The Spear of Destiny - Relic or Rubbish?

According to the Gospel of St John a Roman soldier called Longinus used his spear to stab Jesus as he lay dying on the cross.
"One of the soldiers with a spear opened his side and there came out blood and water" the apostle wrote.
Discovered in the late sixth century at Mount Sion, and later venerated as a religious artefact, the lance used by Longinus survived as one of the most treasured relics of the crucifixion.
From their the history of the lance becomes murky, and the most convincing modern claim is that it belonged to the Holy Roman Empire from the eighth century - becoming known as the "Vienna lance".
It is this spear, which is said to have been used at the crucifixion and has also been combined with a nail from the cross, that Hitler sought, and that is known among conspiracy theorists as the "Spear of Destiny".
During Hitler's "Anschluss" with the country of his birth, it was removed from Vienna and taken to Nuremberg, where it was placed into a hidden chamber.
It was discovered by a US soldier after the end of World War II and identified by US General George Patton as being the fabled "spear of destiny".
It was tested by scientists in 2003, who determined that the spear itself dated from the seventh century. However, they found that the nail that had been set into the weapon was consistent with the length, age and metallic make-up of those used to nail Jesus to the cross.
After the war the spear was returned to Austria as the Nazi's haul of treasures were handed back to their rightful owners.

The lance has enormous significance in terms of both its religious value, and its mythical links with the occult.
A devout believer in the power of the occult, Hitler desired the Spear of Destiny to make his army unbeatable on the battlefield.
Legend has it that the owner of the lance cannot be defeated, and can summon dark mystical powers to ravage the forces of his enemies.
Hitler immediately ordered that upon Germany's assumption of power in Austria, the lance be brought to him, and kept in a secret cache hidden under a bank in Nuremberg.
Dating from the days of the Holy Roman Empire, the lance has been acclaimed throughout the history of warfare as the most powerful weapon known to man.
According to religious folklore, as Longinus pierced Christ's side, blood and water spilt onto his hand. When the Roman soldier wiped his eyes, his poor eyesight was cured, leading to his conversion. He then journeyed across the holy land to Armenia to spread the word.
Ever since then, tremendous power has been attributed to the sword.
A group of Egyptian Christians led by St Maurice carried the spear before them, before hundreds were slaughtered for refusing to pay homage to the Roman Emperor Maximian. The surviving troops marched forward with the spear, but were eventually annihilated by the emperor.
The spear passed to Constantine, who conquered Rome and kept the lance in the city of Constantinople, where it stayed before the Turks conquered their capital.
It then came into the possession of Emperor Charlemagne, who beat the Saxons and conquered Jerusalem carrying the Spear of Destiny by his side, before losing it, and losing his life just days later, causing his empire to fall apart.
In around 1000AD Otto III became the first German leader to hold the lance, and dreamed of rebuilding a Holy Roman Empire in the mould of Constantine. The Spear of Destiny was used to defeat opponents, and is even said to have had the power to raise fallen soldiers from the dead to fight on.
It is this lance that is said to have survived and been taken to Austria by later German emperors, before a nail from the crucifixion was imbedded into it.
In 1912 Hitler is undestood to have visited the Vienna museum where the holy lance is held, and his obsession with the artefact was born.
His objective was to restore the lance to Germany to evoke memories of his fatherland's previous empire and draw on the spirit of the great leaders of the middle ages.
But, like those before him, Hitler lost his empire when he lost the Spear of Destiny.
On April 30 1945, Hitler killed himself less than two hours after the lance was claimed by US soldiers conquering Nuremberg.

- The nail in the centre of the spear is consistent with those used to nail Jesus to the cross, and has been carbon dated to around the time of the crucifixion.

- Hitler clearly knew of the powers attributed to the spear, and had it taken from the Vienna museum and transported to Germany to channel the powers of the occult.

- The death of Hitler at around the same time as the spear was captured by US troops certainly links his myth to those which surround Holy Roman Emperors Barbarosa and Charlemagne.

- Scientific testing has shown that the lance that lies in a museum in Austria is from the seventh century and could not have been present at the death of Christ.

- There are four different relics claiming to be the spear of destiny - one in the Vatican, one in Poland, one in Armenia and the Vienna lance. None have been shown to be verifiable relics, and even the one at the Vatican is not officially recognised as the lance which speared Christ.

- The timing of Hitler's death is approximate. It cannot be conclusively shown that he died after the spear was discovered by US troops. Even if Hitler had retained possession of the lance, his country had still fallen to the Americans, and his death, either by suicide or execution, had been ensured long before the US troops discovered the underground cache in Nuremberg.

The legend of the Spear of Destiny is one of the most enduring myths of all time - but as far as the conspiracy theory goes, there is little or no evidence. It is clear that Hitler knew of the history of the artefact, and desired it, but it is not proven that he believed it could lead his army to victory. The Spear of Destiny's chequered past, and links to some of history's greatest military leaders, as well as some of the darkest tyrants ever to walk the earth, is fascinating. However, any suggestion that a Christian relic which has been scientifically proven to be from another era has mystical occult powers which helped the Nazis rule Europe is a flight a fancy too far.