All language subtitles for The.UnXplained.Special.Presentation.S01E03.1080p.WEB.h264-EDITH_track3_[eng]

WILLIAM SHATNER:
A sacred golden chest

that contained the power of God.

A lost chalice that held
the blood of Jesus Christ.

And a spear
that makes its wielder

unbeatable on the battlefield.

We've all heard stories
from the Bible

that include powerful
spiritual objects,

such as the Ark of the Covenant
or the Holy Grail.

Is it possible
that these objects

were not merely
fictional creations

but rather
actual pieces of history

that have been lost
for centuries?

And if so,
could some of these artifacts

really possess
incredible powers,

as the Bible tells us?

Well, that is what
we'll try and find out.

♪ ♪

In eastern Turkey,

some 200 miles
southeast of the Black Sea,

there is a dormant volcano
that is known as Mount Ararat.

At a height
of nearly 17,000 feet,

Mount Ararat is
the highest point in Turkey.

For centuries, this peak
has been considered sacred,

because according to the Bible,

after God sent the great flood
to cleanse the Earth,

Mount Ararat is the location

where Noah's Ark
finally came to rest.

ROBERT CARGILL:
The story of the great flood
and Noah's Ark

is one of the most
famous stories in the Bible.

The story goes
that God is so disappointed,

uh, at the sinfulness
of all of humankind,

that He's going
to flood the Earth.

He's basically going
to destroy everything.

And He finds
one righteous human, Noah,

and what God wants Noah to do

is build this massive,
450-foot-long ark

with three levels on it,

and fill it
with all of the animals

of the Earth, and his family,

and those will be
the only survivors of the flood.

SHATNER:
As the story goes,
Noah loaded his family

and two of every kind
of animal onto the ark.

And then, God made it rain
for 40 days and 40 nights,

flooding the Earth so that
even the highest mountains

were covered with water.

After the waters subsided,

Noah, his sons, and their wives

left the ark and proceeded
to repopulate the Earth.

AMIR HUSSAIN:
The Noah's flood story
is this really powerful story

because here's this
transcendent God who loves us,

who's created human beings,

but also has a way for us
to behave in the world.

And when we don't behave
in the right way,

this God will punish us.

That's the power of God.

Sometimes doing extraordinarily
horrific kinds of things,

sometimes doing
wonderful things.

SHATNER:
Historians have long debated
whether the story of Noah,

the ark and the great flood
is only a myth,

or if it was based
on real events.

There are some scholars
who believe it's possible

that a massive deluge did,
in fact, take place.

And as evidence, they point
to the fact that the Bible

isn't the only ancient text

that contains an account
of a great flood.

The flood story in the Bible
isn't the oldest flood story.

The oldest flood story
that we have

in the Western tradition
is in the Gilgamesh story,

in which there's
this old man, Utnapishtim,

who has survived a flood
where it's rained

for 40 days and 40 nights.

And this happens, also,
in the story of Noah.

So, for many of us looking at
these stories across cultures,

there's the idea that, yeah,
clearly this happened

at some point in human history.

This flood that people remember,

and they write about
in different ways.

SHATNER:
In addition
to historical accounts,

might there also
be geological evidence

to suggest that the great flood
actually happened?

In 1997, geologists
William Ryan and Walter Pittman

published a study
which concluded

that the biblical story
may have been describing

a massive overflowing
of the Black Sea

that took place
in the sixth century BC.

DAVID MONTGOMERY:
The idea that Noah's flood

was triggered
when the Black Sea flooded

is rooted in the basic
geological observation

that at the end
of the Last Ice Age,

when the ice melted
off the poles,

it raised sea level.

And what happened
when sea level rose?

The Mediterranean
overtopped the Bosporus

and spilled into the Black Sea.

That event raised
the level of the water

in what's now the Black Sea
by about 150 feet

within weeks to months.

It would have been catastrophic
to the peoples at that time.

It would have literally flooded
the world known to them.

Perhaps it actually seeded
the story of Noah's flood.

SHATNER:
Was the biblical flood

based on the actual deluge
of the Black Sea?

It's an intriguing notion.

But if the flood really
took place, then is it possible

that we might be able
to find Noah's Ark?

Well, some researchers
argue that the ark

may have actually been
rediscovered

in a number
of aerial photographs

that have been taken
at the foot of Mount Ararat.

The photos reveal
a boat-shaped formation

embedded in the surface
of the mountain.

There are those who believe
that this rocky structure

was once Noah's Ark,
and that the wood hardened

and turned to stone over time,

a process that is known
as petrification.

ANDREW JONES:
It's a streamlined, boat-shaped
object that's sitting there,

And there's nothing else
in the region that matches that.

So this is a very
distinct object.

According to the Bible,
the ark landed

in the mountains of Ararat.

In Genesis chapter 6,

the ark was 300 cubits long.

Now, if you do the conversion,
300 cubits equals 515 feet,

and that is exactly the length
of this boat formation.

SHATNER:
Does the remarkable
similarity

between this rocky structure
and what's written in the Bible

suggest that it is
the remains of Noah's Ark?

Since 2019,
a group of archaeologists

leading the Noah's Ark
Scientific Project

have used new technology

to learn more about
this mysterious formation.

JONES:
We hired an American
ground-penetrating radar team

to create 3D images
of what is below the ground.

About 20 feet down,

they found what looked
to be three different layers.

In the Bible,
the ark had three decks.

And according to the scans,
you can see the three decks

that the Bible says
this giant boat had.

We are hoping
will happen next year

is the Turkish government
would then proceed on

with a small-scale excavation
of the site

to show what we're looking at
below the surface.

This would be a very exciting,

worldwide headline discovery

if this is proven
to be Noah's Ark.

If you could find evidence
for this story,

that would actually prove
the biblical account

and maybe get people
more interested

in what is written
in these holy books.

SHATNER:
For the faithful, the search
for definitive evidence

of either Noah's Ark
or the great flood

is not only about archaeology.

It's also a quest to understand

how the power of God
works in our world.

An act of God
is precisely something

that we cannot explain
in rational, scientific terms.

The Bible tells us
that Noah's a righteous man

and tells us God orders Noah
to build the ark

but doesn't tell anyone else.

It's this miraculous act of God
that, by definition,

goes beyond the flooding
of the Earth

where God allows
God's chosen people to live.

And so, there are these
astonishing kinds of things

where God intervenes
in human history.

So it's that balance
of the divine favor

with the divine wrath.

SHATNER:
In this small town,

located on
the outskirts of Houston,

stands the King of Saints
Church.

On the surface, it looks like
any number of churches

scattered throughout the region.

But inside, there's something

that makes it stand out
from the rest.

Within this church

is a remarkably accurate
reproduction

of the Ark of the Covenant.

STEPHEN MISSICK:
My father and I built
this replica

of the Ark of the Covenant
because it makes the Scripture

come alive
in a new and unique way,

because you're not
just reading a description

in a book or seeing a picture.

This is 3D, and built
according to the specifications

in the Scripture.

Exodus chapter 25,
Moses gives the blueprint,

or the detailed instructions,
to how to build the Ark.

And that's the instructions
we used to build this

with all the dimensions.

The Bible describes
two cherubim,

which are winged sphinxes.

And they're facing each other,
as we see here,

according to the Scriptures.

And the cherubim
had the body of a lion,

the face of men,
the wings of an eagle.

In other depictions
of the Ark of the Covenant,

you see humanoid angels
with wings or cherubs.

But this reflects
the description of cherubim

as we find
in the Book of Ezekiel.

And they look upon
the mercy seat,

which is the cover
of the Ark of the Covenant.

Our congregation sees this ark
as a unique way to show

that God is king and lord

through the Ark, which
represents the kingship of God,

and also represents
a way that God spoke,

spiritually and
through His written word.

We have this replica
of the Ark of the Covenant

as a symbol of that importance.

SHATNER:
Throughout history,
the Ark of the Covenant

has been one of the most
sacred artifacts

in the Judeo-Christian
tradition.

But just what, exactly,
is the Ark?

LEFF:
The Ark of the Covenant

is fascinating because
it's the most important

ritual object, uh,
that Judaism has ever had.

The Ark is first
introduced scripturally

in the Book of Exodus,
where God gives Moses

instructions to build an ark for
carrying the Ten Commandments.

It has very detailed
instructions.

It should be
two and a half cubits long

by one and a half cubits tall
and one and a half cubits wide,

and it's plated
with gold inside and out.

The Ark was covered
by this gold lid,

um, called the mercy seat.

Now, it's also known
as the throne of God,

mainly because we have
a passage in 1 Samuel 4:4

that mentions how God is
enthroned between the cherubim.

So, this indicates to us
that this mercy seat

was, in fact, understood
as the throne of God.

CARGILL:
The Ark of the Covenant,
for a time,

was the center
of the Israelite religion.

It represented the presence
of the Hebrew god, Yahweh,

on Earth.

Meaning, if there was a question
that needed to be answered,

the Ark was the place
that you would go

and petition God.

If you went into battle,

the Ark would be taken,
marched into battle.

As long as the presence of God,

represented by the Ark,
was with Israel,

they couldn't be conquered.

The Ark of the Covenant was God

in the midst of the Israelites.

SHATNER:
The presence of God himself,
held within a golden chest?

It's certainly
a profound notion,

which is the perhaps the reason
why the Ark has long inspired

worldwide fascination
and reverence.

The Ark of the Covenant is,
arguably, the most important

and intriguing artifact
in human history

because we're talking about
something made by human hands

that contains the power of God.

In fact, the word "ark"
means "sacred container."

So, this is fascinating.

This idea that humans
could build something

that could contain or create

this kind of extraordinary
divine connection.

LEFF:
It was an extremely
powerful thing.

When the Israelites were
wandering through the desert

for 40 years, they not only
carried the Ark with them,

the Ark kind of led the way.

It was their ancient
navigational device,

the Israelites' ancient GPS
that showed them where to go.

And the legend says
it would zoom up into the sky,

move three days ahead,

and then the people would-would
follow along behind it.

CARGILL:
Many people are familiar
with the famous story

of the parting of the Red Sea
during the Exodus narrative

when the Israelites
were escaping Egypt.

A lot of people aren't familiar
with the story in Joshua 3

of the parting
of the Jordan River.

The priests who are carrying
the Ark of the Covenant

just touch their toes
into the Jordan River,

and the Jordan River
itself parts.

And the Israelites
are able to march

into the Promised Land.

So, the whole story is designed
to tell the reader

this is God at work here.

What's interesting is that
there's this great debate,

was the Ark of the Covenant real
or was it just made up?

I actually think
it was very real,

and the reason I think
it's real is that

it's such a central part
of the Israelite religion.

SHATNER:
Did the Ark of the Covenant
actually exist?

Perhaps the answer
can be found by examining

an archaeological discovery
that was made

in the heart of the Holy Land.

Central Israel,
15 miles west of Jerusalem.

Here, on a small, rocky mound,

lie the ruins
of an ancient Hebrew city

known as Beit Shemesh.

According to archaeologists,
Beit Shemesh

has a profound connection
to the Ark of the Covenant.

Beit Shemesh has a long history
of being a religious center.

According to, uh, the story
that we have in the Bible,

when the Ark of the Covenant
was taken to Beit Shemesh,

the Israelites take the Ark, and
they put it on a stone table.

The understanding was that

it was venerated
by all Israelites.

We have this one object,
the Ark of the Covenant,

that represents God on Earth.

SHATNER:
Could the Ark of the Covenant

have actually been kept
at Beit Shemesh?

Well, recently,

archaeologists have uncovered
evidence which suggests

that the Biblical story
is, in fact, true.

In 2019,
a team led by archaeologists

from Tel Aviv University
made a startling discovery.

They found a room in which
it seems to have evidence

of where the Ark
of the Covenant was kept

when it was brought here
at Beit Shemesh.

There's a big,
flat slab of stone

that is exactly
the same dimensions,

proportions as the
Ark of the Covenant.

This slab of stone is not some
column that fell on its side.

It was deliberately placed here,
and its dimensions,

its dimensions fit what
the Book of Exodus tells us

were the dimensions
of the Ark of the Covenant.

It says it was a cubit and
a half on two cubits and a half.

A cubit is the size
of a human arm.

Watch. A cubit...

and a half,

on two...

cubits and a half.

Just a-a bit bigger,
maybe by 10%, 20%.

So, the Ark
would be placed on it

in the most possible stable way.

And everything dates
to the timeframe

of when the Ark was placed
at Beit Shemesh.

Everything falls into place.

Not only did
this discovery indicate

that the Ark was kept here,
it's much more.

It actually indicates
the Ark existed.

This discovery is possibly
the most significant find

ever made in the context
of the quest

of the Ark of the Covenant.

SHATNER:
In central Iraq,
60 miles south of Baghdad,

lie the ruins of
the ancient city of Babylon...

...which was once the capital
of the Babylonian Empire.

At its height, in 600 BC,

Babylon was estimated
to have been

the largest city in the world,

with a population of
more than 200,000 inhabitants.

Perhaps the most intriguing ruin
that remains

in Babylon is the foundation

of an ancient, crumbled
brick tower that was known as

the Etemenanki ziggurat.

And there those who believe
that the giant ziggurat

may have actually been
the Tower of Babel.

IRVING FINKEL:
The real Tower of Babel,

from which the account
in the Bible derives,

was built by
King Nebuchadnezzar II

at the beginning
of the sixth century BC.

If you go to Babylon today,

you can easily see on the ground
where the ziggurat was

because it is
a rectangular ditch

with a kind of black square

full of mud and oily water,

which delineates
the entire profile

of this great tower of which
nothing else is left.

The tower was built
and made of mud brick.

The building was
of seven stories

with a little temple at the top.

And there was a brick staircase
without banisters

so that King Nebuchadnezzar II
could mount the staircase

and go up and up
to the very top.

So it was definitely
the national monument

of the greatest amount of pride.

SHATNER:
Historians have estimated
that the ziggurat stood

nearly 300 feet high,

or roughly as tall
as the Statue of Liberty.

But is it possible that
this Babylonian structure was,

in fact,
the real Tower of Babel?

Perhaps the answer
can be found by examining

the story that is recorded
in the Bible.

HUSSAIN:
In Genesis chapter 11,

you have the story
of the Tower of Babel.

Human beings are united,
they speak the same language,

they build this tower...

...to go up into the heavens,

but then you have God
saying, "Wait a minute,

"what are these people doing?
They're gonna build this,

and they're gonna come up
to where I am."

And so, God basically
confounds these people

by having them speak
different languages,

so they're not able
to understand each other.

CARGILL: God says,
"Let's scramble their languages,

and then they won't be able to
communicate with one another."

This is one of the most famous
stories of the Bible.

I think that the Tower of Babel
is based on a ziggurat.

If you're an ancient Hebrew,
an Israelite,

and you walk up to one of these

large ziggurats, you're gonna
be overwhelmed, right?

You've never seen
anything like this.

MARK ALTAWEEL:
It's very possible
that the ziggurat of Babylon

may be associated
with the Tower of Babel.

There's a lot of parallels.

One is the location. Babel is
another name for Babylon.

That's more of a Semitic name.

So, the location's
certainly correct,

and it certainly was
a very tall tower,

as suggested
by biblical sources.

SHATNER:
Some archaeologists claim that
the most intriguing connection

between this structure
and the Tower of Babel

can be found
in the remaining bricks

from the foundation
of the ziggurat.

FINKEL:
Some of the bricks that we have

have, on the upper or lower
surface, a thick black deposit.

And this is the remains
of bitumen,

which, when the original
building was put together,

functioned as cement.

And in the account in Genesis,

it is pointed out
that the Tower of Babel

was built of mud brick
with bitumen in between.

So, it is a very convincing
piece of evidence

that the one building
is predicated on the other.

SHATNER:
But if this ziggurat
was the Tower of Babel,

then how was it destroyed?

According to
an ancient Hebrew text

known as the Book of Jubilees,

God was so angry with humans
for building the Tower of Babel

that he summoned a mighty wind
to knock over the tower.

Is it possible
it was brought down

by the power of God?

Some experts believe that
the story of the Tower of Babel

and its destruction by God
is based on an historical event,

an earthquake in ancient times.

In fact, quite a few ancient
towers in the city of Babylon,

in what's now Iraq,
were destroyed by earthquakes.

Archaeologists know that
that area was and still is

prone to earthquakes because,

in the year 2017,

there was the largest magnitude
earthquake

in the world in that year,

and the epicenter
was only 100 miles

from what was
the ancient city of Babylon.

SHATNER:
If an earthquake
did destroy the ziggurat,

that could lend support
to the theory

that it was the legendary
Tower of Babel.

But many experts believe
the true power

of the Tower of Babel story

is that,
thousands of years later,

its warning
about the consequences

of challenging God
still endures.

CARGILL:
The story of the Tower of Babel
is absolutely fascinating

because you have God basically
curse all of humankind

by scrambling
all of the language.

And the moral to the story being

you're not supposed to show
that kind of arrogance.

You shouldn't try
to be like God.

While the Tower of Babel
is a monument

to humanity's doomed ambition
to rival God,

there are other
Biblical artifacts

which many Christians
believe offer

a direct connection
to the divine,

like a lost chalice

that is perhaps the most
sought-after relic in history.

SHATNER:
Located on the eastern shore

of the Mediterranean Sea,

this bustling port city
contains remarkable ruins

that date back
thousands of years.

And there are those
who believe that

one of the most sought-after
treasures in history

may lie hidden
within these ancient ruins.

The Holy Grail.

McMAHON:
For archaeologists,

Acre is hugely significant.

It's one of the oldest
continuously inhabited places

on Earth,

going back 5,000 years.

There's literally layers
of history there

still being discovered.

But also, the significance

is that it's the last place

that the Holy Grail is believed

to have ended up
during the Crusades.

SHATNER:
The Holy Grail?

The chalice that Jesus drank
from at the Last Supper?

For centuries,

many have embarked on quests

in search
of this sacred artifact.

Not only because
it would be priceless

but also because it is thought
to possess divine power.

While many have sought
to find the Holy Grail,

it's believed
that this precious relic

was once in the hands of a group
of medieval warrior monks

known as...

the Knights Templar.

The Knights Templar were
a very curious order of monks.

They were sworn, in fact,

to protect pilgrims to
the Holy Land in the Crusades.

They were professional soldiers,

the elite fighting force
of Europe.

And they became
immensely wealthy

and immensely powerful.

But many believe that
the Templars had, if you want,

an ulterior secret mission.

And that was to look
for the Holy Grail

and other sacred relics
all over the Holy Land.

If they did find the Holy Grail,
there was nowhere better

for the Knights Templar
to bring their treasure securely

than to Acre,

which was a safe city
with big, thick walls around it

and 12 towers to defend the
citizens from external attack.

SHATNER:
If it's true
that the Knights Templar

brought the Holy Grail
from Jerusalem to Acre,

could it still be hidden in the
ruins that lie within the city?

Eliezer Stern
is an archaeologist

with the Israel
Antiquities Authority.

For nearly three decades,

he has overseen excavations

of a massive underground
Templar fortress

that lies beneath the Church
of St. Andrew in Acre.

SHATNER:
Under the church,
Stern has been investigating

a sprawling network of
13th-century tunnels and crypts.

These passages may reveal
valuable information

about the Templars' activities
in Acre.

PICKNETT:
The Knights Templar
had this brilliant system.

They actually built tunnels

to what they called
a treasure tower.

So, when there was
a siege going on,

they would take the treasures
that they've come across

throughout their occupation
and their fighting

down the tunnels

and into the tower.

SHATNER:
In addition to excavating
the Templar treasury,

Stern and his team
have unearthed more chambers

that are located approximately
ten feet beneath the main crypt.

But these monumental discoveries
have revealed only a fraction

of this mysterious
medieval city.

McMAHON:
For Grail hunters,

any new excavations in Acre,

it's obviously
tremendously exciting.

And it's a city that's
still yielding up its secrets.

And so there is
a very good chance

that some of the treasure
of the Templars,

including the Holy Grail,

are there,
waiting to be discovered.

SHATNER:
Is it possible
the Knights Templar

chose to hide the Holy Grail

within the ruins
of the Templar fortress

beneath the Church
of St. Andrew?

Uncovering the Grail here--

or wherever else
it may be hidden--

would be a discovery
of profound importance.

Because for Christians
around the world,

the Holy Grail is much more
than just an ancient chalice--

it is an object touched by God.

McMAHON:
Strictly speaking, we talk

about the Holy Grail
in technical terms as a cup.

But, really, the Holy Grail
is something much more profound,

much more sacred, holy.

There can be no doubt,
if the Holy Grail was found,

this would be hugely significant

for millions of Christians
all over the world,

to have a direct connection
to Jesus Christ.

SHATNER:
Inside the Cathedral
of St. John the Baptist,

the leader of the Roman Catholic
Church, Pope Francis,

prays before a 14-foot-long
ancient linen cloth.

The occasion attracts
media attention

because it is the first time

that the cloth has been shown
publicly in over five years.

This Christian holy relic
is referred to

as the Shroud of Turin.

The Shroud of Turin
is this amazing relic.

At bottom,
it's a piece of cloth.

It shows a very faint sort of
image of a crucified man.

And the crucified man
calls us to remember

Jesus' death and resurrection.

BRIAN HYLAND:
The Bible talks
about the burial cloths.

All four of the Gospels mention

that Jesus was taken down
from the cross,

he was wrapped in linen

and then his body
was put in the tomb.

FISHER:
According to the legends,

the shroud is the cloth that
his dead body is wrapped in.

And because of the contact
with the body of Jesus,

that transforms and leaves
a lasting mark on the cloth.

And so the shroud is believed

to be a holy relic,

because you don't get
much more, uh, holy

than the actual blood of Jesus.

HYLAND:
After the Resurrection,

the shroud
completely disappeared.

The first appearance of
the shroud in the written record

is 1389 in France.

It was kept in the capital
of the Duchy of Savoy.

A place called Chambéry.

It had been moved around
from time to time.

But in 1578,

it was brought from there
to Turin.

And so it's a way for people
to be in the presence of Jesus.

SHATNER:
While people all over the world
have been struck

by its stunning imprint
of the face of Jesus Christ,

not everyone's convinced
that the shroud

is a genuine holy relic.

Ever since the shroud first
really appears in history, uh,

there's been controversy
about it

and there have been questions
about its authenticity.

In 1988, a group of scientists
were able to get permission

to get a sample
from the shroud...

...and to subject it
to radiocarbon dating.

And then they announced
with a 95% degree of certainty

that the shroud was medieval.

ROBERT WILCOX:
Suddenly,
there's this carbon-14 dating,

and they say that it dates
to the 13th century.

And, uh, wow,
that's a tremendous blow

to everybody who thought
that the shroud might be real.

But then, as time went on,

experts began to look at it,

and it was finally determined

that the test was taken
from the very end of the shroud,

not where the image is.

And it really turned out
to be a patch

that had been woven
by ancient weavers.

They weaved it back together
on that particular area.

When those guys came out
with their carbon-14,

they tested the wrong piece.

Nobody's proved it a fake yet.

SHATNER:
Despite the questions
about the shroud's credibility,

many Christians have faith
in its divine nature.

And as evidence,

they point to numerous accounts

of the shroud's
supposed healing powers.

Perhaps the most compelling case

is the story of the recovery
of a young British girl

named Josie Woollam in 1955.

HYLAND:
Josie Woollam was

a young girl who,
at, uh, the age of five,

developed a terrible
degenerative, uh, bone disease.

And after five years
of suffering this,

she basically was approaching
her final days.

Then Josie made a pilgrimage
to Turin,

and she actually had a chance
to put her hands on the shroud.

There was no immediate reaction,

no miracle cure on the spot.

But her health kept improving
and kept improving.

Eventually,
she actually got better.

HUSSAIN:
The story of Josie Woollam,
it's extraordinary.

So, you've got this documented
miraculous healing

in the 20th century,

which, of course,
raises the question,

does the shroud cause a miracle

or is there
something else there?

That's what's really fascinating
about this.

♪ ♪

SHATNER:
While the Shroud of Turin
has been venerated by Christians

for thousands of years,

it's just one
of several holy objects

that are believed
to be associated

with the death
of the Son of God.

One of these artifacts
is a spear

that was reportedly wielded
by a Roman soldier

during the crucifixion
of Jesus Christ.

RICHARD SPENCE:
The origin of the spear
comes from...

...the Gospel of John.

Jesus is on the cross.

The Romans are trying
to figure out whether he's dead,

because there's a lot
of pressure to get him down

and bury him.

There was a Roman soldier
who someone told him,

"Stab this guy. Finish him off.

Make sure he's dead."

The Christian tradition says
the name of this Roman soldier

who pierces Jesus is Longinus.

And there's a story
that develops

that he's blind
or he's nearsighted.

And so when he pierces
the side of Jesus...

...the blood and the water
comes out.

That lands on his eyes,

and it makes him able to see.

It's this miracle,

because, of course,
the blood of Christ

is this miraculous
sort of thing.

SHATNER:
According to Christian belief,

when this ordinary spear
touched Jesus,

it became a sacred relic

and was referred to
as either the Holy Lance

or the Spear of Destiny.

Because this was the only weapon

that is said to have pierced
the body of Christ...

...the legend got going

that if you had
the Spear of Destiny,

the-the Holy Lance...

...you could not be stopped.

You were invincible.

And a whole series of leaders
wanted to get their hands on it,

perhaps believing
God would then be on their side

and they would prevail.

SHATNER:
After Jesus' crucifixion,

one of the rulers who
reportedly came into possession

of the Spear of Destiny

was the 8th-century French king,
Charlemagne.

SPENCE:
Charlemagne, Charles the Great,

carried the lance
in 47 victorious campaigns

and spread his control
over much of France and Germany,

all the way into what would
now be Slovakia and Hungary.

And so Charlemagne,
in 800, on Christmas Day,

is crowned by the Pope
as emperor of the West.

And there were
a lot of people who believed

that the Spear of Destiny
explained his success.

SHATNER:
Is it possible
that the Spear of Destiny

actually gave Charlemagne the
power to vanquish his enemies?

Perhaps.

But if so,

then such power apparently came
at a heavy price.

PICKNETT:
Legend says that if you drop
the Spear of Destiny

or lose it or even really
step back from it,

all of your great victories
are gonna be as nothing.

You will just fall.

And that's what happened,
apparently,

when Charlemagne carried it
into battle and dropped it.

He lost that battle,
even though,

with it, he'd won 47 battles.

SHATNER:
Was the Spear of Destiny
responsible

for both the rise and fall
of Charlemagne?

Perhaps the answer can be found
by examining the fate of two men

who possessed the spear
during the 20th century.

(cheering)

German troops march
into Vienna, Austria,

and take control
of the capital city.

Hitler orders his soldiers

to storm
the royal Hofburg Palace

and seize the Spear of Destiny.

SPENCE:
The spear sort of appears
in the modern stage

in March of 1938,

when the Republic of Austria
is annexed to the German Reich.

The Republic of Austria
had acquired the spear

some centuries before.

And that spear
is taken from there

and it is taken back
to Nuremberg in Germany proper.

And there it remained
until 1945.

SHATNER:
On April 30, 1945,

Allied forces

under the command of
U.S. General George S. Patton

captured the German city
of Nuremberg.

In the aftermath
of the fighting,

American soldiers discovered
the Spear of Destiny.

SPENCE:
Patton himself

took possession of the spear.

He liked to imagine himself
being the reincarnation

of all kinds
of previous military leaders,

some of which might have had

the Spear of Destiny with them.

SHATNER:
After Patton acquired the spear,

events transpired

which suggested that the legends
about this sacred relic

might be true.

PICKNETT:
It is said that, basically

the day before, um,
Hitler shot himself,

the Americans found
the Spear of Destiny

and General Patton took it.

And that's what set Hitler off.

And then Patton himself,

he put it back
into the Hofburg Museum.

And shortly after that,
he died in a car crash.

So, all of these things
look like,

yeah, there's something
to this legend.

Did the Spear of Destiny

really sway the fate of nations
for centuries,

as some believe?

And what about lost relics

like the Ark of the Covenant
or the Holy Grail?

Will they ever be found?

Ultimately, it's hard to say.

However, one thing is certain.

People will keep trying
to uncover the truth

about these mysterious objects

that, for the moment, remain...

...unexplained.

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