by Matthew Dearden

Created on: May 18, 2009

Since the beginning of time humans have been fascinated with the past. This fascination has led them to detailed investigations of countless events in history. Some of these events are easy to study-the people can be easily identified and the actions they performed are clear cut. Some events and people, however, are shrouded in the folds of time, and despite the innumerable attempts by historians through the ages, they have remained cloaked in mystery. It is these events and people that perhaps fascinate the human race the most. People are always attracted to the mysterious. There is something about the unexplainable that turns people from apathy to passionate interest. This curiosity is driven by a pursuit for truth-the trademark of any good historian. Perhaps one of the greatest mysteries, recently forced into the public limelight because of Dan Brown's novel, The Da Vinci Code, is the mystery of the Holy Grail. Popularized by countless fanciful tales, but based in the historic account of the last supper, it has captivated the attention of historians around the world.

Most historians agree that the Holy Grail is the cup or bowl Jesus drank out of at the last supper. Evidence of Jesus' use of a cup is not debated because it is well documented in the Gospels of the Christian Bible. Some also believe that the same cup was used by Joseph of Arimathea to catch the blood of Jesus as he hung on the cross. Joseph of Arimathea was a minor biblical character who is most commonly known for the donation of his tomb for the burial of Christ after the crucifixion. This is where history stops and legend begins. Joseph was apparently responsible for keeping the Holy Grail. According to legend, he was eventually imprisoned because of his connection with Jesus, but was able to survive because of the miraculous powers of the Grail. After being released, he founded a group of followers and headed north to Britain, where he hid the cup in hawthorn bush. The factual basis for this story highly disputed among reputable historians. From this point in the story, the grail seems to have gone up in smoke. The question that has baffled many historians for hundreds of years and has frustrated countless treasure seekers is where the grail is hidden today, and if it even exists.

The first writing that includes a story of the Holy Grail is in Le Conte du Graal, a tale of King Arthur, written by the French poet Chretien de Troyes.

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