Antioch chalice
The
Description
The Antioch chalice is a
Two of the figures portrayed in the loops are images of Christ, one showing Christ holding a scroll and the other showing Christ sitting beside a lamb, above a spread-winged eagle perched on a basket of fruit.
History
The Antioch chalice was found in Antioch on the Orontes (in modern Turkey, just near the Syrian border) in 1910 along with several other items, including a large cross and three book covers.[7][2] It was believed to have belonged to a church in Antioch, one of the five cities that led the early Christian church along with Rome, Constantinople, Jerusalem, and Alexandria.[2] When it was discovered, the inner cup was thought to be the Holy Chalice, with the gilded, footed shell being added within the first century after the death of Christ to honor the grail.[2][9] It was displayed as the Holy Grail at the Chicago World's Fair in 1933 and was later sold to The Cloisters in New York in 1950.[10]
Recent events
Recently the Antioch chalice has been identified as having the shape of a standing lamp commonly used in churches in the first half of the sixth century.[1][2] Potentially, it is decorated in recognition of Christ's words "I am the light of the world".[9] It has also been determined recently that the Antioch chalice could have been a part of a larger group of silver objects that belonged to the Church of Saint Sergios in the small town of Kaper Koraon.[1][2]