My Book choice for May is one of a series with the cover Title, Mysteries Of The Ancient World, where the reader delves into the past exploring fact and fiction. The particular title I have chosen to look at is The Holy Grail by Christopher Knight and Robert Lomas.
The Holy Grail, as you will no doubt be aware, is the sacred cup from which our Lord drank at The Last Supper. According to common legend, Joseph of Arimathea is said to have kept the cup, eventually travelling to Glastonbury with it in AD 73. The Grail is then said to have been transferred to Joseph's descendants in Britain.
Another line of thought describes the Grail as 'a Stone', another as 'A Book which contains the secret teachings of Jesus'. There have been links, too, with King Arthur and The Knights Of The Round Table.
It is interesting that the Authors, although first admitting to being somewhat sceptical over the existence of an artefact, claim to have discovered evidence that has completely changed their view. The quest, then, begins with the rift between William of Malmesbury (a monk of senior years) and Geoffrey of Monmouth (a cleric), both of whom accuse each other of false accounts of King Arthur.
The reader is introduced to the Crusader Order of Monks known as The Knights Templar and is taken back to Jerusalem in the First Century to ascertain their involvement. A crucial list, found amongst The Dead Sea Scrolls, is considered and a light shines at the end of the tunnel.
The Authors suggest that it was the children or grandchildren of Joseph of Arimathea who, in fact, travelled to England and they offer evidence to support this view. They further claim that these descendants of the High Priests of The Temple did not have the Grail with them but that they knew exactly where it was. This vital information was to be passed secretly down the generations for the next thousand years.
This is a fascinating book and is illustrated by a varied selection of colour photographs. The ending is even more fascinating and, to the Christian, immensely exciting, but you will need to read it for yourself!
The Holy Grail by Christopher Knight and Robert Lomas. (Weidenfield and Nicholson, London) £l.99.
written by Lynn Winter
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