World Famous Comics: The Chalice of Magdalene: The Search for the Cup That Held the Blood of Christ
The Chalice of Magdalene: The Search for the Cup That Held the Blood of Christ
By: Graham Phillips Publisher: Bear & Company Average Rating: Binding: Paperback Label: Bear & Company Number of Items: 1 Number of Pages: 272 Publication Date: January 30, 2004 Release Date: January 30, 2004
Product Description: Reveals the discovery of an artifact that many experts believe may be the Holy Grail
• Traces the journey of the Grail from the Holy Land to Rome and eventually to a ruined chapel in Shropshire, England
• Uncovers new evidence identifying the historical King Arthur and his connection to the Holy Grail
The popular Arthurian stories of the Middle Ages depict the Holy Grail as Christ’s cup from the Last Supper, which was believed to have been endowed with miraculous healing powers and the ability to give eternal life to whoever drank from it. A much earlier tradition, however, claimed the Grail was the vessel used by Mary Magdalene to collect Christ’s blood when he appeared to her after rising from the tomb. While many vessels were claimed to have been the true Grail, there was only one thought to have been the chalice used by Mary. From Jesus’ empty tomb, where it remained for almost 400 years, this holy relic known as the Marian Chalice was taken to Rome by the mother of the first Christian emperor, Constantine the Great. It was then smuggled from Rome in 410 A.D., according to the fifth-century historian Olympiodorus, to save it from the barbarians who sacked the city. Well into the Middle Ages legend persisted that it had been taken to safety in Britain, the last outpost of Roman civilization in Western Europe.
This journey to England, and what happened to the Chalice there, is the focus of this book. Graham Phillips’s research uncovers the secret legacy of an ancient noble family over generations and a trail of clues hidden in the English countryside that lead to a mysterious grotto, a forgotten attic, and the lost chalice. In tracing the relic, Phillips offers the inside story behind an astonishing adventure that results in the identification of the historical King Arthur and the location of one of the most powerful symbols in Western tradition.
"The Chalice of Magdalene" The book was an enjoyable read that dealt the history of post-Roman Britain and the historical existence of the man we know as King Arthur. From there, the medieval literature and legends surrounding the Holy Grail were explored. The "The Chalice of Magdalene" covered a lot of territory, but at the same time provided a great deal of historical information. It is a must read for anyone interested in the legends of King Arthur and the Grail Romances.
Based on Dubious Source I was initially very impressed with one of Mr. Phillips' numerous `sensational' books, and was particularly interested in one of his alleged sources, which I have continued to pursue for a number of years. Unfortunately, Mr. Phillips has based two of his books (The Search for the Grail and The Chalice of Magdalene) on the existence of an alleged Grail prose, La Folie Perceval, that he claims may in turn be based on the earliest Grail source. He claims that this prose is found within a manuscript preserved in the Bibliothèque Nationale, Paris, which is catalogued as MS fonds français 12577. This manuscript does indeed exist, and it does contain an illustration that is reproduced in Mr. Phillips' book (which he claims accompanies the prose), but the Bibliothèque Nationale itself has verified in writing that this manuscript does not contain the alleged prose, La Folie Perceval. A Professor of English in the U.S., with a Ph. D. in medieval and renaissance literature, and who teaches Arthurian romance, has informed me that he is completely unaware of the existence of such a text, which would be extremely important and certainly known to Grail romance scholars if it did exist. A very well-known and respected Arthurian scholar, translator and author, in the United Kingdom, has also informed me that he is almost certain that the manuscript does not contain the La Foli Perceval prose, that he has never come across this prose, that he has not seen any reference to it in any serious scholarly work, and that he is almost certain that La Folie Perceval prose may be a fabrication. I have contacted Mr. Phillips by email and asked him for further details concerning the actual location of this prose and/or other references that discuss this document, on four separate occasions over a period of almost four years (the last time was over a month ago, addressed to an email address on his own website), but unfortunatly, he has continually refused to respond and help establish some credence concerning his increasingly dubious source. The reader is warned that, based on the results of the research I have conducted concerning this source, it is my opinion that there `may' be some significant concern about the credibility of this author, and the reader is therefore encouraged to check the sources very carefully on his/her own before seriously considering any of his `sensational' claims.
Really liked this book I was interested in this book because it was about the Alabastar jar that Mary Magadalene used to collect the blood of Jesus. It had nothing to do with the cup that was used at the Last Supper.
I find the review by "Shar" to be interesting. As a Catholic all of my life and a grand-daughter of Spanish immigrants, this cup she speaks of was never mentioned in my home or church. It was never mentioned in the 12 years of Catholic school I attended either. I find it interesting that this cup in Spain shows up now in the news just as the DaVinci Code comes out when it was never heard of before.
A serious examination of the Grail legend. This is one of the most interesting books I have ever read about the Grail legend. It answers many questions that most books on the subject fail to address. Chiefly amongst these is how the Grail tradition ties up with the legend of King Arthur. In the first half of the book, the author takes the reader on a fascinating step by step investigation into the origins of the Arthurian story, identifying an historical figure behind the myth. In the second half of the book, he examines the development of the Grail legend and how the relic may have been an historical artifact which he rediscovered hidden in central England. Unlike many authors on the subject of the Holy Grail, Graham Phillips examines the original sources for the legend, and presents his conclusions in a logical and readable fashion. This is an excellent historical investigation into a complex and controversial subject.
Phillips is as credible as the "docu-dramas" on television. As Janice Bennett documented and verified in her book in 2002 -St. Laurence and the Holy Grail, the cup which Jesus used in the Last Supper currently resides in the Monastery of San Juan de la Pena in the Pyrenees in Spain. Her investigation provided exacting documentation that just before Pope Sixtus II was arrested and executed by Emperor Caesar Valerian on Aug. 6, 299 (Old Roman calendar which corresponds to the year 261 a.d.), he gave the Holy Grail to St Laurence along with the rest of the relics the Church had in its possession. St Laurence, who had been born in Spain, knowing he too would be arrested and executed gave to another disciple and countryman Precelius the relics along with "the most distinguished Cup in which Christ our Good Lord and Master, consecrated with his precious blood on the night of the Last Supper" (pg 93) with the order to take them to Spain for safe-keeping. Precelius took the Holy Grail to Spain. In 1982 Pope John Paul II said Mass with the Holy Chalice during his visit to Spain. In 1996 the Holy Grail (known in Spain as the Chalice of Valencia for where it is kept) was taken to Rome to be blessed by Pope John Paul II. To this day the Holy Grail is kept at the Cathedral of Valencia in the Chapel of the Holy Grail. It appears Mr Phillips' story is fiction masquerading as nonfiction. It is my belief that the author is simply trying to cash in on the money being generated from The Da Vinci Code hoax.
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