Lesson 5
People of faith have always been interested in the search and alleged discovery of “holy” relics dating back to Bible times. This fascination dates back nearly two thousand years to the reign of the Roman Emperor Constantine. During his reign his mother, Helena, made a pilgrimage to the holy land and, among other things, claimed to have recovered wood from Christ’s cross. Not to be out done, other Christians joined in through the centuries claiming even greater discoveries: The Holy Grail, Noah’s Ark, and the Ark of the Covenant. Even Adolf Hitler, the megalomaniac Fuhrer of Germany, joined the fray, claiming to have in his possession the spear that pierced Jesus’ side. In contrast to such extravagant-and highly dubious-claims, modern day archaeology has become an official field of scientific study that has discovered many fascinating remains that provide a fuller understanding of ancient history than is possible from the few written sources available to us.