for the first time. There was a burst of flash photography as a generous round of applause erupted from the hundreds of guests.
“Well there it is,” Dennis said craning his neck.
Natalie turned to him as he continued looking over the heads of people in front.
“You mean you’ve never seen it?”
“No.”
“But you’ve written an article on it.”
“The power of the internet babe.”
Natalie smiled as she shook her head.
“You are such a cheapskate….” she stopped as they received dirty looks from people nearby.
“And now ladies and gentlemen if I could direct your attention to the large flat screen televisions around us,” Phillips said, extending his hand towards one of many large televisions suspended from the ceiling.
“Wow! Dennis said, “Now that is a tv. Must be a fifty five inch screen.”
The lights were dimmed in the great court as the screen came to life. Clever lighting around the court brought in set the mood with changing colour sequences.
The screen was dark and then the spear of destiny appeared as the narration began. Everyone watched the seven minute video in silence and as the lights came on the screen went dark.
Another round of applause and then Phillips spoke again.
“Ladies and gentlemen, myself, the vice director and everyone involved with the museum would like to thank the Austrian ambassador and his staff and the Austrian government for their generosity in lending us, this, one of the most Holy relics in the world. Mr ambassador thank you,” Phillips led the round of applause, “And now,” Phillips raised his glass of champagne to the crowd, “Enjoy the party.”
Phillips shook hands with the Austrian ambassador and began greeting his guests.
“I thought the video was rubbish,” Dennis said.
A partygoer nearby turned to him.
“You have a better version?”
“I do.”
“And you are?”
“Peter Dennis, journalist, I wrote an article on the lance.”
“I see and that makes you an expert.”
“I’d like to think I know a bit on the subject.”
“So do I. I’m the actor who narrated the short documentary.”
Dennis cringed.
“If I’ve offended you I’m sorry.”
“I’d like to hear your version,” the man’s wife said.
“So would I,” said another.
“Ok. Well….” Dennis began to his new audience, ”The spear was originally a Roman legionary standard issue spear belonging to a Roman legionary called Gaius Longinus. Longinus worked with his legion in Judaea until his eyesight began to fade, it actually sounds today like he had cataracts, but of course the Romans would have no way of dealing with this affliction, anyway, sorry I’m going off the point….”
“No it’s very interesting,” one listener said, “please continue.”
“So Longinus is almost blind and ends up only able to perform light duties and one day he gets a task which for him would be life changing, he’s asked to assist in a crucifixion. Now it’s a Friday and the Jewish Sabbath was Saturday so the executions had to be finished by midnight so the Roman tradition was to break the crucified’s legs, unable to support the upper body any longer the condemned would suffocate and die within fifteen to twenty minutes. When it came to Christ’s turn the blind Longinus told his centurion that the man was already dead. To prove it Longinus or his centurion thrust the spear into Christ’s side emitting a flow of blood and water, St John 19;34,
The blood splashed Longinus’ eyes and he was cured. ‘This truly is the son of God’ he declares and is converted. Shortly after this he leaves the army and travels the province with his spear telling all he meets his story. Arrested for his faith he angers the Governor and has his teeth and tongue ripped out before he is beheaded and the spear disappears from history.
It reappears some time before 286AD and is carried by a black Roman commander called Maurice during the reign of the emperor Maximian. Maurice’s entire legion, known as the Theban because they were conscripts from Egypt, of six thousand six hundred men were all Christians. This was extremely rare in ancient Roman history. The army was strongly pagan and remained so until the Emperor Constantine. Anyway the Theban legion led by Maurice, Candidus and Exupernis based in the east was ordered to Gaul, that’s France today, to assist with rebels in Burgundy. In Burgundy the legion was joined by the Emperor and once the rebel uprising was quelled the emperor ordered the killing of all civilians. Horrified at these instructions the christian legionaries refused. The Emperor was furious and ordered the legion to be decimated, that being every tenth man to