Great Skeptics Of History #1

- 1 May 1991

The Crusader Radulph of Caen expressed doubts about the discovery of the Holy Lance of Antioch during the First Crusade. The drawing at left shows Adhemar, bishop of Le Puy, carrying the Lance in battle outside the gates of Antioch.

There arose among Count Raymond’s people one Peter Bartholomew, skilled in lies and deception, He told how the angel appeared and told him where to find the Holy Lance that pierced the side of our Lord. When Peter was asked for the place, he indicated that it was behind the altar of St Peter’s in Antioch, for so he had invented it, and he advised them to dig. He even composed his features so as to command credence. They dug, but to no avail. But Peter secretly had with him an Arab spear, which he had found by chance and had kept as useful material for deception. Seeing that it was rusty, eroded, old and different from what we were used to in both appearance and size, he judged that with this, credence world be given to his imaginings. Therefore, when a convenient moment arose for his deception, seizing his mattock he jumped into the ditch and turned to the corner saying, ‘Dig here. Here lies what we seek.’ Then striking blow after blow he fraudulently slipped the Lance down from himself as he dug. Ai the sound of iron striking iron, the ears of simple people pricked up, and the weaver of lies raised up the lance and filled them with these words: ‘See what heaven promised, earth preserved and the angel revealed’