1 00:00:01,917 --> 00:00:04,500 [tense music] 2 00:00:04,583 --> 00:00:08,458 - Tonight, relics believed to grant the greatest power 3 00:00:08,542 --> 00:00:12,250 known to man, the ability to live forever. 4 00:00:13,208 --> 00:00:15,167 - You don't want just anybody to be able 5 00:00:15,292 --> 00:00:17,458 to wield the power of immortality. 6 00:00:18,792 --> 00:00:21,083 - [Dennis] From history's most sought after chalice. 7 00:00:21,167 --> 00:00:23,542 - It's been touched by Jesus. 8 00:00:23,625 --> 00:00:26,250 This would be the most valuable object 9 00:00:26,333 --> 00:00:28,458 in the history of the world. 10 00:00:28,542 --> 00:00:31,125 - It's said to have raised several people from the dead. 11 00:00:31,208 --> 00:00:33,125 - To a miraculous fountain. 12 00:00:33,208 --> 00:00:34,417 - The Fountain of Youth 13 00:00:34,500 --> 00:00:37,583 is said to actually increase longevity 14 00:00:37,583 --> 00:00:39,333 and to provide healing. 15 00:00:39,375 --> 00:00:41,208 - In fact, this type of healing water 16 00:00:41,292 --> 00:00:43,625 might exist in multiple places around the world. 17 00:00:43,708 --> 00:00:47,417 - And a mystical stone many have tried to create. 18 00:00:47,500 --> 00:00:49,000 - Not only is the Philosopher's Stone 19 00:00:49,125 --> 00:00:50,750 thought to grant immortality, 20 00:00:50,875 --> 00:00:54,583 it can also transmute base materials into precious metals, 21 00:00:54,708 --> 00:00:58,167 like gold and silver, or even diamonds and gems. 22 00:00:59,875 --> 00:01:02,167 - These sacred objects have inspired awe 23 00:01:02,208 --> 00:01:04,292 for thousands of years. 24 00:01:04,375 --> 00:01:06,500 Now, the remarkable stories 25 00:01:06,625 --> 00:01:10,792 behind history's most compelling holy marvels. 26 00:01:10,875 --> 00:01:13,167 [dramatic music] 27 00:01:21,542 --> 00:01:25,250 Jerusalem, 33 AD. 28 00:01:25,333 --> 00:01:28,875 According to the gospels, Jesus gathers his 12 disciples 29 00:01:29,000 --> 00:01:30,500 for one last meal. 30 00:01:31,542 --> 00:01:35,208 At the center of this supper is an ordinary cup, 31 00:01:35,292 --> 00:01:38,708 one many belief will come to hold extraordinary power. 32 00:01:40,625 --> 00:01:43,625 - The Holy Grail might be the most famous vessel in history 33 00:01:43,708 --> 00:01:46,833 used by the most famous person to ever live, 34 00:01:46,917 --> 00:01:49,375 at the most famous meal ever served. 35 00:01:49,500 --> 00:01:51,167 Today, we call it the Last Supper. 36 00:01:51,292 --> 00:01:52,917 It's thought to have taken place 37 00:01:53,000 --> 00:01:54,833 during the Jewish holiday of Passover. 38 00:01:56,042 --> 00:01:58,208 - [Dennis] The meal starts with a blessing. 39 00:01:58,333 --> 00:02:00,375 - According to the gospel of Matthew, 40 00:02:00,375 --> 00:02:02,333 Jesus distributes the bread 41 00:02:02,375 --> 00:02:07,250 and tells his followers, "Take, eat, this is my body." 42 00:02:07,333 --> 00:02:09,333 As the bread is passed around, 43 00:02:09,417 --> 00:02:11,208 He then holds up a cup of wine and says, 44 00:02:11,333 --> 00:02:14,167 "Drink all of it, for this is my blood. 45 00:02:14,167 --> 00:02:16,792 Do this in remembrance of me." 46 00:02:16,875 --> 00:02:20,167 The cup appears in the gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke, 47 00:02:20,250 --> 00:02:22,167 and also in 1 Corinthians. 48 00:02:23,208 --> 00:02:26,333 - This is one of the most well-known events 49 00:02:26,375 --> 00:02:28,125 in all of Christianity. 50 00:02:28,208 --> 00:02:32,667 The night that a cup was held and blessed by Jesus. 51 00:02:33,708 --> 00:02:37,250 This simple act has created a legend surrounding this cup 52 00:02:37,375 --> 00:02:40,667 that's lasted for over 2,000 years. 53 00:02:40,750 --> 00:02:43,167 - [Dennis] Not long after the Last Supper, 54 00:02:43,292 --> 00:02:47,333 Judas turns Jesus over to the Roman authorities. 55 00:02:47,333 --> 00:02:49,833 - Jesus is then arrested, tried, 56 00:02:49,875 --> 00:02:52,167 and executed on the cross. 57 00:02:52,208 --> 00:02:54,375 - Was Jesus Christ a real person? 58 00:02:54,458 --> 00:02:57,042 Most historians believe he probably was. 59 00:02:57,125 --> 00:03:01,083 And this is the moment that Christianity is sort of created. 60 00:03:01,083 --> 00:03:02,708 It's really the fundamental belief 61 00:03:02,792 --> 00:03:04,542 you're supposed to have as a Christian, 62 00:03:04,625 --> 00:03:08,333 is that he died and was resurrected. 63 00:03:08,375 --> 00:03:10,625 - A lot of historians believe that his crucifixion 64 00:03:10,708 --> 00:03:13,833 and even the Last Supper actually happened 65 00:03:13,917 --> 00:03:16,667 as described in the gospels. 66 00:03:16,750 --> 00:03:18,500 - It's a fairly logical assumption 67 00:03:18,542 --> 00:03:20,583 that Jesus used a cup at the meal, 68 00:03:20,667 --> 00:03:22,917 and of course, anything from the Last Supper, 69 00:03:23,000 --> 00:03:26,125 anything Jesus actually touched would be incredibly valuable. 70 00:03:26,208 --> 00:03:28,083 [tense music] 71 00:03:28,167 --> 00:03:31,667 - [Dennis] But the cup is also revered for another reason. 72 00:03:32,708 --> 00:03:35,333 - According to legend, the Holy Grail is an object 73 00:03:35,375 --> 00:03:37,333 that has magical powers. 74 00:03:37,417 --> 00:03:40,208 It is an object that is held to be sacred. 75 00:03:40,292 --> 00:03:42,667 It is an object that's connected with healing 76 00:03:42,792 --> 00:03:45,792 and potentially even with immortality itself. 77 00:03:45,875 --> 00:03:48,458 - It's a holy relic, it's been touched by Jesus, 78 00:03:48,542 --> 00:03:50,250 and it can provide immortality? 79 00:03:50,333 --> 00:03:52,042 This would be the most valuable object 80 00:03:52,125 --> 00:03:53,667 in the history of the world. 81 00:03:54,708 --> 00:03:58,000 - [Dennis] Then, almost as soon as it's mentioned, 82 00:03:58,042 --> 00:04:00,542 the Holy Grail seems to disappear. 83 00:04:00,625 --> 00:04:02,167 - You'd think such a sacred item 84 00:04:02,250 --> 00:04:04,375 would be meticulously kept track of. 85 00:04:04,458 --> 00:04:06,250 But for hundreds of years after the crucifixion, 86 00:04:06,333 --> 00:04:10,083 the Grail just vanishes from the historical record. 87 00:04:10,167 --> 00:04:12,292 - [Dennis] So where did it go? 88 00:04:12,375 --> 00:04:14,208 - Well, the first option is obvious. 89 00:04:14,292 --> 00:04:16,000 Maybe it wasn't kept at all. 90 00:04:16,125 --> 00:04:19,333 It might have been just treated like any ordinary cup. 91 00:04:19,375 --> 00:04:21,333 It gets washed and put away 92 00:04:21,417 --> 00:04:23,500 and lost amongst all the other cups. 93 00:04:24,958 --> 00:04:26,458 - [Dennis] But one medieval text 94 00:04:26,542 --> 00:04:29,542 suggests the cup survives. 95 00:04:29,625 --> 00:04:33,167 - In the late 1100s, French author, Robert de Boron, 96 00:04:33,250 --> 00:04:35,458 writes Joseph of Arimathea. 97 00:04:35,542 --> 00:04:38,750 In it, he describes what became of the Holy Grail. 98 00:04:38,833 --> 00:04:41,625 - Joseph is also a character in the biblical accounts 99 00:04:41,708 --> 00:04:43,167 of Jesus's life. 100 00:04:43,250 --> 00:04:45,333 He's in all four gospels, 101 00:04:45,458 --> 00:04:48,417 described as the man who takes Jesus' dead body 102 00:04:48,417 --> 00:04:51,500 off the cross, and has him buried. 103 00:04:51,542 --> 00:04:54,292 - Before he does this, according to Robert de Boron, 104 00:04:54,375 --> 00:04:57,292 he collects some of Jesus' blood in a cup. 105 00:04:57,375 --> 00:05:00,500 In fact, in the cup, the same one 106 00:05:00,583 --> 00:05:03,250 that Jesus used at the Last Supper. 107 00:05:03,333 --> 00:05:05,250 - Around that time, much of Europe 108 00:05:05,333 --> 00:05:06,958 and much of Christianity in general 109 00:05:07,042 --> 00:05:10,667 believes that Joseph did manage to preserve the Holy Grail. 110 00:05:11,708 --> 00:05:15,500 - [Dennis] Unfortunately, this is where the trail goes cold. 111 00:05:15,583 --> 00:05:17,458 - Despite having such an important role 112 00:05:17,542 --> 00:05:20,500 in preparing and burying Jesus's body, 113 00:05:20,542 --> 00:05:22,917 the story of Joseph of Arimathea in the Bible 114 00:05:23,000 --> 00:05:24,833 just ends at that point. 115 00:05:24,917 --> 00:05:27,167 - So we don't know what happened to Joseph. 116 00:05:27,208 --> 00:05:29,500 We don't know what happened to the cup. 117 00:05:29,583 --> 00:05:31,833 - [Dennis] And there's another challenge. 118 00:05:31,917 --> 00:05:34,667 - The Bible never describes the Grail. 119 00:05:34,750 --> 00:05:36,583 We don't know its size or shape, 120 00:05:36,667 --> 00:05:39,542 or even what material it's made out of. 121 00:05:39,625 --> 00:05:42,208 - So if you look at medieval art in Europe at this time, 122 00:05:42,333 --> 00:05:44,083 there was a lot of representations 123 00:05:44,167 --> 00:05:45,583 about the Holy Grail. 124 00:05:45,667 --> 00:05:47,042 And in these representations, 125 00:05:47,167 --> 00:05:50,083 it is often put as very ornate, gold, 126 00:05:50,167 --> 00:05:51,667 perhaps jewel-encrusted. 127 00:05:51,750 --> 00:05:54,083 Now, would this have actually been a cup 128 00:05:54,167 --> 00:05:55,500 that would've been used 129 00:05:55,583 --> 00:05:57,958 by a relatively poor Jewish preacher at the time? 130 00:05:58,042 --> 00:05:59,375 Maybe not. 131 00:05:59,458 --> 00:06:01,000 - The most common precious metals back then 132 00:06:01,083 --> 00:06:04,167 were bronze, copper, silver. 133 00:06:04,250 --> 00:06:05,708 But your average, everyday cup 134 00:06:05,708 --> 00:06:08,000 was more likely to be stone or clay. 135 00:06:10,208 --> 00:06:11,625 - Faced with all these challenges, 136 00:06:11,708 --> 00:06:15,583 it's no wonder the Holy Grail has proven so hard to find. 137 00:06:15,667 --> 00:06:18,375 For over 500 years after Jesus's death, 138 00:06:18,375 --> 00:06:21,167 we have no reliable sightings or evidence 139 00:06:21,208 --> 00:06:22,667 or writings to go on. 140 00:06:23,917 --> 00:06:26,833 - [Dennis] Until 570 AD, when a written account 141 00:06:26,917 --> 00:06:31,083 from an anonymous Italian Christian pilgrim surfaces. 142 00:06:31,083 --> 00:06:32,292 - We don't know his name, 143 00:06:32,375 --> 00:06:34,667 but he's called the Piacenza Pilgrim, 144 00:06:34,708 --> 00:06:37,500 the name of his hometown in Italy. 145 00:06:37,583 --> 00:06:39,167 And he goes on what you might call 146 00:06:39,250 --> 00:06:42,042 an organized tour of holy sites. 147 00:06:42,125 --> 00:06:44,333 - There was a big business in the sixth century 148 00:06:44,417 --> 00:06:46,417 catering the pious Christians. 149 00:06:46,542 --> 00:06:50,333 He goes to Egypt, Syria, Mesopotamia, Palestine, 150 00:06:50,417 --> 00:06:53,125 and his final destination is Jerusalem. 151 00:06:54,292 --> 00:06:56,250 When the Piacenza Pilgrim arrives, 152 00:06:56,333 --> 00:06:59,875 he describes seeing a cup of onyx, 153 00:06:59,958 --> 00:07:04,000 which our Lord blessed at the Last Supper on display. 154 00:07:05,333 --> 00:07:08,042 - [Dennis] Is it possible this is the cup? 155 00:07:08,042 --> 00:07:10,542 - An onyx cup would've been somewhat fancy, 156 00:07:10,625 --> 00:07:13,333 but it's certainly not out of the question. 157 00:07:13,417 --> 00:07:14,750 And it's in the right place 158 00:07:14,875 --> 00:07:17,708 as the Grail's last known location was Jerusalem. 159 00:07:17,833 --> 00:07:20,500 - It seems to have the right kind of powers too. 160 00:07:20,542 --> 00:07:23,208 The legends described the Grail's healing abilities 161 00:07:23,292 --> 00:07:25,250 and this cup is associated 162 00:07:25,375 --> 00:07:27,500 with the very same kinds of miracles. 163 00:07:27,625 --> 00:07:30,667 It's said to have raised several people from the dead. 164 00:07:31,667 --> 00:07:33,917 - Another visiting pilgrim named Arkolf 165 00:07:34,000 --> 00:07:37,500 also sees a cup in the same church in Jerusalem. 166 00:07:37,583 --> 00:07:41,208 In his account, visitors are allowed to touch the cup 167 00:07:41,208 --> 00:07:45,083 to try and receive some of its power for themselves. 168 00:07:45,208 --> 00:07:48,667 - But not too long after the Piacenza Pilgrim's visit, 169 00:07:48,750 --> 00:07:51,875 Jerusalem is taken over by Muslim invaders 170 00:07:51,958 --> 00:07:55,042 and the Christian holy places and their treasures 171 00:07:55,042 --> 00:07:56,500 are mostly lost. 172 00:07:57,500 --> 00:08:00,375 - [Dennis] Centuries later, in 2014, 173 00:08:00,458 --> 00:08:02,833 a pair of Spanish researchers claim 174 00:08:02,917 --> 00:08:05,625 they know what happened to this cup. 175 00:08:05,708 --> 00:08:09,833 - Authors Margarita Torres and Jose Ortega del Rio 176 00:08:09,875 --> 00:08:12,583 publish a book called "The Kings of the Grail". 177 00:08:12,667 --> 00:08:14,625 In it, they claim that an onyx cup 178 00:08:14,708 --> 00:08:17,500 that was worshiped by the early Christians in Jerusalem 179 00:08:17,542 --> 00:08:20,708 was taken by Muslims to Cairo, Egypt. 180 00:08:20,792 --> 00:08:24,375 This cup is eventually given to a Spanish emissary 181 00:08:24,375 --> 00:08:25,583 and later becomes the property 182 00:08:25,667 --> 00:08:27,625 of Spain's King Ferdinand the Great. 183 00:08:27,750 --> 00:08:29,542 He gives it to his daughter. 184 00:08:30,917 --> 00:08:32,875 - [Dennis] Around this time, it becomes known 185 00:08:32,958 --> 00:08:35,708 as the Chalice of Dona Urraca. 186 00:08:36,792 --> 00:08:38,667 - [Robert] Torres and Ortega del Rio 187 00:08:38,708 --> 00:08:40,583 claim to know exactly where it is. 188 00:08:40,708 --> 00:08:44,208 The cup resides in the Basilica of San Isadoro 189 00:08:44,333 --> 00:08:46,417 in Leon, Spain. 190 00:08:46,500 --> 00:08:47,833 Once the book is published, 191 00:08:47,875 --> 00:08:50,250 the Basilica receives a massive influx 192 00:08:50,375 --> 00:08:51,708 of pilgrims and tourists, 193 00:08:51,792 --> 00:08:54,458 all desperate to see this potential Holy Grail. 194 00:08:54,542 --> 00:08:55,875 - According to the book, 195 00:08:56,042 --> 00:09:00,958 the cup dates to somewhere between 200 BC and 100 AD. 196 00:09:01,042 --> 00:09:03,667 In interviews, Torres has remained adamant 197 00:09:03,750 --> 00:09:06,042 that this is the cup of Christ. 198 00:09:07,083 --> 00:09:10,375 - [Dennis] But many archeologists disagree. 199 00:09:10,458 --> 00:09:13,083 - They say the materials and techniques used 200 00:09:13,167 --> 00:09:16,833 suggest the cup was made in the mid-11th century. 201 00:09:16,917 --> 00:09:19,167 There's also good reason to suspect 202 00:09:19,208 --> 00:09:23,667 the original Piacenza Pilgrim may have been duped. 203 00:09:23,792 --> 00:09:25,000 - He doesn't see a cup 204 00:09:25,042 --> 00:09:28,292 until 500 years after the Last Supper. 205 00:09:28,375 --> 00:09:31,208 That's a long time unaccounted for. 206 00:09:31,333 --> 00:09:32,667 Perhaps the church in Jerusalem 207 00:09:32,708 --> 00:09:35,000 was just trying to get people in the door 208 00:09:35,125 --> 00:09:38,292 and what he saw wasn't the real Grail in the first place. 209 00:09:38,292 --> 00:09:41,625 - But this isn't the end of the story of the Cup of Christ. 210 00:09:41,708 --> 00:09:43,750 It's actually just the beginning 211 00:09:43,833 --> 00:09:46,917 because there are a lot of other candidates out there. 212 00:09:47,000 --> 00:09:49,083 [dramatic music] 213 00:09:54,375 --> 00:09:55,833 - [Dennis] For hundreds of years, 214 00:09:55,875 --> 00:09:58,292 scholars and treasure hunters have been eagerly searching 215 00:09:58,375 --> 00:09:59,875 for the Holy Grail. 216 00:10:00,000 --> 00:10:01,292 In the Middle Ages, they're joined 217 00:10:01,375 --> 00:10:05,083 by one of history's most famous literary characters. 218 00:10:07,000 --> 00:10:08,667 - The adventures of King Arthur 219 00:10:08,750 --> 00:10:10,208 and his famed Knights of the Roundtable 220 00:10:10,292 --> 00:10:12,125 are the medieval legend. 221 00:10:12,208 --> 00:10:15,375 Ever since these stories were written in the early 1200s, 222 00:10:15,458 --> 00:10:18,292 Arthur, Lancelot, Merlin, Guinevere 223 00:10:18,375 --> 00:10:20,333 have all become household names. 224 00:10:20,417 --> 00:10:21,708 And thanks to these texts 225 00:10:21,792 --> 00:10:23,667 and all the books and movies that they inspire, 226 00:10:23,750 --> 00:10:25,000 just about everybody has heard 227 00:10:25,083 --> 00:10:27,125 of King Arthur's quest for the Holy Grail. 228 00:10:28,542 --> 00:10:30,000 - The stories of Arthur and company 229 00:10:30,042 --> 00:10:31,833 aren't just one piece of writing. 230 00:10:31,875 --> 00:10:33,500 They're actually several, 231 00:10:33,542 --> 00:10:36,083 written by multiple unknown authors. 232 00:10:36,167 --> 00:10:39,875 Whoever they were, one thing that many of the writers claim 233 00:10:39,958 --> 00:10:44,208 is that the stories aren't actually fantasy, 234 00:10:44,292 --> 00:10:48,625 but real accounts often dictated by the heroes themselves. 235 00:10:49,917 --> 00:10:51,708 - [Dennis] Like many Grail quests, 236 00:10:51,792 --> 00:10:54,875 King Arthur's begins with Joseph of Arimathea. 237 00:10:56,083 --> 00:10:59,000 - The legend tells that after Joseph draws Jesus's blood 238 00:10:59,042 --> 00:11:02,625 into the chalice, he's arrested and thrown in prison, 239 00:11:02,708 --> 00:11:05,500 but not before hiding the Grail at his home. 240 00:11:05,542 --> 00:11:07,292 Joseph thinks all is lost, 241 00:11:07,375 --> 00:11:09,875 but that night, Jesus appears to him as an apparition 242 00:11:09,958 --> 00:11:11,833 and gives him the cup, 243 00:11:11,917 --> 00:11:14,250 telling him that he will be released from prison 244 00:11:14,333 --> 00:11:15,917 when the time's right. 245 00:11:16,000 --> 00:11:18,167 Joseph spends decades locked up, 246 00:11:18,250 --> 00:11:20,875 but one night, is miraculously set free 247 00:11:20,958 --> 00:11:22,958 and he hasn't aged at all. 248 00:11:23,042 --> 00:11:25,042 This is our first hint of the healing 249 00:11:25,042 --> 00:11:28,083 and potentially immortality-granting powers 250 00:11:28,167 --> 00:11:29,667 of the Holy Grail. 251 00:11:29,750 --> 00:11:31,667 - [Dennis] According to the story, 252 00:11:31,792 --> 00:11:33,833 Joseph and a band of followers 253 00:11:33,833 --> 00:11:37,042 grab the cup and flee Jerusalem. 254 00:11:37,125 --> 00:11:38,583 - They take the Grail to Britain, 255 00:11:38,667 --> 00:11:43,167 supposedly to a town that today is known as Glastonbury 256 00:11:43,250 --> 00:11:46,958 where they use it to found the first church in Britain. 257 00:11:47,042 --> 00:11:50,333 For safekeeping, Joseph stashes the Grail 258 00:11:50,417 --> 00:11:52,333 in an underground spring. 259 00:11:53,375 --> 00:11:56,083 - [Dennis] While King Arthur never finds the Grail, 260 00:11:56,167 --> 00:11:57,875 it hasn't stopped real people 261 00:11:57,958 --> 00:12:00,833 from looking in the area mentioned in the tale. 262 00:12:02,458 --> 00:12:05,625 - There's an aptly named place called the Red Spring, 263 00:12:05,708 --> 00:12:08,167 which is also now known as the Chalice Well 264 00:12:08,208 --> 00:12:10,833 because of the Grail's association with it. 265 00:12:10,958 --> 00:12:14,292 - Archeologists have done some explorations and excavation 266 00:12:14,375 --> 00:12:16,958 and what they found is that this place has been 267 00:12:17,042 --> 00:12:21,250 a holy site for thousands upon thousands of years. 268 00:12:22,583 --> 00:12:24,708 - Interestingly, the water 269 00:12:24,708 --> 00:12:27,125 is said to have healing properties. 270 00:12:27,208 --> 00:12:30,167 For instance, there's an account from 1750 271 00:12:30,208 --> 00:12:33,000 where a local named Matthew Chancellor 272 00:12:33,083 --> 00:12:34,500 claims to be cured of asthma 273 00:12:34,542 --> 00:12:38,292 by drinking the water once a week for seven weeks. 274 00:12:38,375 --> 00:12:41,208 The mayor of Glastonbury at the time, Thomas White, 275 00:12:41,333 --> 00:12:42,958 certifies this claim. 276 00:12:43,042 --> 00:12:45,875 It's published in a local magazine the next year, 277 00:12:46,000 --> 00:12:48,333 and on May 5th, 1751, 278 00:12:48,417 --> 00:12:52,083 10,000 people from all the surrounding cities in England 279 00:12:52,167 --> 00:12:54,958 show up to drink the spring water for their health. 280 00:12:56,042 --> 00:12:58,458 - We'll never be able to prove what's down there. 281 00:12:58,542 --> 00:13:01,458 The well has been excavated to about nine feet deep. 282 00:13:02,875 --> 00:13:05,792 The source is potentially miles down below that. 283 00:13:06,708 --> 00:13:08,458 If nothing else, 284 00:13:08,542 --> 00:13:11,917 it shows just how badly people have wanted to believe 285 00:13:12,000 --> 00:13:15,667 the Holy Grail is real, but it's unlikely 286 00:13:15,750 --> 00:13:17,875 that Joseph could have traveled to Britain. 287 00:13:18,042 --> 00:13:21,208 It's unlikely that King Arthur and his knights existed, 288 00:13:21,208 --> 00:13:23,875 but just the hint and the hope 289 00:13:23,958 --> 00:13:26,625 that something is hiding at the bottom of this spring 290 00:13:26,708 --> 00:13:28,417 has been enough to sustain it 291 00:13:28,500 --> 00:13:30,792 as a destination for centuries. 292 00:13:31,875 --> 00:13:33,000 - [Dennis] Meanwhile, 293 00:13:33,083 --> 00:13:35,500 there's another famous set of knights 294 00:13:35,542 --> 00:13:39,333 also associated with the legend of the Holy Grail. 295 00:13:39,417 --> 00:13:41,333 - It's hard to discuss the history of the Holy Grail 296 00:13:41,375 --> 00:13:43,667 without bringing up the Knights Templar. 297 00:13:43,750 --> 00:13:45,708 [dramatic music] 298 00:13:45,792 --> 00:13:47,583 - [Dennis] The Knights Templar are founded 299 00:13:47,583 --> 00:13:51,333 during the Crusades as a military order under the Pope. 300 00:13:52,958 --> 00:13:55,667 - Pope Innocent II charges the Knights Templar 301 00:13:55,750 --> 00:13:59,000 with protecting the holy land in and around Jerusalem, 302 00:13:59,083 --> 00:14:02,708 as well as any religious artifacts they may find. 303 00:14:02,792 --> 00:14:04,250 The Templars base their headquarters 304 00:14:04,333 --> 00:14:06,208 on what's known as the Temple Mount. 305 00:14:06,292 --> 00:14:08,333 This is where King Solomon had built his temple 306 00:14:08,375 --> 00:14:10,125 some 2,000 years prior. 307 00:14:11,167 --> 00:14:12,417 - [Dennis] According to one account, 308 00:14:12,542 --> 00:14:16,208 it's here that the Knights find the Holy Grail. 309 00:14:16,292 --> 00:14:18,000 - Most of what we know about the Templars and the Grail 310 00:14:18,083 --> 00:14:20,167 comes from the 13th century writings 311 00:14:20,250 --> 00:14:22,625 of a man named Wolfram Von Eschenbach 312 00:14:22,708 --> 00:14:24,417 in a tale called "Parzival." 313 00:14:24,542 --> 00:14:27,750 Von Eschenbach supposedly worked under a German knight 314 00:14:27,833 --> 00:14:29,333 who fought with the Templars. 315 00:14:29,458 --> 00:14:32,000 His writings are based on firsthand interviews 316 00:14:32,083 --> 00:14:35,167 with this knight as well as copious research. 317 00:14:35,208 --> 00:14:37,125 According to Von Eschenbach, 318 00:14:37,208 --> 00:14:41,167 the Templars possessed the Holy Grail for many years. 319 00:14:41,208 --> 00:14:43,167 - To be in possession of the Holy Grail 320 00:14:43,250 --> 00:14:45,708 is like to be in the possession of the Water of Life, 321 00:14:45,792 --> 00:14:47,667 and the Water of Life can heal. 322 00:14:47,792 --> 00:14:49,458 That was one of the reasons 323 00:14:49,542 --> 00:14:54,167 why they were able to become victorious in numerous battles. 324 00:14:55,167 --> 00:14:57,500 - This may be the reason they're able to thrive 325 00:14:57,625 --> 00:14:59,500 and hold onto power for so long. 326 00:15:00,542 --> 00:15:03,000 - [Dennis] But if the Knights do have the Grail, 327 00:15:03,042 --> 00:15:05,042 where could it be? 328 00:15:06,167 --> 00:15:08,417 - The Templars owned a ton of land all over Europe, 329 00:15:08,542 --> 00:15:11,167 so the search could take us in a lot of directions, 330 00:15:11,208 --> 00:15:15,000 but one of the more popular theories lies in Scotland. 331 00:15:15,083 --> 00:15:18,375 There's a church near Edinburgh called Rosslyn Chaplin. 332 00:15:18,458 --> 00:15:22,208 It was founded in 1446 by Sir William Sinclair. 333 00:15:23,208 --> 00:15:25,375 - [Dennis] Sinclair is believed to be the last 334 00:15:25,458 --> 00:15:29,167 in a long line of descendants of the Knights Templar. 335 00:15:30,500 --> 00:15:33,792 - Sinclair definitely comes from a very storied lineage. 336 00:15:33,875 --> 00:15:37,000 One of his ancestors fought at the Battle of Hastings 337 00:15:37,083 --> 00:15:39,333 with his cousin, William the Conqueror. 338 00:15:39,417 --> 00:15:41,000 Another was one of the lords 339 00:15:41,042 --> 00:15:43,583 who was assigned to transport Scottish king, 340 00:15:43,667 --> 00:15:47,792 Robert the Bruce's heart to the holy land after he died. 341 00:15:47,875 --> 00:15:50,125 - There's a rumor that Robert the Bruce 342 00:15:50,208 --> 00:15:51,708 was a Templar himself. 343 00:15:52,917 --> 00:15:55,042 - Rosslyn Chapel features some symbols 344 00:15:55,167 --> 00:15:57,417 that might be Templar in origin, 345 00:15:57,500 --> 00:16:00,250 but what's really intriguing is the crypt. 346 00:16:00,375 --> 00:16:03,250 Visitors to the chapel can descend a rear staircase, 347 00:16:03,333 --> 00:16:05,833 which leads to a sealed entrance. 348 00:16:05,917 --> 00:16:07,583 No one knows exactly what's inside, 349 00:16:07,667 --> 00:16:10,875 but some believe that beyond William St. Clair's tomb 350 00:16:11,000 --> 00:16:13,000 lies a large religious vault 351 00:16:13,083 --> 00:16:15,542 containing Knights Templar treasures 352 00:16:15,625 --> 00:16:17,208 including the Holy Grail. 353 00:16:18,208 --> 00:16:20,333 - [Dennis] But since the 19th century, 354 00:16:20,417 --> 00:16:24,292 excavations into the crypt have been strictly forbidden. 355 00:16:25,292 --> 00:16:27,667 - [Robert] An excavation could endanger 356 00:16:27,750 --> 00:16:29,208 the building's foundations, 357 00:16:29,292 --> 00:16:31,833 and the mystery is probably what keeps people 358 00:16:31,833 --> 00:16:33,250 coming through the door. 359 00:16:33,333 --> 00:16:35,875 The truth is, Rosslyn Chapel 360 00:16:35,958 --> 00:16:38,250 is just one of many European churches 361 00:16:38,333 --> 00:16:42,042 that has benefited from an association with the Holy Grail. 362 00:16:42,167 --> 00:16:44,708 - Some churches actively claim to have the Grail, 363 00:16:44,792 --> 00:16:46,625 others just happily allow people 364 00:16:46,708 --> 00:16:49,417 to make their own assumptions, but by some counts, 365 00:16:49,500 --> 00:16:54,083 there are as many as 200 Holy Grails across Europe. 366 00:16:54,167 --> 00:16:56,917 - [Dennis] Among the most famous are the Santo Caliz 367 00:16:57,000 --> 00:16:59,833 in the cathedral of Valencia in Spain 368 00:16:59,875 --> 00:17:03,125 and the Sacro Catino in Genoa, Italy. 369 00:17:04,250 --> 00:17:07,500 - There's at least one sticking point in all these claims. 370 00:17:07,583 --> 00:17:10,375 The large majority of these Grail candidates 371 00:17:10,500 --> 00:17:13,625 aren't associated with any miracles. 372 00:17:13,708 --> 00:17:16,833 The Grail is supposed to possess great powers, right? 373 00:17:16,875 --> 00:17:21,417 So there are a lot of cups, with not a lot of powers. 374 00:17:22,708 --> 00:17:26,042 - [Dennis] But one cup does claim to have powers 375 00:17:26,125 --> 00:17:28,125 and it's currently on display 376 00:17:28,208 --> 00:17:31,625 at a church in the Spanish town of O Cebreiro. 377 00:17:32,875 --> 00:17:34,333 - This cup's origins are unknown, 378 00:17:34,417 --> 00:17:37,667 but according to this church, in the 13th century, 379 00:17:37,792 --> 00:17:39,292 it was used to offer communion 380 00:17:39,375 --> 00:17:41,667 to a peasant named Juan Santin. 381 00:17:41,708 --> 00:17:45,167 As the priest is delivering the communion, 382 00:17:45,250 --> 00:17:47,167 the bread and wine 383 00:17:47,208 --> 00:17:51,792 turn into actual flesh and blood in the cup. 384 00:17:51,875 --> 00:17:55,208 So alarmed are these two men that they run away. 385 00:17:55,333 --> 00:17:57,583 They just abandoned the ceremony. 386 00:17:57,667 --> 00:18:01,375 For a hundred years, the cup filled with the blood and flesh 387 00:18:01,458 --> 00:18:04,500 remain on display, unspoiled. 388 00:18:04,583 --> 00:18:07,583 - This miracle is certified by Pope Innocent VIII 389 00:18:07,667 --> 00:18:10,417 and Queen Isabella herself eventually visits the church 390 00:18:10,500 --> 00:18:13,417 and verifies the cup's authenticity. 391 00:18:13,500 --> 00:18:15,375 Today, the flesh and blood are gone, 392 00:18:15,375 --> 00:18:18,000 but the cup can still be viewed inside a glass case. 393 00:18:18,042 --> 00:18:21,125 - So what can we make of all these cups 394 00:18:21,125 --> 00:18:22,333 circulating in Europe, 395 00:18:22,375 --> 00:18:25,375 with each town claiming to hold the real one? 396 00:18:25,458 --> 00:18:29,083 Until somebody actually fills one up and drinks from it 397 00:18:29,167 --> 00:18:31,333 and magically becomes immortal, 398 00:18:31,375 --> 00:18:33,917 identifying the Grail is gonna be pretty tough. 399 00:18:34,708 --> 00:18:35,292 [dramatic music] 400 00:18:39,375 --> 00:18:41,542 - The Holy Grail is probably the most famous artifact 401 00:18:41,542 --> 00:18:43,875 ever to be associated with eternal life, 402 00:18:43,958 --> 00:18:45,708 but it's not the oldest. 403 00:18:45,792 --> 00:18:47,750 In fact, there's a marvel 404 00:18:47,833 --> 00:18:51,375 that some say dates all the way back to Ancient Greece. 405 00:18:51,375 --> 00:18:53,167 And just like the Grail, 406 00:18:53,250 --> 00:18:55,833 people have gone to incredible lengths to find it. 407 00:18:57,417 --> 00:19:00,167 - The Fountain of Youth, an eternal spring 408 00:19:00,250 --> 00:19:02,792 that could grant us the power to live forever, 409 00:19:02,875 --> 00:19:04,458 if only we could find it. 410 00:19:04,542 --> 00:19:06,833 One of the first mentions of such a place 411 00:19:06,917 --> 00:19:09,292 comes from the accounts of Alexander the Great, 412 00:19:09,375 --> 00:19:11,292 who allegedly searched for the fountain 413 00:19:11,417 --> 00:19:13,750 in the fourth century BC. 414 00:19:13,833 --> 00:19:16,625 Some believe it's even referenced in the Bible. 415 00:19:17,667 --> 00:19:20,875 There's a healing bath called the Pool of Bethesda 416 00:19:20,958 --> 00:19:22,583 described in the Gospel of John 417 00:19:22,667 --> 00:19:25,042 that seems to have all the hallmarks 418 00:19:25,208 --> 00:19:27,292 of the Fountain of Youth. 419 00:19:27,375 --> 00:19:29,167 - But the most famous and widespread tale 420 00:19:29,208 --> 00:19:30,500 of the Fountain of Youth 421 00:19:30,625 --> 00:19:32,292 involves a well-known Spanish Catholic explorer 422 00:19:32,375 --> 00:19:34,417 named Juan Ponce de Leon. 423 00:19:35,542 --> 00:19:39,333 - [Dennis] Ponce de Leon is born in 1474. 424 00:19:39,417 --> 00:19:42,375 Although much of his early life is unknown, 425 00:19:42,458 --> 00:19:46,333 he gains some notoriety in 1493. 426 00:19:46,375 --> 00:19:49,917 - He's one of 200 so-called gentlemen volunteers 427 00:19:50,042 --> 00:19:51,792 that joined Christopher Columbus 428 00:19:51,875 --> 00:19:55,000 on his second voyage to the New World. 429 00:19:55,042 --> 00:19:57,500 - Though Ponce de Leon doesn't appear to have played 430 00:19:57,625 --> 00:19:59,833 a huge role in Columbus's expedition, 431 00:19:59,875 --> 00:20:01,875 he certainly gets a taste of the islands 432 00:20:01,958 --> 00:20:04,833 and the customs and beliefs of the local indigenous people. 433 00:20:05,833 --> 00:20:08,458 - [Dennis] A few years later, in 1508, 434 00:20:08,542 --> 00:20:11,500 de Leon is made governor of Puerto Rico. 435 00:20:12,500 --> 00:20:15,250 - Some believe that either with Columbus 436 00:20:15,333 --> 00:20:17,292 or during his time as governor, 437 00:20:17,375 --> 00:20:21,000 Ponce de Leon learns from the locals of their belief 438 00:20:21,083 --> 00:20:22,833 in a great Fountain of Youth, 439 00:20:22,875 --> 00:20:26,500 which in one indigenous language is called Beniny. 440 00:20:28,000 --> 00:20:31,167 Supposedly, Beniny is an island 441 00:20:31,250 --> 00:20:34,333 that contains a legendary spring 442 00:20:34,375 --> 00:20:37,000 whose waters are capable of restoring youth 443 00:20:37,042 --> 00:20:38,542 to whoever drinks them. 444 00:20:39,542 --> 00:20:41,500 According to some, Arawak tribe members, 445 00:20:41,583 --> 00:20:43,500 one of their chiefs, named Sequene, 446 00:20:43,542 --> 00:20:47,917 was unable to resist the mirror of this restorative fountain 447 00:20:48,000 --> 00:20:50,875 and took a large expedition to go looking for it. 448 00:20:51,042 --> 00:20:55,167 They sailed north from Cuba, but they were never seen again. 449 00:20:55,208 --> 00:20:57,125 - No one knows exactly where they went to 450 00:20:57,208 --> 00:20:58,500 or where this place is. 451 00:20:58,542 --> 00:21:02,083 No one really even knows if it is a place. 452 00:21:02,208 --> 00:21:05,375 However, this story attracts the attention of King Ferdinand 453 00:21:05,458 --> 00:21:07,083 who becomes very interested 454 00:21:07,208 --> 00:21:08,792 in finding the Fountain of Youth. 455 00:21:08,875 --> 00:21:11,708 - King Ferdinand is particularly enamored 456 00:21:11,792 --> 00:21:13,958 by the idea of the Fountain of Youth 457 00:21:13,958 --> 00:21:18,167 because he's recently married a woman 35 years younger. 458 00:21:18,250 --> 00:21:19,833 - [Dennis] In 1512, 459 00:21:19,875 --> 00:21:23,833 the king grants the Explorer permission to look for Beniny. 460 00:21:23,917 --> 00:21:26,958 - Spain offers Ponce de Leon a great deal. 461 00:21:27,042 --> 00:21:30,292 He will hold exclusive rights to the discovery of Beniny 462 00:21:30,375 --> 00:21:31,542 for the next three years 463 00:21:31,542 --> 00:21:33,500 and will be named governor for life 464 00:21:33,542 --> 00:21:36,250 of any islands he discovers along the way. 465 00:21:36,375 --> 00:21:38,083 There is one small catch, though. 466 00:21:38,208 --> 00:21:42,208 He will have to finance and supply the mission himself. 467 00:21:42,333 --> 00:21:43,542 - So he follows through on this path. 468 00:21:43,625 --> 00:21:47,167 He raises a force of some 200 men in three ships 469 00:21:47,250 --> 00:21:49,458 and they take sail in 1513. 470 00:21:50,417 --> 00:21:51,625 - [Dennis] A few weeks later, 471 00:21:51,708 --> 00:21:54,583 they spot an unfamiliar stretch of land. 472 00:21:55,750 --> 00:21:58,958 - They're north of Cuba and west of The Bahamas, 473 00:21:59,042 --> 00:22:00,625 but all of those islands 474 00:22:00,708 --> 00:22:03,292 have been extensively explored and mapped at this point. 475 00:22:03,375 --> 00:22:05,958 The Spanish are very familiar with them. 476 00:22:06,042 --> 00:22:07,542 This is something new, 477 00:22:07,667 --> 00:22:09,875 so they think they might be on the right track. 478 00:22:10,875 --> 00:22:13,333 - [Dennis] De Leon approaches the coast 479 00:22:13,417 --> 00:22:18,500 and gives this new found area a name, La Florida. 480 00:22:18,625 --> 00:22:20,833 - The name means flowery. 481 00:22:20,958 --> 00:22:24,042 Apparently, the area Ponce de Leone saw 482 00:22:24,125 --> 00:22:25,625 was covered with flowers. 483 00:22:25,708 --> 00:22:28,000 - At the time, Ponce de Leon 484 00:22:28,125 --> 00:22:32,042 doesn't know if this is an island or a larger continent, 485 00:22:32,042 --> 00:22:35,375 only that it's a place to start looking for Beniny. 486 00:22:35,458 --> 00:22:37,917 But today, we know that he discovered the coast 487 00:22:38,000 --> 00:22:40,583 of the present day state of Florida. 488 00:22:40,708 --> 00:22:44,250 - [Dennis] However, he doesn't stay in the area for long. 489 00:22:44,333 --> 00:22:46,167 - He spends the next several months 490 00:22:46,292 --> 00:22:49,458 sailing up and down the coast in the surrounding keys, 491 00:22:49,542 --> 00:22:52,292 trying to find a hospitable place to land, 492 00:22:52,375 --> 00:22:56,667 as well as to determine if this is the famed Beniny Island. 493 00:22:56,750 --> 00:22:58,542 But several armed encounters 494 00:22:58,625 --> 00:23:01,750 with the indigenous people keep his mission at bay. 495 00:23:01,833 --> 00:23:04,250 - Nearly eight months after he set out, 496 00:23:04,375 --> 00:23:07,000 Ponce de Leon heads back to Puerto Rico, 497 00:23:07,042 --> 00:23:08,958 no closer to finding the Fountain of Youth 498 00:23:09,042 --> 00:23:10,083 than when he started. 499 00:23:10,167 --> 00:23:13,292 - He does find something else that's interesting, 500 00:23:13,375 --> 00:23:16,542 an area of ocean current that pushes him strongly east, 501 00:23:16,667 --> 00:23:19,000 more powerful than the wind. 502 00:23:19,042 --> 00:23:20,167 This is the Gulf Stream, 503 00:23:20,208 --> 00:23:22,583 which is still used, of course, by ships today, 504 00:23:22,708 --> 00:23:25,542 looking to make a speedy voyage across the Atlantic. 505 00:23:26,750 --> 00:23:29,958 - [Dennis] Eight years later in 1521, 506 00:23:30,042 --> 00:23:35,042 Ponce de Leon dies without ever finding the mythical fountain. 507 00:23:35,167 --> 00:23:37,208 - But many scholars believe 508 00:23:37,292 --> 00:23:39,542 that Ponce de Leon was not in fact 509 00:23:39,625 --> 00:23:41,708 looking for the Fountain of Youth. 510 00:23:41,792 --> 00:23:44,083 Ironically, the idea of Ponce de Leon 511 00:23:44,208 --> 00:23:45,625 searching for the fountain 512 00:23:45,708 --> 00:23:47,542 doesn't come from his own writings. 513 00:23:47,625 --> 00:23:50,042 Instead, historians, a few years after his death, 514 00:23:50,125 --> 00:23:53,708 begin posthumously attaching the legend to his name. 515 00:23:54,708 --> 00:23:56,875 - Though people tend to glorify 516 00:23:56,958 --> 00:23:59,208 a lot of these European explorers, 517 00:23:59,292 --> 00:24:03,750 we have to remember that this was a time of huge egos. 518 00:24:05,333 --> 00:24:07,708 Columbus and Columbus's San Diego 519 00:24:07,792 --> 00:24:11,250 were tremendous political rivals of Juan Ponce de Leon. 520 00:24:11,375 --> 00:24:14,625 So, they may have spread the story of the Fountain of Youth 521 00:24:14,708 --> 00:24:16,750 to try to discredit him. 522 00:24:16,833 --> 00:24:19,083 - The idea was to paint Ponce de Leone 523 00:24:19,208 --> 00:24:22,500 as an idiot and a weakling, the worst thing you could be 524 00:24:22,583 --> 00:24:25,292 in the Spanish machismo culture of the time. 525 00:24:25,375 --> 00:24:27,625 Certainly, one can see a rival explorer 526 00:24:27,708 --> 00:24:29,750 using this against him. 527 00:24:29,833 --> 00:24:33,375 Whether Ponce de Leone was inspired by a real native story 528 00:24:33,458 --> 00:24:35,750 or just the victim of bad publicity, 529 00:24:35,833 --> 00:24:37,250 the Fountain of Youth story 530 00:24:37,333 --> 00:24:39,542 has stuck to his legacy like glue. 531 00:24:39,667 --> 00:24:40,958 But even though we don't know for sure 532 00:24:41,042 --> 00:24:43,250 if he ever looked for the fountain, 533 00:24:43,333 --> 00:24:45,500 we do know of a few others who have. 534 00:24:45,542 --> 00:24:47,792 [dramatic music] 535 00:24:52,542 --> 00:24:53,667 - [Dennis] While some researchers debate 536 00:24:53,708 --> 00:24:55,333 whether or not Ponce de Leon 537 00:24:55,417 --> 00:24:57,667 ever searched for the Fountain of Youth, 538 00:24:57,750 --> 00:25:01,375 his story is far from the first associated 539 00:25:01,458 --> 00:25:03,917 with a powerful spring of immortality. 540 00:25:05,208 --> 00:25:06,542 - Many point to the fact 541 00:25:06,625 --> 00:25:08,250 that the accounts of the Fountain of Youth 542 00:25:08,333 --> 00:25:13,833 actually long predate Ponce de Leon by nearly 2,000 years. 543 00:25:13,875 --> 00:25:16,000 In fact, this type of healing water 544 00:25:16,083 --> 00:25:19,208 may exist in multiple locations around the world. 545 00:25:19,292 --> 00:25:21,000 - In the fifth century BC, 546 00:25:21,125 --> 00:25:24,000 there's a Greek historian named Herodotus, 547 00:25:24,042 --> 00:25:26,417 often referred to as the father of history 548 00:25:26,542 --> 00:25:28,917 because he's the first writer to perform 549 00:25:29,042 --> 00:25:32,917 systematic investigations of historical events. 550 00:25:32,917 --> 00:25:36,917 - Herodotus writes about a people he calls the Macrobians, 551 00:25:37,042 --> 00:25:40,833 an ancient tribe living in what today is Northern Africa. 552 00:25:40,958 --> 00:25:43,917 These people are known for their longevity and youthfulness, 553 00:25:44,000 --> 00:25:48,917 supposedly living up to 120 years old and beyond. 554 00:25:49,042 --> 00:25:52,125 Herodotus's writing suggests that the Macrobians' secret 555 00:25:52,208 --> 00:25:56,208 is a fountain and pool where they wash themselves. 556 00:25:56,292 --> 00:25:57,625 The water's chemistry 557 00:25:57,708 --> 00:26:01,000 appears to be unlike that of any other water. 558 00:26:01,042 --> 00:26:03,083 - [Dennis] While the exact location 559 00:26:03,167 --> 00:26:05,208 of Macrobia is unknown, 560 00:26:05,292 --> 00:26:08,875 there may be a pool in Africa that fits its description. 561 00:26:10,208 --> 00:26:12,375 - For years, Christians in Nigeria 562 00:26:12,542 --> 00:26:14,708 have venerated a waterfall-fed pool 563 00:26:14,792 --> 00:26:16,875 in a place called Awhum Cave. 564 00:26:17,917 --> 00:26:19,917 The water here has a unique chemical makeup 565 00:26:20,042 --> 00:26:24,000 that believers claim has special healing powers. 566 00:26:24,083 --> 00:26:27,542 - Officials at Awhum Cave cite hundreds of examples 567 00:26:27,667 --> 00:26:30,625 of the water's ability to prolong life 568 00:26:30,708 --> 00:26:33,125 and to provide healing. 569 00:26:33,208 --> 00:26:36,875 These accounts include restoring youth, 570 00:26:36,958 --> 00:26:40,000 repairing wounds and degenerative conditions, 571 00:26:40,042 --> 00:26:42,875 and even returning sight to the blind. 572 00:26:44,250 --> 00:26:46,875 - [Dennis] Stories like this continue to the present day. 573 00:26:47,958 --> 00:26:51,875 In 2022, a man named Patrick Ogbonna 574 00:26:51,875 --> 00:26:55,000 is poisoned and nearly dies. 575 00:26:55,042 --> 00:26:57,667 - He claims that as he was getting sicker and sicker, 576 00:26:57,708 --> 00:27:00,167 no doctor could determine a cure. 577 00:27:00,208 --> 00:27:03,708 It isn't until he bathes in the water of Awhum Cave 578 00:27:03,792 --> 00:27:05,708 that he finally recovers. 579 00:27:05,792 --> 00:27:08,667 So far, scientists have been unable to identify 580 00:27:08,792 --> 00:27:10,583 the particular chemical additives 581 00:27:10,708 --> 00:27:12,583 that could account for this effect, 582 00:27:12,708 --> 00:27:15,042 which further adds to its mystique. 583 00:27:16,042 --> 00:27:18,000 - [Dennis] A similar legendary body of water 584 00:27:18,083 --> 00:27:20,833 also exists in the Caribbean. 585 00:27:20,917 --> 00:27:24,167 - 300 miles southeast from where Ponce de Leon 586 00:27:24,208 --> 00:27:25,917 first lands in Florida, 587 00:27:26,000 --> 00:27:29,042 there's a small cluster of islands called Bimini. 588 00:27:29,167 --> 00:27:32,542 - And of course, Bimini sounds a lot like Beniny. 589 00:27:32,625 --> 00:27:33,833 In fact, the two place names 590 00:27:33,875 --> 00:27:35,375 have been conflated with one another 591 00:27:35,500 --> 00:27:37,792 almost as far back as the 1500s. 592 00:27:37,875 --> 00:27:39,292 Maybe this is actually the place 593 00:27:39,375 --> 00:27:42,208 of the indigenous stories of the Fountain of Youth. 594 00:27:43,500 --> 00:27:47,333 - [Dennis] In Bimini, tucked deep inside a mangrove swamp 595 00:27:47,375 --> 00:27:50,583 is a place the locals call the Healing Hole. 596 00:27:50,667 --> 00:27:53,708 - It's a long journey, but bathing in this freshwater pool 597 00:27:53,792 --> 00:27:55,667 is said to increase longevity. 598 00:27:55,750 --> 00:27:58,667 - The alleged rejuvenating powers of Bimini 599 00:27:58,750 --> 00:28:01,167 are not just limited to the Healing Hole. 600 00:28:01,292 --> 00:28:04,375 Also on the island is a very deep well 601 00:28:04,500 --> 00:28:07,167 full of restorative water that you can drink from, 602 00:28:07,208 --> 00:28:10,500 provided you have a bucket and a long enough rope. 603 00:28:10,583 --> 00:28:12,750 - It's actually this well 604 00:28:12,833 --> 00:28:15,292 that many believe the indigenous Arawak tribe 605 00:28:15,375 --> 00:28:17,875 considered to be the Fountain of Youth. 606 00:28:18,875 --> 00:28:20,708 - [Dennis] There may be scientific evidence 607 00:28:20,833 --> 00:28:22,000 to back this up. 608 00:28:23,042 --> 00:28:25,500 - Tests of both the pool and the well 609 00:28:25,542 --> 00:28:28,708 have revealed unusually high concentrations of minerals 610 00:28:28,792 --> 00:28:31,250 like calcium and magnesium, 611 00:28:31,333 --> 00:28:34,083 the latter of which is known for helping to relieve 612 00:28:34,167 --> 00:28:36,625 sore muscles and to calm nerves. 613 00:28:36,708 --> 00:28:38,500 - You might not gain immortality, 614 00:28:38,500 --> 00:28:39,875 but it does seem like this place 615 00:28:39,958 --> 00:28:42,375 can legitimately improve your health. 616 00:28:42,458 --> 00:28:44,875 One of the island's famous residents, Leicester Hemingway, 617 00:28:44,958 --> 00:28:46,208 brother of Earnest, 618 00:28:46,333 --> 00:28:48,875 even claimed the Healing Hole cured his cancer. 619 00:28:50,083 --> 00:28:52,000 - Historical accounts of the Healing Hole 620 00:28:52,125 --> 00:28:54,750 date all the way back to 1514, 621 00:28:54,833 --> 00:28:58,250 just one year after Ponce de Leon visits Florida. 622 00:28:58,375 --> 00:29:01,000 This means regardless of whether or not 623 00:29:01,125 --> 00:29:03,333 he was actually looking for it, 624 00:29:03,375 --> 00:29:06,458 Ponce de Leon might have sailed right by the place 625 00:29:06,542 --> 00:29:09,542 the locals considered to be the Fountain of Youth. 626 00:29:11,083 --> 00:29:12,750 - [Dennis] There's also another spot 627 00:29:12,875 --> 00:29:15,542 that claims to be the real deal, 628 00:29:15,625 --> 00:29:19,375 and this one is rumored to be where Ponce de Leon landed 629 00:29:19,458 --> 00:29:21,333 in modern day St. Augustine. 630 00:29:22,333 --> 00:29:24,542 - We really don't have a good sense of this, 631 00:29:24,667 --> 00:29:26,500 but ship's logs seem to indicate 632 00:29:26,583 --> 00:29:29,042 that he would've landed somewhere in this vicinity. 633 00:29:30,458 --> 00:29:34,542 - [Dennis] In 1904, a woman named Luella Day McConnell 634 00:29:34,625 --> 00:29:38,708 comes here in hopes of finding the Fountain of Youth. 635 00:29:38,792 --> 00:29:41,792 - McConnell is a doctor who strikes it rich 636 00:29:41,875 --> 00:29:43,167 during the Klondike Gold Rush. 637 00:29:43,250 --> 00:29:45,167 Using her newfound fortune, 638 00:29:45,333 --> 00:29:48,000 she buys property in St. Augustine. 639 00:29:48,125 --> 00:29:51,042 - McConnell knows all about the rumors 640 00:29:51,167 --> 00:29:54,292 of the Fountain of Youth being in St. Augustine 641 00:29:54,375 --> 00:29:57,542 and the property she buys has a very old well 642 00:29:57,667 --> 00:29:59,167 in the middle of it. 643 00:29:59,250 --> 00:30:02,333 She believes this may in fact be the Fountain of Youth. 644 00:30:02,417 --> 00:30:05,625 - McConnell goes all in on the legend. 645 00:30:05,708 --> 00:30:09,667 On her land, she establishes the Fountain of Youth Park, 646 00:30:09,708 --> 00:30:11,708 turning it into a tourist attraction 647 00:30:11,792 --> 00:30:16,208 where she charges admission and sells so-called Youth Water 648 00:30:16,333 --> 00:30:17,417 from her spring. 649 00:30:18,875 --> 00:30:21,500 - [Dennis] McConnell even says she has proof 650 00:30:21,542 --> 00:30:23,250 of the site's authenticity. 651 00:30:24,250 --> 00:30:26,167 - [Hugo] She prominently displays a cross 652 00:30:26,250 --> 00:30:29,625 made from stones that was excavated on the property. 653 00:30:29,708 --> 00:30:32,958 According to McConnell, it was discovered near her well. 654 00:30:33,042 --> 00:30:35,167 Next to the cross was a metal box 655 00:30:35,250 --> 00:30:38,333 that she says contained papers dating the cross 656 00:30:38,375 --> 00:30:41,208 to the time when Ponce de Leon landed here. 657 00:30:41,292 --> 00:30:43,167 - The cross obviously doesn't prove 658 00:30:43,250 --> 00:30:45,667 that McConnell's Fountain of Youth is real, 659 00:30:45,792 --> 00:30:47,958 but it does draw national attention, 660 00:30:48,042 --> 00:30:50,625 which of course means more visitors 661 00:30:50,708 --> 00:30:52,083 and more money rolling in. 662 00:30:52,083 --> 00:30:54,000 - To this day, they have found no evidence 663 00:30:54,083 --> 00:30:55,583 of the Fountain of Youth, 664 00:30:55,708 --> 00:30:58,958 but they will still sell you a bottle of their famous water 665 00:30:59,042 --> 00:31:01,750 if you want to give it a try and see what happens. 666 00:31:01,833 --> 00:31:04,000 [dramatic music] 667 00:31:08,875 --> 00:31:10,417 - While many have traveled the globe 668 00:31:10,542 --> 00:31:12,417 desperately searching for the key to immortality, 669 00:31:12,500 --> 00:31:17,458 one secret society opted to stay put and make it themselves. 670 00:31:18,875 --> 00:31:20,083 - Perhaps the most intriguing way 671 00:31:20,167 --> 00:31:21,958 to potentially achieve immortality 672 00:31:22,083 --> 00:31:23,833 is through a practice called alchemy. 673 00:31:23,875 --> 00:31:27,708 Alchemy is often described as a combination of science, 674 00:31:27,792 --> 00:31:30,125 philosophy, and magic. 675 00:31:30,208 --> 00:31:33,500 Alchemists have an ambitious goal, to craft a stone 676 00:31:33,583 --> 00:31:36,542 that can give immortality to anyone who consumes it. 677 00:31:36,667 --> 00:31:39,167 [dramatic music] 678 00:31:39,250 --> 00:31:40,750 It's called the Philosopher's Stone, 679 00:31:40,875 --> 00:31:44,500 and it's the most sought after achievement and alchemy. 680 00:31:44,583 --> 00:31:47,250 - Why spend your life questing for the Holy Grail 681 00:31:47,333 --> 00:31:49,542 when you can just unlock the key to immortality 682 00:31:49,667 --> 00:31:51,375 in your basement? 683 00:31:51,458 --> 00:31:52,875 Not only is the Philosopher's Stone 684 00:31:52,958 --> 00:31:54,583 thought to grant immortality, 685 00:31:54,708 --> 00:31:59,000 it can also transmute base materials into precious metals 686 00:31:59,083 --> 00:32:02,333 like gold and silver, or even diamonds and gems. 687 00:32:03,417 --> 00:32:05,333 - [Dennis] The practice of alchemy 688 00:32:05,375 --> 00:32:08,667 dates at least as far back as the ancient Greeks. 689 00:32:08,708 --> 00:32:11,583 - Some alchemists think the practice started even earlier, 690 00:32:11,667 --> 00:32:14,375 all the way back to the days of Adam and Eve. 691 00:32:15,583 --> 00:32:17,375 - [Dennis] According to these stories, 692 00:32:17,458 --> 00:32:20,833 Adam learns alchemy directly from God 693 00:32:20,958 --> 00:32:22,875 and the process is passed down 694 00:32:22,958 --> 00:32:25,333 from generation to generation. 695 00:32:25,417 --> 00:32:28,542 - One of the things that helped this legend sort of grow 696 00:32:28,625 --> 00:32:30,375 was readings of the Bible, 697 00:32:30,500 --> 00:32:34,625 for a lot of the early patriarchs and key figures 698 00:32:34,708 --> 00:32:37,167 are often said to have enormously long lifespans. 699 00:32:37,292 --> 00:32:40,292 800 or 900 years was very common. 700 00:32:40,375 --> 00:32:43,917 - If that's true, maybe they did indeed have the knowledge 701 00:32:44,000 --> 00:32:45,542 to create the Philosopher's Stone. 702 00:32:46,792 --> 00:32:50,500 - The problem is, if such a powerful object ever existed, 703 00:32:50,583 --> 00:32:53,750 the process to create it has been lost. 704 00:32:54,708 --> 00:32:57,042 - We find that a lot of alchemical writings 705 00:32:57,125 --> 00:32:59,167 appear to be written in code. 706 00:32:59,208 --> 00:33:02,000 It's difficult to understand almost any of it. 707 00:33:02,083 --> 00:33:03,208 In fact, the stone itself 708 00:33:03,292 --> 00:33:06,875 is given over a hundred different secret names 709 00:33:06,958 --> 00:33:08,333 in the literature, 710 00:33:08,417 --> 00:33:10,833 and these are just those we know of. 711 00:33:10,917 --> 00:33:15,000 - Any descriptions of the process are incredibly vague, 712 00:33:15,083 --> 00:33:17,333 almost metaphorical. 713 00:33:17,417 --> 00:33:19,167 You can understand why alchemists 714 00:33:19,292 --> 00:33:20,958 would wanna keep their work secret. 715 00:33:21,042 --> 00:33:23,458 Of course, you don't want just anybody 716 00:33:23,542 --> 00:33:26,667 to be able to wield the power of immortality. 717 00:33:26,750 --> 00:33:30,500 - [Dennis] But has anyone been able to crack the code? 718 00:33:31,542 --> 00:33:35,375 - While we don't have a final list of the ingredients, 719 00:33:35,458 --> 00:33:37,292 there is a kind of general consensus 720 00:33:37,375 --> 00:33:40,875 on what the process should be, very loosely. 721 00:33:42,208 --> 00:33:44,125 - In order to make a Philosopher's Stone, 722 00:33:44,208 --> 00:33:46,417 you start with an unspecified substance 723 00:33:46,500 --> 00:33:49,500 called prima materia, or first matter. 724 00:33:49,583 --> 00:33:53,083 It's thought to be the building block of all elements, 725 00:33:53,083 --> 00:33:56,292 and it must be distilled from another material. 726 00:33:56,375 --> 00:33:59,167 To attempt to make prima materia, 727 00:33:59,208 --> 00:34:01,708 alchemists tended to start with a very basic 728 00:34:01,833 --> 00:34:04,667 and common substance that was readily available. 729 00:34:04,750 --> 00:34:06,667 In the literature, we see them experimenting 730 00:34:06,750 --> 00:34:08,708 with all sorts of things for this. 731 00:34:08,792 --> 00:34:13,250 Hair, plants, metal, rocks, urine, you name it. 732 00:34:14,208 --> 00:34:17,917 - So how exactly do you make prima materia? 733 00:34:18,042 --> 00:34:19,708 Once again, we don't know. 734 00:34:19,792 --> 00:34:21,500 They've kept it a secret. 735 00:34:21,542 --> 00:34:23,667 But after you have your prima materia, 736 00:34:23,750 --> 00:34:26,208 they list a series of chemical reactions 737 00:34:26,208 --> 00:34:28,042 that you have to put it through, 738 00:34:28,125 --> 00:34:30,875 including fermentation, calcination, 739 00:34:30,958 --> 00:34:33,208 and dissolving it in a liquid. 740 00:34:33,292 --> 00:34:35,833 Essentially, you are transforming 741 00:34:35,875 --> 00:34:39,458 the original material into different stages of matter, 742 00:34:39,542 --> 00:34:41,667 sort of like boiling, and then freezing, 743 00:34:41,708 --> 00:34:42,958 and then melting water. 744 00:34:44,542 --> 00:34:48,167 - When completed, the stone should be heavier than gold 745 00:34:48,208 --> 00:34:50,458 and incombustible in fire, 746 00:34:50,542 --> 00:34:53,333 but it can be ground into a fine powder, 747 00:34:53,375 --> 00:34:55,042 and that's how you wield its power. 748 00:34:55,167 --> 00:34:56,667 You dissolve it in wine 749 00:34:56,750 --> 00:34:59,208 and you drink it in order to become immortal. 750 00:34:59,333 --> 00:35:01,250 [pensive music] 751 00:35:01,375 --> 00:35:04,333 In ancient China, some alchemists actually tried 752 00:35:04,375 --> 00:35:07,292 to skip the step of making a stone. 753 00:35:07,375 --> 00:35:10,292 They wanted to go straight to the drinkable medicine, 754 00:35:10,375 --> 00:35:13,583 which they called the grand elixir of immortality. 755 00:35:14,792 --> 00:35:16,208 - Somewhat ironically, 756 00:35:16,292 --> 00:35:18,542 it's suspected that the Chinese alchemists 757 00:35:18,625 --> 00:35:20,667 attempt to create the elixir of immortality 758 00:35:20,792 --> 00:35:24,042 accidentally led to the invention of gunpowder. 759 00:35:24,042 --> 00:35:25,375 - [Dennis] What about other alchemists 760 00:35:25,458 --> 00:35:28,125 who attempted to create the stone? 761 00:35:28,208 --> 00:35:30,000 - Look, there have been countless alchemists 762 00:35:30,125 --> 00:35:32,458 throughout the centuries who have tried, 763 00:35:32,542 --> 00:35:35,375 including well-known, famous scientists and authors. 764 00:35:35,458 --> 00:35:39,125 August Sternberg, Tycho Brahe, Roger Bacon, 765 00:35:39,208 --> 00:35:41,708 Carl Young, brilliant people, 766 00:35:41,792 --> 00:35:46,167 none of whom succeeded in making the Philosopher's Stone. 767 00:35:46,208 --> 00:35:49,333 - [Dennis] But in 2016, new evidence reveals 768 00:35:49,417 --> 00:35:52,250 that one of history's greatest minds 769 00:35:52,375 --> 00:35:56,625 may have taken a crack at it and possibly succeeded. 770 00:35:56,708 --> 00:35:57,667 [dramatic music] 771 00:36:02,542 --> 00:36:03,958 - [Dennis] For over 1,000 years, 772 00:36:04,042 --> 00:36:07,875 there's no concrete evidence that anyone succeeded 773 00:36:07,958 --> 00:36:11,375 in crafting the mysterious Philosopher's Stone. 774 00:36:12,375 --> 00:36:15,167 - I'm no alchemist, but it seems to me like 775 00:36:15,250 --> 00:36:18,417 making an object that can grant immortality 776 00:36:18,500 --> 00:36:20,542 is probably not a really easy thing to do, 777 00:36:20,625 --> 00:36:23,458 but there are some surprisingly famous geniuses 778 00:36:23,542 --> 00:36:25,000 who've given it a try. 779 00:36:25,083 --> 00:36:29,333 - [Dennis] Including the world-renowned Sir Isaac Newton. 780 00:36:29,417 --> 00:36:31,333 - Sir Isaac Newton is one of the most 781 00:36:31,458 --> 00:36:33,292 influential scientists in history. 782 00:36:33,375 --> 00:36:34,833 His laws of motion and gravity 783 00:36:34,917 --> 00:36:36,583 are some of the greatest advancements 784 00:36:36,708 --> 00:36:38,292 in astronomy and physics. 785 00:36:39,708 --> 00:36:41,667 Newton studies a vast array of subjects 786 00:36:41,750 --> 00:36:43,667 from mathematics to philosophy, 787 00:36:43,750 --> 00:36:46,208 but one of his major pursuits 788 00:36:46,292 --> 00:36:49,417 that most people don't know about is alchemy. 789 00:36:50,708 --> 00:36:53,583 About 10% of the writings Newton left behind 790 00:36:53,667 --> 00:36:56,042 are devoted to alchemy. 791 00:36:56,167 --> 00:36:59,458 Now, you might wonder, what's a bonafide scientist doing 792 00:36:59,458 --> 00:37:01,458 messing around with alchemy? 793 00:37:01,542 --> 00:37:03,375 The truth is, Newton is simply a product of his time, 794 00:37:03,458 --> 00:37:05,375 the 17th century. 795 00:37:05,458 --> 00:37:07,583 Back then, the idea of transforming one metal 796 00:37:07,708 --> 00:37:10,583 into another is still very much alive. 797 00:37:10,667 --> 00:37:14,333 Alchemy is about as respected as any of the other sciences. 798 00:37:14,417 --> 00:37:17,958 - [Dennis] In 2016, part of Newton's recipe 799 00:37:18,042 --> 00:37:21,583 for creating the Philosopher's Stone is discovered. 800 00:37:23,042 --> 00:37:26,667 - For decades, a whole stack of Newton's writings 801 00:37:26,792 --> 00:37:29,167 had been languishing in a private collection, 802 00:37:29,250 --> 00:37:33,208 which was purchased by the US Chemical Heritage Foundation. 803 00:37:33,333 --> 00:37:34,958 And as they're reading through, 804 00:37:35,042 --> 00:37:37,833 they find a reference to the preparation 805 00:37:37,875 --> 00:37:41,375 of the sophick mercury for the Philosopher's Stone. 806 00:37:41,458 --> 00:37:42,667 - Imagine their surprise 807 00:37:42,750 --> 00:37:45,250 when they find out that Sir Isaac Newton 808 00:37:45,375 --> 00:37:47,917 was messing around with the Philosopher's Stone. 809 00:37:48,042 --> 00:37:50,583 Sophick mercury was believed to be a crucial element 810 00:37:50,667 --> 00:37:52,292 for the creation of the stone. 811 00:37:52,375 --> 00:37:54,875 It's one of the first steps required. 812 00:37:56,250 --> 00:38:01,042 Sophick mercury is a mixture of antimony silver and mercury. 813 00:38:01,042 --> 00:38:03,500 Once you make it, the next step is to use it 814 00:38:03,542 --> 00:38:05,250 to dissolve gold. 815 00:38:05,333 --> 00:38:07,458 It allegedly breaks the gold down 816 00:38:07,542 --> 00:38:09,708 into a mixture that, when heated, 817 00:38:09,708 --> 00:38:11,750 will produce the Philosopher's Stone. 818 00:38:12,750 --> 00:38:14,417 - Newton's work builds upon a paper 819 00:38:14,500 --> 00:38:17,083 authored by an American, George Starkey, 820 00:38:17,208 --> 00:38:19,125 a chemist, an alchemist, 821 00:38:19,208 --> 00:38:22,542 and one of the US's first published scientists. 822 00:38:22,625 --> 00:38:25,417 This suggests that Newton was very well informed 823 00:38:25,500 --> 00:38:27,583 about the practice of alchemy worldwide 824 00:38:27,667 --> 00:38:29,875 and the achievements of his colleagues. 825 00:38:30,000 --> 00:38:33,583 - [Dennis] Unfortunately, the written recipe doesn't say 826 00:38:33,667 --> 00:38:36,500 if Newton took the process any further. 827 00:38:36,667 --> 00:38:38,750 - It seems likely that he did, 828 00:38:38,833 --> 00:38:42,083 although no evidence exists that he succeeded. 829 00:38:43,500 --> 00:38:46,917 - [Dennis] It's yet another frustrating dead end. 830 00:38:47,000 --> 00:38:51,042 Are all these alchemists simply on a wild goose chase? 831 00:38:51,125 --> 00:38:52,917 - Alchemists keep at it 832 00:38:53,000 --> 00:38:56,000 because many believe there is at least one person 833 00:38:56,083 --> 00:38:58,958 who successfully created the Philosopher's Stone. 834 00:39:00,333 --> 00:39:02,417 - [Dennis] That person is a French scribe 835 00:39:02,500 --> 00:39:03,917 named Nicolas Flamel. 836 00:39:04,042 --> 00:39:08,708 - In a 1612 book called "The Book of Hieroglyphic Figures", 837 00:39:08,792 --> 00:39:11,833 Flamel tells the story of finding an ancient text 838 00:39:11,875 --> 00:39:14,917 called the "Book of Abramelin the Mage." 839 00:39:15,042 --> 00:39:17,792 Originally written in Greek and other languages, 840 00:39:17,875 --> 00:39:20,542 it takes Flamel several years to decode, 841 00:39:20,625 --> 00:39:24,333 but when he does, it appears to reveal the recipe 842 00:39:24,375 --> 00:39:26,000 for the Philosopher's Stone. 843 00:39:28,042 --> 00:39:29,333 According to the stories, 844 00:39:29,417 --> 00:39:31,708 once Flamel makes the Philosopher's Stone, 845 00:39:31,792 --> 00:39:34,292 he uses it for philanthropy, 846 00:39:34,375 --> 00:39:37,167 creating wealth and donating large sums 847 00:39:37,333 --> 00:39:39,000 to the Catholic church. 848 00:39:40,458 --> 00:39:44,000 - Flamel is a real person whose generosity 849 00:39:44,083 --> 00:39:47,375 is well recorded in historical documents. 850 00:39:47,500 --> 00:39:49,292 And it seems unusual that a scribe 851 00:39:49,375 --> 00:39:50,875 would have that kind of wealth. 852 00:39:51,917 --> 00:39:53,333 - [Dennis] But there's something else 853 00:39:53,375 --> 00:39:55,833 that's much more unusual. 854 00:39:55,875 --> 00:39:58,292 - Now, there is a tombstone for Nicholas Flamel 855 00:39:58,375 --> 00:40:01,250 and the tombstone has him, died 1418. 856 00:40:01,250 --> 00:40:03,917 So it'd be very difficult for him 857 00:40:04,000 --> 00:40:07,000 to produce this book 200 years later, 858 00:40:07,083 --> 00:40:09,042 unless of course, he was immortal. 859 00:40:09,125 --> 00:40:11,667 For centuries after Flamel's death, 860 00:40:11,750 --> 00:40:14,458 a writer's report seeing Flamel and his wife, Perenelle, 861 00:40:14,542 --> 00:40:16,333 walking around alive and healthy, 862 00:40:16,417 --> 00:40:19,583 and these stories continue all the way into the 1700s. 863 00:40:19,667 --> 00:40:22,833 - Flamel eventually becomes this legendary figure, 864 00:40:22,875 --> 00:40:25,875 showing up in countless works of fiction like Victor Hugo's, 865 00:40:25,958 --> 00:40:28,000 "The Hunchback of Notre Dame," 866 00:40:28,042 --> 00:40:30,667 and more recently in the "Harry Potter" movies. 867 00:40:30,750 --> 00:40:34,208 He's also mentioned in Isaac Newton's journals. 868 00:40:34,333 --> 00:40:37,292 - [Dennis] Did Flamel actually achieve immortality 869 00:40:37,292 --> 00:40:38,792 with a Philosopher's Stone? 870 00:40:39,833 --> 00:40:42,542 - Disappointingly, historians today believe 871 00:40:42,625 --> 00:40:45,333 that Nicholas Flamel wasn't actually involved 872 00:40:45,417 --> 00:40:47,250 in alchemy at all. 873 00:40:47,333 --> 00:40:51,000 We think that the 1612 book was authored under a pseudonym, 874 00:40:51,042 --> 00:40:54,667 and then, others continued to embellish his story. 875 00:40:54,750 --> 00:40:56,792 This was probably an attempt 876 00:40:56,875 --> 00:41:00,417 to legitimize and justify all the work 877 00:41:00,500 --> 00:41:02,250 that all these alchemists have been doing 878 00:41:02,375 --> 00:41:03,833 for all these years. 879 00:41:03,917 --> 00:41:06,917 It had to be for something, right? 880 00:41:07,000 --> 00:41:10,208 - Although you could argue that Flamel did achieve 881 00:41:10,333 --> 00:41:13,833 some form of immortality if we're still talking about him 882 00:41:13,875 --> 00:41:17,708 and making movies about him six centuries after his death. 883 00:41:19,208 --> 00:41:21,167 [dramatic music] 884 00:41:21,208 --> 00:41:24,125 - The Holy Grail, the Fountain of Youth, 885 00:41:24,208 --> 00:41:26,333 the Philosopher's Stone. 886 00:41:26,458 --> 00:41:28,833 Whether or not they ever existed, 887 00:41:28,875 --> 00:41:31,667 together, they all prove the same thing. 888 00:41:31,750 --> 00:41:33,750 When it comes to our life on Earth, 889 00:41:33,875 --> 00:41:35,917 people will try just about anything 890 00:41:36,000 --> 00:41:38,833 to make sure it doesn't end. 891 00:41:38,917 --> 00:41:42,708 I'm Dennis Quaid, thanks for watching "Holy Marvels."