When a retired Navy Officer decided to write a book about the lineage of saints and the lore around an incredible time in the history of one of the world’s largest religions, he never expected to find the mythical Holy Grail. And to find the Holy Grail is such a sought after idea that E.C. Coleman’s discovery could easily be misinterpreted as a figure of speech. When he announced that he had found the holy grail it was necessary to qualify the statement by saying “literally.”
It all began shortly before the turn of the century when Lincoln Cathedral underwent renovations. The crew making the repairs uncovered a massive slab of marble and as they pulled it back realized the slab actually opened in on a small chamber. It was a tomb. Inside, exactly as they had been centuries before when they were first placed there, a skeleton stood with a silver goblet next to it. The skeleton was Oliver Sutton, bishop of the area over 600 years ago. And the cup was an object of mystery that would be put on display with little fanfare in a treasure chamber.
The author and scholar was originally seeking answers on one of humanity’s oldest secrets, that of the legendary lost grail. The relic has been the subject of hundreds of books, thousands of essays, and several big budget film productions. Even George Lucas’ Indiana Jones eventually would seek out and find the object. But the resting place of the Holy Grail was far removed from the mysterious booby-trap filled temple depicted in Lucas’ film. If Coleman’s theory is correct, then the relic can be found on display as a simple silver goblet in England that has been on display anonymously for years. In an interview with the Sunday Express, Coleman declared his surprise when the facts he had uncovered all seemed to point to the same tomb when he first shed light on the mystery that has haunted treasure hunters and scholars for hundreds of years.
Could Coleman’s discovery be accurate? Many have claimed throughout the years to have discovered a number of holy relics, including the holy grail. Some of the relics are still considered genuine to this day, but the grail itself has always remained elusive.
But is this discovery provable? Before anyone can truly demonstrate that the object Coleman has been led to by his discoveries is truly the Grail, many scholars and archaeologists are expected to look over his findings with painstaking accuracy and attention to detail. Before it can be said that the most sought after object in the history of the world has been discovered, it will have to be proven to a certain degree of accuracy. Still, Coleman is convinced that he made the discovery without mistake and that the object that has been left untouched for so long is the one and only Holy Grail.
The legend of the grail says that it was the chalice that was used by Christ during the last supper and after his death actually caught his blood in it. It is said to carry with it incredible power and even be able to raise the dead and allow the bearer to live forever. Of course some of these claims are considered apocryphal.