A Research Paper That Summarizes the Legend of the Holy Grail

The sacred vessel in which Jesus allegedly drank out of during the Last Supper, the Holy Grail. The most sought after religious element in the world, the Holy Grail has been subject to numerous sagas since it's origin in Biblical and later Medieval times. Though the Bible doesn't directly refer to the Holy Grail, an oral tradition has been passed down generation to generation. Finally, in the Medieval time period, it was first put into written text in the retelling of the King Arthur legend called Le Conte du Graal, written in the 12th century by the French poet/artist Chretien de Troye. The saga of the grail has since inspired many of the greatest authors in history, and was the the theme for many medieval written works. The legend behind the Holy Grail has been altered throughout the years; however, the base of the story is the same in every version of the story. Christ, along with his disciples ate the Paschal lamb at the Last Supper. After this meal, a grail was passed to Joseph of Arimathea. Following Christ's gory death, Joseph gathered the holy, precious blood of his savior off the cross. When Joseph was imprisoned by the Jewish people, Jesus Christ allegedly appeared to him and gave him the vessel to protect, in which he succeeded in doing for forty-two years. This Holy Grail, is said to contain the fountain of youth, something so powerful that it would be able to give immortality to anyone who drank from it. Thus, over the centuries archaeologists, as well as historians have sought out for this vessel, and sometimes have even made false claims as to the whereabouts of it. However, perhaps by God's wishes it has yet to be found.

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