of fictional King Arthur and his no less fictional associates). Different versions of this mythology describe the Holy Grail as a cup, dish, or stone with miraculous healing powers, providing eternal youth or sustenance in infinite abundance, often guarded in the custody of the Fisher King and located in the hidden Grail castle.

Initially, Holy Grail had nothing to do with Jesus Christ, Golgotha, Last Supper, Jerusalem, Holy Land, etc.; however, thanks to Robert de Boron, French poet active around the late 12th and early 13th centuries (no one knows exactly when), Holy Grail suddenly became synonymous with the Holy Chalice.

The Holy Chalice was the vessel that Jesus used at the Last Supper to share His blood (wine transformed into His blood, to be more precise) with His disciples. Subsequently, one Joseph of Arimathea used the same cup to catch Christ’s blood at the crucifixion. The former was true; the latter… not likely (Roman soldiers guarding the crucified Christ would not have allowed it).

There are several versions of this particular Templar myth; the most common being that in 1118 or so Templars conducted massive archaeological excavations on Temple Mount (which was true) and found the Holy Chalice (which was not – they found the Ark of the Covenant). Then became the guardians of the Holy Chalice which they ultimately hid from the French king and then moved… somewhere.

No one knows for sure what happened to the Holy Chalice… however, it is obvious that it was not buried (or otherwise hidden) in some cave, underground room or elsewhere on Temple Mount. Hence, the Templars could not have found it there and Templar-Grail-Chalice connection is a myth.

IMHO, the Holy Chalice was saved by one of the disciples of Jesus – not necessarily Saint Peter – and then (most likely) was lost during the very first (Jewish) persecution of Christians… or during the Great Jewish Revolt.

In the 6th and 7th centuries pilgrims to Jerusalem were led to believe that the Holy Chalice was still venerated in the church of the Holy Sepulcher… later it turned out not to be the case.

According to another account, Saint Peter brought it to Rome and passed it on to his successors (the Popes). In 258, when Emperor Valerian demanded that relics be turned over to the government, Pope Sixtus II instead gave the cup to one of his deacons, Saint Lawrence. Who gave it to someone else for safekeeping… and was burned alive. As no one knew who he gave the cup to, it was lost for good.