1 00:00:01,917 --> 00:00:04,500 [suspenseful music] 2 00:00:06,167 --> 00:00:09,375 - Across time, there have been objects 3 00:00:09,375 --> 00:00:14,458 and places of unimaginable power, shrouded in mystery 4 00:00:15,125 --> 00:00:16,500 and sought by many. 5 00:00:17,208 --> 00:00:18,708 From sacred relics. 6 00:00:19,750 --> 00:00:21,083 - Some churches actively claim 7 00:00:21,083 --> 00:00:22,708 to have the Grail. 8 00:00:22,708 --> 00:00:26,000 By some counts, there are as many as 200 Holy Grails 9 00:00:26,000 --> 00:00:27,500 across Europe. 10 00:00:27,500 --> 00:00:31,042 - This might be the most desired object in history. 11 00:00:31,042 --> 00:00:33,042 - To mighty strongholds. 12 00:00:33,042 --> 00:00:35,708 - King Herod knows that his enemies 13 00:00:35,708 --> 00:00:38,125 could strike at any time, 14 00:00:38,125 --> 00:00:42,042 and so he decides to build something like a safe house. 15 00:00:42,042 --> 00:00:44,500 - This is a perfect secure refuge, 16 00:00:44,500 --> 00:00:47,292 because it's almost impossible to attack. 17 00:00:48,500 --> 00:00:51,458 - To a fallen angel that personifies evil. 18 00:00:52,625 --> 00:00:54,958 - We see Satan as a tempter, 19 00:00:54,958 --> 00:00:58,333 trying to lure people away from God, even God's own son. 20 00:00:59,208 --> 00:01:00,792 - From there, it gets worse. 21 00:01:02,208 --> 00:01:06,333 - Now, stories of some of history's most formidable, 22 00:01:06,333 --> 00:01:09,417 "Holy Marvels." [intense music] 23 00:01:17,083 --> 00:01:21,750 The Ark of the Covenant is no ordinary object. 24 00:01:21,750 --> 00:01:25,542 Its alleged powers include destroying armies 25 00:01:25,542 --> 00:01:28,667 and bringing down fury from heaven. 26 00:01:28,667 --> 00:01:30,708 So it's no surprise 27 00:01:30,708 --> 00:01:33,958 people have looked for it for centuries. 28 00:01:33,958 --> 00:01:37,792 [intense music] 29 00:01:39,042 --> 00:01:40,583 - There's an argument to be made 30 00:01:40,583 --> 00:01:43,833 that this might be the most desired object in history, 31 00:01:43,833 --> 00:01:46,875 thanks to the phenomenal power it's said to possess. 32 00:01:46,875 --> 00:01:48,542 Millions of people are familiar 33 00:01:48,542 --> 00:01:51,375 with the tales of the Ark's ability to protect its owners 34 00:01:51,375 --> 00:01:53,458 and destroy their enemies. 35 00:01:54,833 --> 00:01:58,417 - The story of the Ark starts around the 13th century BC 36 00:01:58,417 --> 00:02:00,625 with a group of people called the Israelites. 37 00:02:02,000 --> 00:02:04,208 - In the Book of Exodus, with God's help, 38 00:02:04,208 --> 00:02:06,833 Moses leads the Israelites out of bondage 39 00:02:06,833 --> 00:02:08,167 and into the desert, 40 00:02:08,333 --> 00:02:11,083 searching for a place they call the promised land. 41 00:02:11,083 --> 00:02:13,750 Eventually as they travel through the desert, 42 00:02:13,750 --> 00:02:17,250 they reach Mount Sinai, where God appears before Moses 43 00:02:17,250 --> 00:02:19,500 and gives them The 10 Commandments. 44 00:02:19,500 --> 00:02:22,125 - God also tells Moses to build him a holy vessel 45 00:02:22,125 --> 00:02:24,250 to hold the tablets of the commandments. 46 00:02:24,250 --> 00:02:25,750 This is the Ark of the Covenant. 47 00:02:26,917 --> 00:02:28,375 - [Dennis] Once the Ark is ready, 48 00:02:28,375 --> 00:02:32,958 the Israelites carry it with them wherever they go, 49 00:02:32,958 --> 00:02:35,625 utilizing its incredible power. 50 00:02:36,708 --> 00:02:39,292 - In the Book of Joshua, in the Old Testament, 51 00:02:39,292 --> 00:02:42,250 an army of 40,000 Israelites have their sights set 52 00:02:42,250 --> 00:02:43,542 on the city of Jericho. 53 00:02:44,833 --> 00:02:48,083 - The Israelites begin their attack with a siege. 54 00:02:48,083 --> 00:02:51,167 They blow horns and march the Ark 55 00:02:51,167 --> 00:02:54,208 around the entire circumference of the city. 56 00:02:54,208 --> 00:02:57,292 They do this every day for a week, 57 00:02:57,292 --> 00:03:01,417 until on the seventh day, the walls of Jericho fall. 58 00:03:02,750 --> 00:03:06,292 - It's incredible. No catapults, no cannons. 59 00:03:06,292 --> 00:03:09,167 The walls just crumble, as if by magic. 60 00:03:10,083 --> 00:03:12,458 - The Bible makes this very clear. 61 00:03:12,458 --> 00:03:13,958 This would only have been possible 62 00:03:13,958 --> 00:03:16,583 thanks to the power of the object that they have, 63 00:03:16,583 --> 00:03:18,333 this weapon. 64 00:03:18,333 --> 00:03:21,333 Without the Ark of the Covenant, they had no hope, 65 00:03:21,333 --> 00:03:25,292 but with it, they're an unstoppable force. 66 00:03:25,292 --> 00:03:28,208 - [Dennis] Eventually, around 1000 BC, 67 00:03:28,208 --> 00:03:31,458 the Israelites bring the Ark to Jerusalem, 68 00:03:31,458 --> 00:03:36,458 where King Solomon builds a temple for it on Mount Moriah. 69 00:03:37,625 --> 00:03:41,667 It stays there for years, until disaster strikes. 70 00:03:42,875 --> 00:03:46,292 - The Babylonians wage a savage war against Jerusalem. 71 00:03:46,292 --> 00:03:49,042 After a 30-month-long siege, 72 00:03:49,042 --> 00:03:53,042 they completely destroy the city, tearing down the temple 73 00:03:53,042 --> 00:03:55,208 and lighting the whole place on fire. 74 00:03:56,708 --> 00:03:58,292 - As far as the Bible is concerned, 75 00:03:58,292 --> 00:03:59,417 this is the last mention 76 00:03:59,417 --> 00:04:01,500 of the Ark of the Covenant's location. 77 00:04:01,500 --> 00:04:05,458 It's in Jerusalem and then Jerusalem is destroyed. 78 00:04:06,542 --> 00:04:09,708 - [Dennis] But did the Ark somehow survive? 79 00:04:09,708 --> 00:04:12,708 Nazi leaders certainly thought so, 80 00:04:12,708 --> 00:04:16,333 along with many international teams of explorers. 81 00:04:17,292 --> 00:04:20,333 In 1980, one man joins the search, 82 00:04:20,333 --> 00:04:24,625 an amateur archaeologist named Ron Wyatt. 83 00:04:25,750 --> 00:04:29,667 - Wyatt starts out as a nurse anesthetist. 84 00:04:29,667 --> 00:04:31,292 He's an evangelical Christian 85 00:04:31,292 --> 00:04:34,500 and he becomes fascinated by biblical history. 86 00:04:35,958 --> 00:04:39,417 Wyatt focuses his efforts on finding the Ark of the Covenant 87 00:04:39,417 --> 00:04:40,958 under Mount Moriah. 88 00:04:40,958 --> 00:04:43,167 So he starts by exploring some of the tunnels 89 00:04:43,167 --> 00:04:44,708 that enter in from the north, 90 00:04:44,708 --> 00:04:47,375 and Wyatt claims to see the chamber 91 00:04:47,375 --> 00:04:50,167 and tunnel that has remained untouched. 92 00:04:50,167 --> 00:04:52,167 - He takes out his flashlight 93 00:04:52,167 --> 00:04:54,167 and he immediately sees something 94 00:04:54,167 --> 00:04:56,125 on the far side of the chamber. 95 00:04:56,125 --> 00:04:58,625 He realizes he's looking at a large case 96 00:04:58,625 --> 00:05:01,333 that's sitting on a stone platform. 97 00:05:02,250 --> 00:05:03,958 - [Dennis] To get a closer look, 98 00:05:03,958 --> 00:05:06,917 Wyatt brings in a surprising piece of equipment. 99 00:05:08,583 --> 00:05:12,167 - He uses a colonoscope, the same thing that doctors use 100 00:05:12,167 --> 00:05:15,917 to do colonoscopies, to look inside. 101 00:05:15,917 --> 00:05:18,708 Wyatt claims to see that there's a box 102 00:05:18,708 --> 00:05:23,500 with a flat golden side, and on top, he sees a cherub. 103 00:05:23,500 --> 00:05:27,542 This is it. He believes he's found the Ark of the Covenant. 104 00:05:28,583 --> 00:05:30,375 - [Dennis] But Wyatt keeps the details 105 00:05:30,375 --> 00:05:32,625 of his discovery a secret 106 00:05:33,667 --> 00:05:36,458 - Wyatt says that God instructs him 107 00:05:36,458 --> 00:05:39,417 to leave the Ark just as he found it. 108 00:05:39,417 --> 00:05:41,375 God tells him that there will be a time 109 00:05:41,375 --> 00:05:43,083 leading up to the apocalypse, 110 00:05:43,083 --> 00:05:45,583 when all will finally be revealed. 111 00:05:46,375 --> 00:05:48,542 - So Wyatt seals up the cave 112 00:05:48,542 --> 00:05:50,583 and doesn't reveal its exact location. 113 00:05:50,583 --> 00:05:53,250 Now he passes away in 1999. 114 00:05:53,250 --> 00:05:54,708 Who knows? Maybe someday 115 00:05:54,708 --> 00:05:56,792 they'll get an excavation permit 116 00:05:56,792 --> 00:05:59,333 and be able to prove Wyatt's claims. 117 00:05:59,333 --> 00:06:00,875 But until that happens, 118 00:06:00,875 --> 00:06:04,667 most Ark hunters think it's best to keep looking elsewhere. 119 00:06:06,917 --> 00:06:09,958 - Like the Ark, there's another powerful relic 120 00:06:09,958 --> 00:06:14,375 that's captivated the imagination of millions. 121 00:06:14,375 --> 00:06:15,750 The Holy Grail. 122 00:06:17,125 --> 00:06:20,375 - The Holy Grail might be the most famous vessel in history, 123 00:06:20,375 --> 00:06:23,250 used by the most famous person to ever live, 124 00:06:23,250 --> 00:06:25,792 at the most famous meal ever served. 125 00:06:25,792 --> 00:06:27,792 Today, we call it the Last Supper. 126 00:06:27,792 --> 00:06:29,375 It's thought to have taken place 127 00:06:29,375 --> 00:06:32,417 during the Jewish holiday of Passover. 128 00:06:32,417 --> 00:06:35,167 - [Dennis] The meal starts with a blessing. 129 00:06:35,167 --> 00:06:37,208 - Jesus distributes the bread 130 00:06:37,208 --> 00:06:40,375 and tells his followers, "Take, eat. 131 00:06:40,375 --> 00:06:41,875 This is my body." 132 00:06:41,875 --> 00:06:43,875 He then holds up a cup of wine and says, 133 00:06:43,875 --> 00:06:46,708 "Drink all of it, for this is my blood. 134 00:06:46,708 --> 00:06:49,375 Do this in remembrance of me." 135 00:06:50,542 --> 00:06:53,583 - This is one of the most well-known events 136 00:06:53,583 --> 00:06:55,542 in all of Christianity. 137 00:06:55,542 --> 00:07:00,500 The night that a cup was held and blessed by Jesus. 138 00:07:02,000 --> 00:07:04,667 This simple act has created a legend surrounding this cup 139 00:07:04,667 --> 00:07:07,042 that's lasted for 2,000 years. 140 00:07:08,708 --> 00:07:11,875 - [Dennis] But the cup is also revered for another reason. 141 00:07:12,583 --> 00:07:14,042 - According to legend, 142 00:07:14,042 --> 00:07:17,542 the Holy Grail is an object that has magical powers. 143 00:07:17,542 --> 00:07:20,375 It is an object that is held to be sacred. 144 00:07:20,375 --> 00:07:22,875 It is an object that's connected with healing 145 00:07:22,875 --> 00:07:26,042 and potentially even with immortality itself. 146 00:07:26,042 --> 00:07:27,750 - It's a holy relic. 147 00:07:27,750 --> 00:07:30,458 It's been touched by Jesus and it can provide immortality. 148 00:07:30,458 --> 00:07:32,292 This would be the most valuable object 149 00:07:32,292 --> 00:07:33,750 in the history of the world. 150 00:07:35,125 --> 00:07:38,583 - [Dennis] After The Last Supper, the Grail disappears. 151 00:07:38,583 --> 00:07:41,542 From here, legends of its whereabouts 152 00:07:41,542 --> 00:07:44,625 and guardians run the gamut. 153 00:07:44,625 --> 00:07:47,292 - Some churches actively claim to have the Grail. 154 00:07:47,292 --> 00:07:49,208 Others just happily allow people 155 00:07:49,208 --> 00:07:51,000 to make their own assumptions, 156 00:07:51,000 --> 00:07:55,000 but by some counts, there are as many as 200 Holy Grails 157 00:07:55,000 --> 00:07:56,333 across Europe. 158 00:07:56,333 --> 00:07:59,792 - There's at least one sticking point in all these claims. 159 00:07:59,792 --> 00:08:03,042 The large majority of these Grail candidates 160 00:08:03,042 --> 00:08:06,000 aren't associated with any miracles. 161 00:08:06,000 --> 00:08:09,208 The Grail is supposed to possess great powers, right? 162 00:08:09,208 --> 00:08:13,583 So there are a lot of cups with not a lot of powers. 163 00:08:14,958 --> 00:08:18,000 - [Dennis] One cup, however, does claim to have powers, 164 00:08:18,000 --> 00:08:20,792 and it's currently on display at a church 165 00:08:20,792 --> 00:08:23,792 in the Spanish town of O Cebreiro. 166 00:08:24,875 --> 00:08:26,708 - This cup's origins are unknown, 167 00:08:26,708 --> 00:08:29,917 but according to this church, in the 13th century, 168 00:08:29,917 --> 00:08:31,750 it was used to offer communion 169 00:08:31,750 --> 00:08:34,375 to a peasant named Juan Santin. 170 00:08:34,375 --> 00:08:37,667 As the priest is delivering the communion, 171 00:08:37,667 --> 00:08:42,167 the bread and wine turn into actual flesh 172 00:08:42,167 --> 00:08:44,083 and blood in the cup. 173 00:08:44,083 --> 00:08:47,542 So alarmed are these two men that they run away. 174 00:08:47,542 --> 00:08:50,000 They just abandon the ceremony. 175 00:08:50,000 --> 00:08:51,167 For a hundred years, 176 00:08:51,167 --> 00:08:53,708 the cup, filled with the blood and flesh, 177 00:08:53,708 --> 00:08:56,917 remain on display, unspoiled. 178 00:08:56,917 --> 00:09:00,208 - This miracle is certified by Pope Innocent VIII, 179 00:09:00,208 --> 00:09:02,792 and Queen Isabella herself eventually visits the church 180 00:09:02,792 --> 00:09:05,708 and verifies the cup's authenticity. 181 00:09:05,708 --> 00:09:07,250 Today, the flesh and blood are gone, 182 00:09:07,250 --> 00:09:10,500 but the cup can still be viewed inside a glass case. 183 00:09:10,500 --> 00:09:13,417 - So what can we make of all these cups 184 00:09:13,417 --> 00:09:14,750 circulating in Europe 185 00:09:14,750 --> 00:09:18,083 with each town claiming to hold the real one. 186 00:09:18,083 --> 00:09:21,458 Until somebody actually fills one up and drinks from it 187 00:09:21,458 --> 00:09:23,625 and magically becomes immortal, 188 00:09:23,625 --> 00:09:26,208 identifying the Grail is gonna be pretty tough. 189 00:09:31,167 --> 00:09:33,333 - Every culture has stories of weapons 190 00:09:33,333 --> 00:09:35,375 believed to wield great powers, 191 00:09:35,375 --> 00:09:37,583 and one in particular has been held 192 00:09:37,583 --> 00:09:40,792 by some of the world's most infamous leaders. 193 00:09:42,875 --> 00:09:44,583 - In Vienna's Hofburg Palace, 194 00:09:44,583 --> 00:09:46,542 there's an imperial treasury vault 195 00:09:46,542 --> 00:09:49,083 which contains 21 rooms of rare treasures 196 00:09:49,083 --> 00:09:51,833 collected by Austria's Habsburg's rulers 197 00:09:51,833 --> 00:09:53,583 and the Holy Roman Empire. 198 00:09:53,583 --> 00:09:55,500 Among the jewel-encrusted crowns 199 00:09:55,500 --> 00:09:58,958 and golden scepters sits a dull metal spear, 200 00:09:58,958 --> 00:10:01,208 which might be the most valuable object 201 00:10:01,208 --> 00:10:02,333 in the entire collection. 202 00:10:03,792 --> 00:10:05,542 - [Dennis] It's called the Holy Lance, 203 00:10:05,542 --> 00:10:06,792 also known as 204 00:10:06,792 --> 00:10:08,708 the Spear of Destiny. 205 00:10:09,792 --> 00:10:11,250 - The spearhead is 206 00:10:11,250 --> 00:10:12,792 about 20 inches long, 207 00:10:12,792 --> 00:10:14,333 weighs about two pounds. 208 00:10:14,333 --> 00:10:16,000 It's mostly made of iron. 209 00:10:16,000 --> 00:10:17,875 It has a leather wrap to tie it, 210 00:10:17,875 --> 00:10:20,583 and silver and gold cuffs around the middle, 211 00:10:20,583 --> 00:10:22,417 which were added later. 212 00:10:22,417 --> 00:10:24,458 - [Dennis] But the spear's true power 213 00:10:24,458 --> 00:10:28,250 is thought to come from another source. 214 00:10:28,250 --> 00:10:29,667 - In the New Testament, 215 00:10:29,667 --> 00:10:31,667 but only in the Gospel of John, 216 00:10:31,667 --> 00:10:34,667 we're told that the Romans aren't sure 217 00:10:34,667 --> 00:10:36,333 if Jesus has died yet. 218 00:10:36,333 --> 00:10:38,125 And so one of the Roman guards, 219 00:10:38,125 --> 00:10:41,083 he actually pierces Jesus with a spear. 220 00:10:42,542 --> 00:10:45,042 - Jesus has already died by then, 221 00:10:45,042 --> 00:10:46,917 and it's said that there's a gush of blood 222 00:10:46,917 --> 00:10:49,083 and water from the wound. 223 00:10:49,083 --> 00:10:51,042 - According to non-biblical sources, 224 00:10:51,042 --> 00:10:54,208 the guard who wields the spear is blind, 225 00:10:54,208 --> 00:10:56,000 but when he pierces Jesus, 226 00:10:56,000 --> 00:10:59,833 the holy blood drips into his eyes and heals him. 227 00:11:01,333 --> 00:11:02,708 - [Dennis] From that moment on, 228 00:11:02,708 --> 00:11:06,958 the spear is believed to have superpowers. 229 00:11:06,958 --> 00:11:08,875 - It's said that the Spear of Destiny 230 00:11:08,875 --> 00:11:11,625 can make the bearer invincible in combat. 231 00:11:13,000 --> 00:11:16,125 - It's also said that whoever possesses the spear 232 00:11:16,125 --> 00:11:19,625 is taken as a sign that they rule by divine right, 233 00:11:19,625 --> 00:11:23,542 meaning their authority comes directly from God. 234 00:11:23,542 --> 00:11:24,958 Whomever wields the spear 235 00:11:24,958 --> 00:11:27,875 has in their hands the destiny of the world. 236 00:11:27,875 --> 00:11:30,500 - When you study the history of this incredible object 237 00:11:30,500 --> 00:11:32,167 and learn more about its journey, 238 00:11:32,167 --> 00:11:33,875 you realize it's been at the center 239 00:11:33,875 --> 00:11:37,042 of some of the most important events in human history. 240 00:11:39,917 --> 00:11:41,917 - In the eighth and the early ninth centuries, 241 00:11:41,917 --> 00:11:44,542 the first Holy Roman Emperor, Charlemagne, 242 00:11:44,542 --> 00:11:46,542 supposedly carries the Holy Spear 243 00:11:46,542 --> 00:11:49,750 on 47 victorious military campaigns. 244 00:11:49,750 --> 00:11:52,833 Then one day he accidentally drops the spear 245 00:11:52,833 --> 00:11:55,583 and he dies, almost immediately, of a fever. 246 00:11:55,583 --> 00:11:59,042 The relic moves around until 1424, 247 00:11:59,042 --> 00:12:01,917 when it winds up in the city of Nuremberg. 248 00:12:01,917 --> 00:12:06,125 In 1796, Napoleon Bonaparte makes a move to seize it, 249 00:12:06,125 --> 00:12:08,042 so it's sent to the Hofburg Palace 250 00:12:08,042 --> 00:12:09,792 in Vienna for safekeeping. 251 00:12:09,792 --> 00:12:12,042 Napoleon never does get his hands on it. 252 00:12:13,875 --> 00:12:15,583 - [Dennis] Once it's in Vienna, 253 00:12:15,583 --> 00:12:20,125 another power hungry leader sets his sights on the spear. 254 00:12:20,125 --> 00:12:21,750 - Even before his rise to power, 255 00:12:21,750 --> 00:12:24,708 Adolf Hitler is aware of the spear 256 00:12:24,708 --> 00:12:27,708 from his days as a starving artist in Vienna. 257 00:12:27,708 --> 00:12:29,958 He spends his free time wandering the halls 258 00:12:29,958 --> 00:12:32,833 of the Hofburg Palace, which had become a museum. 259 00:12:34,042 --> 00:12:36,792 - [Dennis] When Hitler invades Austria in 1938, 260 00:12:36,792 --> 00:12:38,708 he seizes the weapon. 261 00:12:39,875 --> 00:12:42,917 - Hitler's empire grows, as does his ego. 262 00:12:42,917 --> 00:12:45,875 He seems to believe he's invincible, 263 00:12:45,875 --> 00:12:47,167 but if he paid attention to the legend 264 00:12:47,167 --> 00:12:49,083 surrounding the Spear of Destiny, 265 00:12:49,083 --> 00:12:51,750 he should have realized that things don't always end well 266 00:12:51,750 --> 00:12:52,958 for those who wield it. 267 00:12:55,000 --> 00:12:57,875 - As we all know, eventually the tide turns against Hitler 268 00:12:57,875 --> 00:13:01,500 and on April 30th, 1945, he ends his own life 269 00:13:01,500 --> 00:13:02,792 inside a Berlin bunker. 270 00:13:02,792 --> 00:13:04,750 [explosion booming] 271 00:13:06,583 --> 00:13:08,500 - By January 1946, 272 00:13:08,500 --> 00:13:11,542 the spear is back at the Hofburg Museum in Vienna, 273 00:13:11,542 --> 00:13:13,667 having survived another war, 274 00:13:13,667 --> 00:13:16,875 so maybe it really does hold the power of invincibility. 275 00:13:16,875 --> 00:13:19,833 [dramatic music] 276 00:13:19,833 --> 00:13:22,292 - Like the spear, there's another weapon 277 00:13:22,292 --> 00:13:25,917 that supposedly grants the divine right to rule. 278 00:13:26,917 --> 00:13:29,042 Legend says it was first seized 279 00:13:29,042 --> 00:13:33,167 by a young British warrior named Arthur. 280 00:13:35,875 --> 00:13:37,708 - Excalibur. 281 00:13:37,708 --> 00:13:40,000 The very name of the mighty sword 282 00:13:40,000 --> 00:13:43,292 evokes a sense of sacred, mythical powers, 283 00:13:43,292 --> 00:13:46,375 and is forever linked to the man who wields it, 284 00:13:46,375 --> 00:13:47,500 King Arthur. 285 00:13:49,083 --> 00:13:50,792 - The legend of King Arthur originates from Welsh poetry 286 00:13:50,792 --> 00:13:53,708 written around the late sixth century AD. 287 00:13:53,708 --> 00:13:55,375 Arthur was said to have ruled 288 00:13:55,375 --> 00:13:57,500 after the fall of the Roman Empire, 289 00:13:57,500 --> 00:14:00,583 and he was the leader of what was a knightly fellowship 290 00:14:00,583 --> 00:14:02,125 of the round table. 291 00:14:02,125 --> 00:14:05,375 His stories, of course, involve his famous sword, 292 00:14:05,375 --> 00:14:08,208 which protects the king and his knights in battle. 293 00:14:10,208 --> 00:14:12,958 - In 1136, an English cleric, Jeffrey of Monmouth, 294 00:14:12,958 --> 00:14:15,375 compiles the Arthurian tales 295 00:14:15,375 --> 00:14:18,208 in a book called, "The History of the Kings of Britain." 296 00:14:18,208 --> 00:14:21,708 In Latin, he calls the sword Caliburnus, 297 00:14:21,708 --> 00:14:23,917 it just means "cuts steel." 298 00:14:25,000 --> 00:14:26,542 - Eventually this sort of gets transmuted 299 00:14:26,542 --> 00:14:28,958 into what we now have as a name for it, Excalibur. 300 00:14:28,958 --> 00:14:31,708 So here it is obviously clearly presented 301 00:14:31,708 --> 00:14:34,917 as a miraculous, magical sword. 302 00:14:34,917 --> 00:14:37,500 - [Dennis] The blade is believed to be forged 303 00:14:37,500 --> 00:14:40,333 on the mystical isle of Avalon. 304 00:14:40,333 --> 00:14:41,792 [hammering] 305 00:14:41,792 --> 00:14:43,333 - One of the most famous stories 306 00:14:43,333 --> 00:14:47,292 of how Arthur gets Excalibur is from the sword in the stone, 307 00:14:47,292 --> 00:14:49,458 and in this story, Merlin the wizard, 308 00:14:49,458 --> 00:14:52,167 proclaims that whoever can extract the sword 309 00:14:52,167 --> 00:14:55,375 from the stone will be the rightful King of England. 310 00:14:55,375 --> 00:14:57,667 - So naturally, everybody wants to take a crack at it 311 00:14:57,667 --> 00:15:00,708 and become King of England, and many people try, 312 00:15:00,708 --> 00:15:03,125 but the sword just won't budge 313 00:15:03,125 --> 00:15:05,958 until a boy named Arthur pulls it free, 314 00:15:05,958 --> 00:15:07,333 [metal clanging] 315 00:15:07,333 --> 00:15:08,958 claiming his right to the throne. 316 00:15:10,083 --> 00:15:12,417 - [Dennis] Once it's in Arthur's hands, 317 00:15:12,417 --> 00:15:16,667 Excalibur displays astonishing powers. 318 00:15:16,667 --> 00:15:20,833 - The sword can only be used by those it deems worthy. 319 00:15:20,833 --> 00:15:23,375 Anybody else who takes it will be destroyed 320 00:15:23,375 --> 00:15:26,542 by the sword's magic, and for those who are worthy, 321 00:15:26,542 --> 00:15:29,083 it seemingly enhances their physical abilities 322 00:15:29,083 --> 00:15:31,042 to superhuman levels. 323 00:15:31,042 --> 00:15:32,458 With Excalibur, 324 00:15:32,458 --> 00:15:36,875 King Arthur once single handedly defeats 960 Saxons 325 00:15:36,875 --> 00:15:38,042 in battle. 326 00:15:39,250 --> 00:15:41,208 - The sword is said to be so bright 327 00:15:41,208 --> 00:15:43,333 that it can blind enemies. 328 00:15:43,333 --> 00:15:46,458 Even the scabbard of the sword is said to be magical. 329 00:15:46,458 --> 00:15:49,292 It prevents its owner from losing blood in combat 330 00:15:49,292 --> 00:15:51,917 so that no wound can be fatal. 331 00:15:51,917 --> 00:15:53,958 - The sword's greatest power 332 00:15:53,958 --> 00:15:56,250 is the fact that it grants you the right to rule. 333 00:15:56,250 --> 00:15:59,917 So if you have Excalibur, you are the true king. 334 00:16:01,708 --> 00:16:05,125 - With Excalibur at his side, Arthur marries Queen Guinevere 335 00:16:05,125 --> 00:16:08,583 and then he and his knights embark on a series of quests. 336 00:16:11,083 --> 00:16:13,417 - [Dennis] As the legend endures, 337 00:16:13,417 --> 00:16:17,708 many start to wonder, could the sword be real? 338 00:16:17,708 --> 00:16:19,042 - The thing about Excalibur 339 00:16:19,042 --> 00:16:21,542 is that whether or not its origins are mythological, 340 00:16:21,542 --> 00:16:24,375 it has had a definite impact on history. 341 00:16:24,375 --> 00:16:27,208 So many rulers have wanted to get their hands on it. 342 00:16:27,208 --> 00:16:30,083 - [Dennis] Including the famed English king 343 00:16:30,083 --> 00:16:32,250 Richard the Lionheart, 344 00:16:32,250 --> 00:16:35,750 who in 1191 decides to look for it. 345 00:16:35,750 --> 00:16:38,333 - He hears from an old Welsh bard 346 00:16:38,333 --> 00:16:42,083 that the mighty Arthur is buried at Glastonbury Abbey. 347 00:16:43,250 --> 00:16:45,333 - [Dennis] Convinced this must be King Arthur's 348 00:16:45,333 --> 00:16:49,250 final resting place, Richard has the area excavated. 349 00:16:50,375 --> 00:16:53,167 - What they unearth is pretty thrilling, 350 00:16:53,167 --> 00:16:57,167 an inscribed cross that bears Arthur and Guinevere's names 351 00:16:57,167 --> 00:16:59,625 and large bones believed to be Arthur's, 352 00:16:59,625 --> 00:17:03,125 and even a long lock of blonde hair that crumbles to dust 353 00:17:03,125 --> 00:17:04,667 when a greedy monk grabs it. 354 00:17:06,083 --> 00:17:09,500 - [Dennis] Remarkably, that's not all they find. 355 00:17:10,875 --> 00:17:12,292 - Later that same year, 356 00:17:12,292 --> 00:17:15,458 King Richard heads off to join The Third Crusade, 357 00:17:15,458 --> 00:17:19,333 and when he does, he claims to have Excalibur at his side. 358 00:17:19,333 --> 00:17:21,917 He believes the legendary sword has been found 359 00:17:21,917 --> 00:17:24,250 and that he can wield its power. 360 00:17:25,167 --> 00:17:26,375 - [Dennis] Unfortunately, 361 00:17:26,375 --> 00:17:30,375 King Richard dies in battle in 1199. 362 00:17:30,375 --> 00:17:33,042 - The throne passes on to his brother John, 363 00:17:33,042 --> 00:17:34,292 and in the middle of this, 364 00:17:34,292 --> 00:17:37,167 Excalibur disappears from the historical record. 365 00:17:37,958 --> 00:17:39,875 - [Dennis] But some are hopeful 366 00:17:39,875 --> 00:17:43,083 the sword will turn up again. 367 00:17:43,083 --> 00:17:46,000 - People are still out there, all over the UK, 368 00:17:46,000 --> 00:17:48,333 using a combination of old literature 369 00:17:48,333 --> 00:17:51,042 and new technology to try to find the fabled sword. 370 00:17:51,042 --> 00:17:54,667 If nothing else, this certainly proves 371 00:17:54,667 --> 00:17:56,583 that the legend lives on. 372 00:18:02,833 --> 00:18:06,417 - Stories of holy weapons capture our imaginations, 373 00:18:06,417 --> 00:18:11,250 but sometimes, actual places can inspire us. 374 00:18:11,250 --> 00:18:13,417 Consider one famous fortress, 375 00:18:13,417 --> 00:18:17,292 built by King Herod in the first century BC, 376 00:18:17,292 --> 00:18:22,042 that will become a symbol of incredible bravery, Masada. 377 00:18:23,875 --> 00:18:25,208 - Even though King Herod 378 00:18:25,208 --> 00:18:29,750 is basically a puppet of the Romans, he is no fool. 379 00:18:31,042 --> 00:18:33,417 He knows that his Jewish people have many enemies 380 00:18:33,417 --> 00:18:35,583 that could strike at any time, 381 00:18:35,583 --> 00:18:39,292 and so he decides to build something like a safe house. 382 00:18:42,375 --> 00:18:46,042 Masada, which means "strong foundation" in Hebrew, 383 00:18:46,042 --> 00:18:49,583 is to be a fortress and a royal retreat. 384 00:18:49,583 --> 00:18:54,167 And construction on this starts around the year 30 BC. 385 00:18:54,167 --> 00:18:58,333 - Herod chooses a 18-acre plateau 386 00:18:58,333 --> 00:19:02,083 that's about 1,400 feet above the Dead Sea. 387 00:19:02,083 --> 00:19:06,667 This is a perfect location as a secure refuge, 388 00:19:06,667 --> 00:19:09,458 because it's almost impossible to attack. 389 00:19:10,917 --> 00:19:14,958 - The fortress is surrounded by a casemate wall. 390 00:19:14,958 --> 00:19:19,042 These things run 4,600 feet altogether, 391 00:19:19,042 --> 00:19:21,417 they're 13 feet thick. 392 00:19:21,417 --> 00:19:24,625 The space between the walls could be used in peace time 393 00:19:24,625 --> 00:19:25,875 for storage. 394 00:19:25,875 --> 00:19:29,958 However, in war time, you could fill in that space 395 00:19:29,958 --> 00:19:32,208 with rubble, debris, rocks and dirt, 396 00:19:32,208 --> 00:19:34,667 to make an even stronger defensive wall. 397 00:19:37,417 --> 00:19:40,583 - [Dennis] Luckily, Herod never has to use it, 398 00:19:40,583 --> 00:19:43,083 but seven decades after his death, 399 00:19:43,083 --> 00:19:47,125 it comes in handy for a group of Jewish rebels. 400 00:19:47,542 --> 00:19:51,625 - The first Jewish-Roman war breaks out in AD 66. 401 00:19:51,625 --> 00:19:54,333 This follows years of rising tensions 402 00:19:54,333 --> 00:19:57,917 between the Jewish population and their Roman overlords, 403 00:19:57,917 --> 00:20:01,417 until you have open conflict and warfare between the two. 404 00:20:03,083 --> 00:20:05,250 - [Dennis] As the war continues, 405 00:20:05,250 --> 00:20:09,792 one group in particular look for a more secure post. 406 00:20:09,792 --> 00:20:11,792 They're called the Sicarii. 407 00:20:11,792 --> 00:20:15,208 - The Sicarii are elite Jewish assassins 408 00:20:15,208 --> 00:20:17,833 who are known for taking out their enemies. 409 00:20:17,833 --> 00:20:19,458 The Romans obviously, 410 00:20:19,458 --> 00:20:22,333 but also Jewish collaborators with the Romans. 411 00:20:23,708 --> 00:20:27,583 - The Sicarii, they decide that it's time to get out of town 412 00:20:27,583 --> 00:20:30,833 and they move into the abandoned Masada 413 00:20:30,833 --> 00:20:33,417 by late in the year of 67 AD. 414 00:20:33,417 --> 00:20:36,292 They're sure that the Romans are after them, 415 00:20:36,292 --> 00:20:38,250 but that this is the safest place 416 00:20:38,250 --> 00:20:39,750 that they could possibly hide. 417 00:20:40,833 --> 00:20:43,458 - [Dennis] It turns out to be a smart move. 418 00:20:45,208 --> 00:20:48,625 - By 70 AD, the Romans lay siege to Jerusalem 419 00:20:48,625 --> 00:20:51,792 and pretty much totally destroy it. 420 00:20:51,792 --> 00:20:54,875 The Romans take down every Jewish stronghold in the region, 421 00:20:54,875 --> 00:20:58,125 but they save Masada for last. 422 00:20:58,125 --> 00:21:01,542 - Sometime between 72 and 73 AD, 423 00:21:01,542 --> 00:21:06,375 the Romans decide it's time to attack the Sicarii at Masada. 424 00:21:06,375 --> 00:21:09,167 By this point, the Sicarii have been here, 425 00:21:09,167 --> 00:21:11,333 holding out for about five years. 426 00:21:11,333 --> 00:21:15,583 There are about 960 men, women and children, 427 00:21:15,583 --> 00:21:18,542 and they're very well prepared to defend themselves, 428 00:21:18,542 --> 00:21:21,208 under the command of their leader, Ben Ya'ir. 429 00:21:21,208 --> 00:21:24,417 The Sicarii leader knows that the Romans 430 00:21:24,417 --> 00:21:27,833 can only be delayed, they cannot be stopped. 431 00:21:27,833 --> 00:21:31,292 - The Sicarii decide to burn down Masada 432 00:21:31,292 --> 00:21:33,708 and end each other's lives, 433 00:21:33,708 --> 00:21:36,833 rather than submit to the Romans. 434 00:21:36,833 --> 00:21:39,375 - [Dennis] When the Romans finally enter Masada 435 00:21:39,375 --> 00:21:41,333 ready for battle, 436 00:21:41,333 --> 00:21:44,917 they're instead met with an eerie silence. 437 00:21:46,333 --> 00:21:48,875 - When the Romans entered Masada 438 00:21:48,875 --> 00:21:52,167 and they found all the Jewish inhabitants dead, 439 00:21:52,167 --> 00:21:55,958 they also found that they still had plenty of food there, 440 00:21:55,958 --> 00:21:58,708 so they didn't kill themselves because they were starving. 441 00:21:58,708 --> 00:22:01,500 They did it simply because they wanted to be free. 442 00:22:04,792 --> 00:22:06,875 - [Dennis] For over a thousand years, 443 00:22:06,875 --> 00:22:10,375 the walls of Masada remain silent, 444 00:22:10,375 --> 00:22:13,625 but today, it's a different story. 445 00:22:13,625 --> 00:22:16,875 - Masada is now the second most popular tourist destination 446 00:22:16,875 --> 00:22:18,542 in Israel after Jerusalem. 447 00:22:18,542 --> 00:22:21,792 Nearly a million people make this trek each year 448 00:22:21,792 --> 00:22:25,958 to visit this ultimate symbol of strength and resistance, 449 00:22:25,958 --> 00:22:30,083 a place where a small group of rebels managed to stand up 450 00:22:30,083 --> 00:22:32,375 to the world's most powerful army. 451 00:22:32,375 --> 00:22:35,208 [dramatic music] 452 00:22:35,208 --> 00:22:39,375 - While Masada is a testament to courage and endurance, 453 00:22:39,375 --> 00:22:42,708 there's another rock equally as formidable. 454 00:22:44,417 --> 00:22:47,792 - On the southern tip of the Iberian Peninsula, 455 00:22:47,792 --> 00:22:51,125 there's a narrow passage that separates the Atlantic Ocean 456 00:22:51,125 --> 00:22:55,458 and the Mediterranean Sea, a huge-cliff like mountain, 457 00:22:55,458 --> 00:22:59,875 some 1,400 feet high, that's also full of caves. 458 00:22:59,875 --> 00:23:03,417 - If you are a seafaring culture that wants to expand, 459 00:23:03,417 --> 00:23:05,292 import, or export goods, 460 00:23:05,292 --> 00:23:08,625 there's only one way to exit the Mediterranean, 461 00:23:08,625 --> 00:23:11,625 and that's the eight-mile- wide Strait of Gibraltar. 462 00:23:11,625 --> 00:23:15,083 And so right away, people start giving this place 463 00:23:15,083 --> 00:23:16,500 a sacred significance, 464 00:23:16,500 --> 00:23:19,542 because of how crucial it is to their daily lives. 465 00:23:19,542 --> 00:23:21,708 - The Greeks integrate Gibraltar 466 00:23:21,708 --> 00:23:26,500 into their story of Heracles, who the Romans call Hercules. 467 00:23:26,500 --> 00:23:28,875 Both of these cultures, Greek and Roman, 468 00:23:28,875 --> 00:23:32,375 refer to Gibraltar as the Pillars of Hercules. 469 00:23:33,417 --> 00:23:34,958 - [Dennis] According to the legend, 470 00:23:34,958 --> 00:23:38,833 Hercules travels west to the edge of the Mediterranean Sea 471 00:23:38,833 --> 00:23:41,917 in search of an infamous monster. 472 00:23:43,667 --> 00:23:46,708 - Hercules is tasked with bringing back the cattle 473 00:23:46,708 --> 00:23:49,333 of a three-headed monster named Geryon, 474 00:23:49,333 --> 00:23:51,458 who lives beyond the pillars. 475 00:23:51,458 --> 00:23:54,708 He succeeds, and in some versions of the story, 476 00:23:54,708 --> 00:23:56,917 Hercules then narrows the strait 477 00:23:56,917 --> 00:23:59,917 to prevent sea monsters from entering the Mediterranean. 478 00:24:01,208 --> 00:24:05,542 - [Dennis] Gibraltar also protects against human invaders. 479 00:24:06,333 --> 00:24:07,833 - Given its tactical location, 480 00:24:07,833 --> 00:24:10,333 you can spot enemies from miles away 481 00:24:10,333 --> 00:24:12,042 from the top of that mountain. 482 00:24:12,042 --> 00:24:15,333 We know that the Romans, the Vandals, the Visigoths, 483 00:24:15,333 --> 00:24:16,958 the Muslims and the Christians, 484 00:24:16,958 --> 00:24:19,542 all use it as a strategic lookout. 485 00:24:21,000 --> 00:24:24,333 - [Dennis] Control of the rock continues to shift hands 486 00:24:24,333 --> 00:24:26,333 for generations. 487 00:24:26,333 --> 00:24:29,875 Then the British arrive in 1713, 488 00:24:29,875 --> 00:24:34,833 and begin carving a hidden world deep inside the stone. 489 00:24:36,208 --> 00:24:37,708 - The British began advancing tunnels through the rock, 490 00:24:37,708 --> 00:24:39,583 beginning in the late 18th century. 491 00:24:41,042 --> 00:24:45,000 There are now 35 miles of tunnels in Gibraltar, 492 00:24:45,000 --> 00:24:47,417 including the longest one of them all, the Great North Road, 493 00:24:47,417 --> 00:24:50,000 which is three and a half miles long. 494 00:24:50,000 --> 00:24:53,083 In addition to that, there are training facilities 495 00:24:53,083 --> 00:24:55,583 for the British military inside the rock as well. 496 00:24:56,625 --> 00:24:58,083 - During World War II, 497 00:24:58,083 --> 00:25:01,458 the British host General Dwight D. Eisenhower 498 00:25:01,458 --> 00:25:04,750 for 21 days within the Rock of Gibraltar, 499 00:25:04,750 --> 00:25:07,417 where he commands Operation Torch, 500 00:25:07,417 --> 00:25:11,083 which is a combined US and British invasion, 501 00:25:11,083 --> 00:25:14,333 where they drive the Nazis out of North Africa. 502 00:25:14,333 --> 00:25:16,625 [dramatic music] 503 00:25:16,625 --> 00:25:20,375 - Today, Gibraltar remains as a place of protection, 504 00:25:20,375 --> 00:25:21,875 albeit with a modern twist. 505 00:25:22,750 --> 00:25:24,250 It currently houses 506 00:25:24,250 --> 00:25:26,750 one of the most secure computer data centers in the world. 507 00:25:33,958 --> 00:25:36,208 [mysterious music] 508 00:25:36,208 --> 00:25:40,250 - While many holy marvels are created for the living, 509 00:25:40,250 --> 00:25:42,708 some are meant for the dead. 510 00:25:42,708 --> 00:25:44,875 There's one ancient Egyptian text 511 00:25:44,875 --> 00:25:48,375 that supposedly grants great power, 512 00:25:48,375 --> 00:25:52,167 but only after the person wielding it dies. 513 00:25:54,417 --> 00:25:55,750 - The Book of the Dead isn't 514 00:25:55,750 --> 00:25:57,167 an actual traditional book 515 00:25:57,167 --> 00:25:58,375 with pages. 516 00:25:58,375 --> 00:26:01,292 Instead, it's a collection of hieroglyphics 517 00:26:01,292 --> 00:26:03,417 written in different places, 518 00:26:03,417 --> 00:26:06,750 on tombs, on coffins, on papyrus scrolls. 519 00:26:06,750 --> 00:26:09,708 - It's a hands-on practical guide to the world of the dead, 520 00:26:09,708 --> 00:26:11,542 and the various incantations 521 00:26:11,542 --> 00:26:12,875 that will protect the deceased 522 00:26:12,875 --> 00:26:15,792 against all sorts of perils in the afterlife. 523 00:26:17,292 --> 00:26:18,500 For ancient Egyptians, 524 00:26:18,500 --> 00:26:20,708 the afterlife was a treacherous place. 525 00:26:20,708 --> 00:26:23,333 In the afterlife, you can be eaten by a crocodile, 526 00:26:23,333 --> 00:26:24,917 you can be poisoned by a snake, 527 00:26:24,917 --> 00:26:27,708 you can be bitten by horrible insects. 528 00:26:27,708 --> 00:26:29,500 So there are spells in the Book of the Dead 529 00:26:29,500 --> 00:26:31,417 that you can cast to protect yourself 530 00:26:31,417 --> 00:26:33,500 from all of these things. 531 00:26:33,500 --> 00:26:34,750 - There are other spells 532 00:26:34,750 --> 00:26:37,333 that literally keep you in one piece. 533 00:26:37,333 --> 00:26:40,875 The Egyptians believe that the human being is made up 534 00:26:40,875 --> 00:26:43,083 of a whole collection of substances, 535 00:26:43,083 --> 00:26:46,333 and that upon death, those substances can go flying apart. 536 00:26:47,833 --> 00:26:51,083 - One spell keeps your head attached to your torso. 537 00:26:51,083 --> 00:26:54,583 Another ensures that your heart doesn't go wandering off. 538 00:26:54,583 --> 00:26:56,833 Another keeps your flesh from rotting. 539 00:26:58,000 --> 00:27:00,333 - There are spells that describe 540 00:27:00,333 --> 00:27:03,958 how to make your body regain movement and speech, 541 00:27:03,958 --> 00:27:06,417 or how to craft protective amulets, 542 00:27:06,417 --> 00:27:11,208 or how to turn your saliva into a magical healing elixir. 543 00:27:12,542 --> 00:27:15,375 - [Dennis] Physical survival was only part of the journey. 544 00:27:15,375 --> 00:27:18,042 There's also a test. 545 00:27:18,042 --> 00:27:20,750 - While you're making your way through the underworld, 546 00:27:20,750 --> 00:27:23,042 you get asked a series of questions, 547 00:27:23,042 --> 00:27:25,042 but it's an open book exam. 548 00:27:25,042 --> 00:27:27,667 If you've got your Book of the Dead near you, 549 00:27:27,667 --> 00:27:29,000 you'll be fine. 550 00:27:30,042 --> 00:27:32,250 - For example, part of your journey is made on a boat 551 00:27:32,250 --> 00:27:34,917 or a barge, and so there's a spell in the book 552 00:27:34,917 --> 00:27:37,000 that you need to summon this boat. 553 00:27:37,000 --> 00:27:40,500 And when the boat arrives, it gives you a quiz. 554 00:27:40,500 --> 00:27:43,583 The rudder asks you, "Tell me my name," 555 00:27:43,583 --> 00:27:44,667 and you have to know 556 00:27:44,667 --> 00:27:46,542 that the rudder's spiritual name 557 00:27:46,542 --> 00:27:47,625 is Aker. 558 00:27:49,042 --> 00:27:50,583 - If you don't have the right spell 559 00:27:50,583 --> 00:27:52,042 or know the answer to a question, 560 00:27:52,042 --> 00:27:53,958 you can die permanently this time, 561 00:27:53,958 --> 00:27:55,708 never to have your chance at immortality. 562 00:27:55,708 --> 00:27:58,042 In other instances, you might lose your head 563 00:27:58,042 --> 00:28:00,292 and be doomed to wander the afterlife 564 00:28:00,292 --> 00:28:01,792 without a head, forever. 565 00:28:03,167 --> 00:28:05,792 - One of the worst possible consequences 566 00:28:05,792 --> 00:28:08,833 is that you get turned upside down, 567 00:28:08,833 --> 00:28:12,333 causing your digestive tract to work in reverse. 568 00:28:12,333 --> 00:28:15,750 That means you're going to spend eternity drinking urine 569 00:28:15,750 --> 00:28:16,792 and eating feces. 570 00:28:16,792 --> 00:28:18,875 So you better have that book. 571 00:28:18,875 --> 00:28:21,833 - If you do everything according to the Book of the Dead, 572 00:28:21,833 --> 00:28:25,333 you get to dwell happily ever after in the afterlife. 573 00:28:26,875 --> 00:28:28,875 - For the Ancient Greeks, 574 00:28:28,875 --> 00:28:31,000 the journey to eternal life 575 00:28:31,000 --> 00:28:34,208 requires crossing a much more treacherous barrier. 576 00:28:36,375 --> 00:28:39,250 - In the epic Greek tales such as Homer's "Iliad," 577 00:28:39,250 --> 00:28:42,083 there's a natural barricade called the River Styx. 578 00:28:42,083 --> 00:28:44,458 It's a mythical body of water 579 00:28:44,458 --> 00:28:46,750 that protects both our world 580 00:28:46,750 --> 00:28:50,208 as well as the underworld of Hades. 581 00:28:50,208 --> 00:28:53,333 - The living aren't meant to enter Hades, 582 00:28:53,333 --> 00:28:56,542 and the dead aren't meant to come back from it. 583 00:28:56,542 --> 00:28:58,875 So this river is crucially important 584 00:28:58,875 --> 00:29:00,750 to the sacred order of things. 585 00:29:01,875 --> 00:29:04,417 - The River Styx is said to be impossible 586 00:29:04,417 --> 00:29:06,500 to cross by natural means, 587 00:29:06,500 --> 00:29:08,042 because it flows with 588 00:29:08,042 --> 00:29:10,875 a corrosive black water that poisons 589 00:29:10,875 --> 00:29:14,750 and dissolves everything that comes in contact with it. 590 00:29:14,750 --> 00:29:17,667 Now, this water can cause paralysis. 591 00:29:17,667 --> 00:29:19,792 It can even harm the gods. 592 00:29:19,792 --> 00:29:23,000 In one story, it causes the gods 593 00:29:23,000 --> 00:29:24,875 to lose their ability to speak. 594 00:29:26,083 --> 00:29:28,542 - Legends like these cement the Styx 595 00:29:28,542 --> 00:29:30,708 as perhaps the most powerful, 596 00:29:30,708 --> 00:29:33,250 sacred body of water in Greek mythology. 597 00:29:34,667 --> 00:29:36,708 - [Dennis] But a recent discovery suggests 598 00:29:36,708 --> 00:29:40,083 that the River Styx may actually be real. 599 00:29:41,875 --> 00:29:44,625 - Around 130 miles south of Mount Olympus 600 00:29:44,625 --> 00:29:47,583 lies a river called Mavroneri, 601 00:29:47,583 --> 00:29:50,250 which literally means "black water." 602 00:29:50,250 --> 00:29:53,083 - It originates in the high mountains of Achaia 603 00:29:53,083 --> 00:29:55,667 where its cold waters cascade 604 00:29:55,667 --> 00:29:58,375 over this kind of limestone crag 605 00:29:58,375 --> 00:30:02,250 to form the second highest waterfall in Greece. 606 00:30:03,375 --> 00:30:06,042 - They find that a toxin called calicheamicin 607 00:30:06,042 --> 00:30:08,375 flows through the Mavroneri. 608 00:30:08,375 --> 00:30:10,958 It's a naturally occurring soil bacteria 609 00:30:10,958 --> 00:30:13,083 that was discovered in the 1980s 610 00:30:13,083 --> 00:30:15,792 in deposits of calcium carbonate 611 00:30:15,792 --> 00:30:18,292 that form on the limestone in the river. 612 00:30:19,833 --> 00:30:23,208 Cytotoxins like calicheamicin cause cell death, 613 00:30:23,208 --> 00:30:26,917 which can induce fever, chills, 614 00:30:26,917 --> 00:30:30,042 and severe muscular and neurological pain. 615 00:30:32,292 --> 00:30:34,708 - A geochemical analysis of this river 616 00:30:34,708 --> 00:30:36,042 really needs to be conducted 617 00:30:36,042 --> 00:30:39,375 to see whether the concentration of calicheamicin 618 00:30:39,375 --> 00:30:42,292 in the water here could have been deadly. 619 00:30:43,500 --> 00:30:45,500 But it's pretty incredible 620 00:30:45,500 --> 00:30:48,125 that modern researchers are still looking 621 00:30:48,125 --> 00:30:50,375 into the legendary River Styx, 622 00:30:50,375 --> 00:30:53,708 after nearly 3,000 years of speculation. 623 00:30:53,708 --> 00:30:54,792 [intense music] 624 00:30:59,083 --> 00:31:01,583 - When it comes to the embodiment of dark power, 625 00:31:01,583 --> 00:31:04,417 perhaps no figure is better known 626 00:31:04,417 --> 00:31:08,625 or more feared around the world than Satan. 627 00:31:08,625 --> 00:31:11,208 The question is, why? 628 00:31:13,208 --> 00:31:17,208 - The term Satan comes from the Hebrew word Ha-Satan, 629 00:31:17,208 --> 00:31:20,667 which actually means "the accuser" or "the adversary." 630 00:31:20,667 --> 00:31:24,000 The word appears more than 20 times in the Old Testament, 631 00:31:24,000 --> 00:31:27,125 referring to a being dispatched by God 632 00:31:27,125 --> 00:31:29,167 as an instrument of judgment. 633 00:31:29,167 --> 00:31:32,042 - The first instance of the term Ha-Satan occurs 634 00:31:32,042 --> 00:31:33,583 in the Book of Numbers, 635 00:31:33,583 --> 00:31:35,333 when God sends a Satan 636 00:31:35,333 --> 00:31:38,042 to confront the greedy prophet, Balaam, 637 00:31:38,042 --> 00:31:40,333 who's planning to curse the Israelites. 638 00:31:40,333 --> 00:31:44,083 And this Satan actually acts as a kind of employee of God. 639 00:31:44,083 --> 00:31:45,667 He's under his command. 640 00:31:45,667 --> 00:31:49,042 - Ha-Satan's role as an instrument of God's judgment 641 00:31:49,042 --> 00:31:51,958 is further established in the Book of Job. 642 00:31:51,958 --> 00:31:56,375 Satan and God are having this conversation about Job. 643 00:31:56,375 --> 00:31:59,958 Job is a man who's favored by God for his righteousness. 644 00:31:59,958 --> 00:32:02,208 Satan starts questioning Job's integrity, 645 00:32:02,208 --> 00:32:04,375 saying that Job is only good 646 00:32:04,375 --> 00:32:07,333 because God has given him such good fortune. 647 00:32:07,333 --> 00:32:10,417 It's not because of Job's great faith in God. 648 00:32:11,833 --> 00:32:13,375 - And this all leads up to the Book of Isaiah, 649 00:32:13,375 --> 00:32:15,667 when we finally hear the familiar tale 650 00:32:15,667 --> 00:32:18,000 of a former angel called Lucifer, 651 00:32:18,000 --> 00:32:20,083 who is cast out of heaven for aspiring 652 00:32:20,083 --> 00:32:22,875 to be even more powerful than God. 653 00:32:22,875 --> 00:32:25,208 He's said to be banished by God to the quote, 654 00:32:25,208 --> 00:32:27,875 "Lowest depths of the pit." 655 00:32:27,875 --> 00:32:29,125 - But even in this story, 656 00:32:29,125 --> 00:32:31,750 he's still not the kind of powerful, evil force 657 00:32:31,750 --> 00:32:33,583 that we think of him today. 658 00:32:33,583 --> 00:32:35,083 He's actually powerless, 659 00:32:35,083 --> 00:32:38,083 because God has complete authority over him. 660 00:32:39,042 --> 00:32:41,250 - [Dennis] That changes in the New Testament. 661 00:32:41,250 --> 00:32:43,583 - In the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, 662 00:32:43,583 --> 00:32:47,083 and Luke, we start seeing a darker, stronger, 663 00:32:47,083 --> 00:32:49,375 and more independent side to Satan. 664 00:32:49,375 --> 00:32:53,417 In Matthew, Satan tries to tempt Jesus in the wilderness, 665 00:32:53,417 --> 00:32:56,833 offering worldly power in exchange for worshiping him. 666 00:32:56,833 --> 00:32:59,792 And it seems like Satan is doing this 667 00:32:59,792 --> 00:33:02,208 without God's authorization. 668 00:33:02,208 --> 00:33:05,625 - Now we see Satan in this role as a tempter 669 00:33:05,625 --> 00:33:08,583 and as a corrupter, trying to lure people away from God, 670 00:33:08,583 --> 00:33:10,583 even God's own son. 671 00:33:10,583 --> 00:33:12,083 - From there, it gets worse. 672 00:33:12,083 --> 00:33:15,125 The gospels describe Satan causing illnesses, 673 00:33:15,125 --> 00:33:18,667 including fever and leprosy and even arthritis, 674 00:33:18,667 --> 00:33:21,875 and his main goal is to turn humankind toward evil. 675 00:33:21,875 --> 00:33:23,208 [eerie music] 676 00:33:23,208 --> 00:33:25,208 - By the time you get to the Book of Revelation, 677 00:33:25,208 --> 00:33:28,250 Satan's transformation is complete, 678 00:33:28,250 --> 00:33:31,083 into a full-fledged, evil enemy of God, 679 00:33:31,083 --> 00:33:32,875 and he has a whole new look. 680 00:33:32,875 --> 00:33:36,958 He takes the form of a great red dragon with seven heads, 681 00:33:36,958 --> 00:33:39,458 10 horns, and a massive tail. 682 00:33:39,458 --> 00:33:42,167 He eventually wages war against the righteous 683 00:33:42,167 --> 00:33:45,208 and loses, getting cast into a lake of fire to die. 684 00:33:46,875 --> 00:33:48,542 - [Dennis] The Book of Revelation 685 00:33:48,542 --> 00:33:52,167 paints a vivid picture of final judgment. 686 00:33:52,167 --> 00:33:54,917 For millions in medieval Europe, 687 00:33:54,917 --> 00:33:57,792 that vision feels all too real, 688 00:33:57,792 --> 00:34:01,667 when the Black Death sweeps through in the 14th century. 689 00:34:03,042 --> 00:34:04,542 - The Black Death was said to have killed 690 00:34:04,542 --> 00:34:07,000 almost a third of the population of Europe. 691 00:34:07,000 --> 00:34:08,625 [tense music] 692 00:34:08,625 --> 00:34:09,542 - In the wake of the plague, 693 00:34:09,542 --> 00:34:11,333 people are praying to the church, 694 00:34:11,333 --> 00:34:14,417 "Protect us from the evil that Satan has unleashed upon us." 695 00:34:15,750 --> 00:34:17,042 In places like England, 696 00:34:17,042 --> 00:34:19,167 that were hit especially hard by the plague, 697 00:34:19,167 --> 00:34:21,167 Christian sects begin to form 698 00:34:21,167 --> 00:34:24,208 with the goal of living as pious a life as possible 699 00:34:24,208 --> 00:34:26,750 to escape the wrath of Satan. 700 00:34:26,750 --> 00:34:30,708 - [Dennis] The Puritans bring this view to the New World. 701 00:34:30,708 --> 00:34:32,042 - They come from England 702 00:34:32,042 --> 00:34:34,708 when the panic around Satan is in full swing, 703 00:34:34,708 --> 00:34:36,458 and they settle in New England 704 00:34:36,458 --> 00:34:39,083 and they start seeing Satan everywhere around them. 705 00:34:39,083 --> 00:34:41,542 These are extremely religious people 706 00:34:41,542 --> 00:34:45,375 who move to an unfamiliar wilderness. 707 00:34:45,375 --> 00:34:48,458 There are strange beasts all around them. 708 00:34:48,458 --> 00:34:52,208 Wolves had gone extinct in England by the 1500s, 709 00:34:52,208 --> 00:34:55,250 and their wild, nighttime howling 710 00:34:55,250 --> 00:34:57,542 is freaking out the Puritans, [wolves howling] 711 00:34:57,542 --> 00:35:00,542 who believe that these wolves are in league with the devil. 712 00:35:02,292 --> 00:35:04,958 - [Dennis] The fear of Satan is so overwhelming, 713 00:35:04,958 --> 00:35:10,167 that in 1692, the Massachusetts Colony executes 19 people 714 00:35:11,167 --> 00:35:14,125 believed to comport with the devil. 715 00:35:14,125 --> 00:35:16,833 Known as the Salem Witch Trials, 716 00:35:16,833 --> 00:35:21,292 these tribunals eventually launch endless books, 717 00:35:21,292 --> 00:35:23,375 plays and movies. 718 00:35:23,375 --> 00:35:26,375 - Ever since the tragic events of the witch trials, 719 00:35:26,375 --> 00:35:28,333 the idea of an evil Satan, 720 00:35:28,333 --> 00:35:30,833 a beast unleashed on mankind, 721 00:35:30,833 --> 00:35:35,375 has remained firmly rooted in literature and pop culture. 722 00:35:35,375 --> 00:35:37,417 - All you have to do is turn on your television 723 00:35:37,417 --> 00:35:40,167 or your radio or log into your favorite social media site, 724 00:35:40,167 --> 00:35:42,083 and you're going to find depictions of hell. 725 00:35:42,083 --> 00:35:43,500 You're gonna find the devil 726 00:35:43,500 --> 00:35:45,542 and his minions running around with their pitchforks. 727 00:35:45,542 --> 00:35:49,000 You're gonna find fire, flames, darkness, brimstone, 728 00:35:49,000 --> 00:35:50,583 all of these catastrophic, 729 00:35:50,583 --> 00:35:52,792 eternal punishments raining down. 730 00:35:58,083 --> 00:36:00,375 - We've explored the power to live forever, 731 00:36:00,375 --> 00:36:04,417 to protect what's sacred and to destroy entire cities. 732 00:36:04,417 --> 00:36:06,125 But what about a stone 733 00:36:07,083 --> 00:36:10,375 believed to hold the fate of the world? 734 00:36:11,708 --> 00:36:14,750 - The Aztec rule central Mexico from the 14th 735 00:36:14,750 --> 00:36:16,958 to the 16th centuries. 736 00:36:16,958 --> 00:36:19,625 The Aztec are an advanced people. 737 00:36:19,625 --> 00:36:21,958 They develop sophisticated irrigation methods 738 00:36:21,958 --> 00:36:23,750 to use in agriculture. 739 00:36:23,750 --> 00:36:26,042 They design and implement an aqueduct system 740 00:36:26,042 --> 00:36:28,125 to supply fresh water. 741 00:36:28,125 --> 00:36:30,083 They even drain the swampy land 742 00:36:30,083 --> 00:36:32,333 around what is now Mexico City 743 00:36:32,333 --> 00:36:35,833 to construct their capital city of Tenochtitlan. 744 00:36:37,042 --> 00:36:38,708 - [Dennis] As they continue to develop 745 00:36:38,708 --> 00:36:40,375 their thriving culture, 746 00:36:40,375 --> 00:36:44,542 they also expand their spiritual practices. 747 00:36:44,542 --> 00:36:49,542 - A big part of Aztec religious and cultural beliefs 748 00:36:49,542 --> 00:36:51,708 is ritual human sacrifice. 749 00:36:53,417 --> 00:36:55,542 - Why are they killing people so often? 750 00:36:55,542 --> 00:36:58,750 It's because they believe that if they don't, the world, 751 00:36:58,750 --> 00:37:01,458 actually the entire universe will come to an end. 752 00:37:02,500 --> 00:37:04,417 As the legend goes, each night, 753 00:37:04,417 --> 00:37:07,500 the stars and the moon, in a fit of jealousy, 754 00:37:07,500 --> 00:37:09,833 launch an attack against the sun, 755 00:37:09,833 --> 00:37:13,000 and each morning, the sun manages to beat them back 756 00:37:13,000 --> 00:37:13,958 to rise again. 757 00:37:15,375 --> 00:37:18,333 The sun is really their sun god, Huitzilopochtli. 758 00:37:18,333 --> 00:37:20,250 And he can only win this nightly battle 759 00:37:20,250 --> 00:37:22,375 and rise again to power life on Earth 760 00:37:22,375 --> 00:37:24,875 with the help of the Aztec people. 761 00:37:24,875 --> 00:37:26,292 - And the only way to sustain 762 00:37:26,292 --> 00:37:30,875 and support a sun god is through human sacrifice. 763 00:37:30,875 --> 00:37:34,083 [tense music] 764 00:37:34,083 --> 00:37:37,708 - [Dennis] Central to this ritual, the Aztec sunstone. 765 00:37:38,792 --> 00:37:41,542 - It's a massive sculpture, 12 feet across, 766 00:37:41,542 --> 00:37:46,125 over three feet thick, weighing some 54,000 pounds. 767 00:37:46,125 --> 00:37:49,708 It's intricately carved with glyphs. 768 00:37:49,708 --> 00:37:52,958 - It's thought the sacrifices would happen on 769 00:37:52,958 --> 00:37:56,375 or near the sunstone, which was probably originally located 770 00:37:56,375 --> 00:37:58,583 in the main square of Tenochtitlan. 771 00:37:59,875 --> 00:38:01,875 - The victim's blood would spill onto the stone altar, 772 00:38:01,875 --> 00:38:04,208 which features an image of the sun god at its center. 773 00:38:04,208 --> 00:38:06,208 So the power of human life 774 00:38:06,208 --> 00:38:09,625 is being fed directly into the sun. 775 00:38:09,625 --> 00:38:11,167 - [Dennis] Some historians estimate 776 00:38:11,167 --> 00:38:16,375 the Aztec perform around 20,000 human sacrifices per year. 777 00:38:20,208 --> 00:38:23,833 - This continues for centuries until 1519. 778 00:38:23,833 --> 00:38:26,667 That's when Spanish conquistador, Hernan Cortes, 779 00:38:26,667 --> 00:38:29,708 and his men arrive in the Aztec capital. 780 00:38:29,708 --> 00:38:33,042 They're the first European settlers on this land. 781 00:38:33,042 --> 00:38:34,292 - [Dennis] While taking in the sights 782 00:38:34,292 --> 00:38:37,042 of this awe-inspiring city, 783 00:38:37,042 --> 00:38:40,792 they witness a human sacrifice for the first time. 784 00:38:42,083 --> 00:38:43,875 - Now, this definitely doesn't fit 785 00:38:43,875 --> 00:38:46,292 with the Spaniard's Christian beliefs, 786 00:38:46,292 --> 00:38:48,708 which they came to Mesoamerica to spread. 787 00:38:48,708 --> 00:38:50,625 And so the conquistadors very quickly 788 00:38:50,625 --> 00:38:52,708 start to subjugate the Aztec. 789 00:38:55,417 --> 00:38:57,167 In fact, they're so fearful, 790 00:38:57,167 --> 00:38:59,042 they begin a campaign to destroy 791 00:38:59,042 --> 00:39:03,292 or hide any Aztec artifacts they find that aren't gold. 792 00:39:05,417 --> 00:39:08,708 - And of course, the scariest artifact of all, 793 00:39:08,708 --> 00:39:11,917 the massive sunstone that's seen thousands of deaths. 794 00:39:13,250 --> 00:39:15,750 It's said to have been buried near the center of the city 795 00:39:15,750 --> 00:39:18,375 by the first Spanish archbishop there. 796 00:39:18,375 --> 00:39:20,375 - But as is often the case, 797 00:39:20,375 --> 00:39:23,000 what's buried refuses to stay that way. 798 00:39:23,000 --> 00:39:25,625 In 1790, workers making repairs 799 00:39:25,625 --> 00:39:28,208 to Mexico City's cathedral accidentally 800 00:39:28,208 --> 00:39:29,792 unearth the stone. 801 00:39:29,792 --> 00:39:31,958 [dark tense music] 802 00:39:31,958 --> 00:39:34,875 - [Dennis] The sunstone is eventually relocated 803 00:39:34,875 --> 00:39:39,125 to the National Museum of Anthropology in Mexico City, 804 00:39:39,125 --> 00:39:41,250 where it stands today. 805 00:39:41,250 --> 00:39:44,083 - What's interesting is that in one key way, 806 00:39:44,083 --> 00:39:46,917 the Aztec might actually be right 807 00:39:46,917 --> 00:39:49,375 about the way the world could end. 808 00:39:49,375 --> 00:39:52,333 Astronomers today are confident that our planet, 809 00:39:52,333 --> 00:39:53,958 along with the rest of our solar system, 810 00:39:53,958 --> 00:39:57,000 will one day be destroyed by the death of the sun. 811 00:39:58,333 --> 00:39:59,583 - But here's an important distinction 812 00:39:59,583 --> 00:40:01,042 from the Aztec beliefs. 813 00:40:01,042 --> 00:40:04,125 While this is scientifically guaranteed to happen, 814 00:40:04,125 --> 00:40:05,958 it isn't happening anytime soon. 815 00:40:05,958 --> 00:40:10,875 We have about 5 billion years to go, no sacrifices required. 816 00:40:10,875 --> 00:40:13,625 [explosion booming] 817 00:40:14,625 --> 00:40:17,375 - Power in objects like the Holy Grail 818 00:40:17,375 --> 00:40:20,458 or the unstoppable force of Satan 819 00:40:20,458 --> 00:40:24,292 don't always exist in what we can see or hold. 820 00:40:24,292 --> 00:40:28,083 Sometimes it endures in the belief 821 00:40:28,083 --> 00:40:30,500 and purpose we give to it. 822 00:40:31,875 --> 00:40:35,792 I'm Dennis Quaid. Thanks for watching, "Holy Marvels."