The Spear of Destiny shown in the film is a fairly accurate facsimile of the historical artefact known as the "Holy Lance". For centuries, the Holy Lance was believed to be the spear which killed Jesus on the cross, but in shape and style it is a fairly typical Carolingian winged lance; furthermore, a centurion standing guard at a crucifixion wouldn't have been carrying a cavalry lance (which is too long for easy use on foot), but instead the standard Roman infantry spear or javelin called a pilum. The Carolingian dynasty was a Frankish dynasty which ruled areas of France from the 7th Century; in other words, at least six centuries too late for the time of Jesus. The Lance was kept in collections of religious artefacts held by various empires and dynasties for several hundred years until it was acquired by the Nazis, hidden away during World War II, and almost lost to the world. It was recovered in 1945 and is now kept in a museum collection in the Hofburg Palace in Vienna. Scientific tests have shown that both the Holy Lance itself and the nail embedded in its tip are made from metal which actually dates to a period between the 8th and the 9th centuries, thus proving conclusively that, like most so-called "holy" relics from the medieval era, it's a fake.

Film

Nessun dato in archivio