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| Spear of Destiny residing in the Vatican |
According to Christian texts, the Spear of Destiny (also known as the Holy Lance, Holy Spear, Lance of Longinus, or Spear of Longinus) is the spear that is reported in the Gospel of John (19:31-37) as having pierced the side of Jesus during his crucifixion.
In the oldest known references to the legend, in the Gospel of Nicodemus (of uncertain date, possibly 5th or 6th century), the soldier who pierced Christ's side is identified with a centurion and called Longinus (making the spear's 'correct' Latin name Lancea Longini). Later Christian tradition, harking back to the novel The Spear by Louis de Wohl (1955), further identifies him as Gaius Cassius. There are many prototypes and analogues of the spear in other legends, it can be compared to the ancient Irish weapon, the Spear Luin, and is similar to the Bleeding Lance of Grail mythology, which was eventually claimed to be the Spear of Destiny.
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| Archangel St. Gabriel |
The angel Gabriel is a messenger from God in three major religions: announcer of the savior in Christianity, transmitter of scriptures in Islam, and an interpreter of visions in Judaism. His words to Mary(Luke 1:26-38) are read aloud in many Christian churches on Christmas Eve: "You will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus... The child to be born will be holy; he will be called Son of God." In Islam, Gabriel (or Jibrail) plays an entirely different but equally momentous role: through him, God reveals to Muhhammad the words later written down as the Qur'an (Sura 2:97-98). Islam teaches that the prophet then consulted yearly with Gabriel to make sure the words were exactly right. In the Hebrew Bible, Gabriel appears to the title character of the book of Daniel, who has had strange visions featuring a ram and a goat (chapters 8 and 9). Gabriel interprets these as part of a prophecy foretelling persecution but ultimately deliverance of the Jewish people. As seen in the film, Gabriel turns against God, trying to help Satan's son into Earths plane, and out of hell. Well Satan finds out what is happening, he scorches Gabriels wings off, and this event now resembles St. Gabriel a now Fallen Angel.
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| Cain murdering Abel |
Cain was the son of Adam and Eve. Scripture is very clear on this point and deliberately so, for it is very important for all to see that sin resides in the entire human race and not to blame evil upon a particular "satanic" genetic strain (Gen.4:1). In a spiritual sense, however, Cain was "of the evil one" (1Jn.3:12). Cain, like so many of his kindred in the history of the human race, chose evil deeds (1Jn.3:12; cf. Jude 11), but he did so of his own free will, not because of any predisposed family relationship to the devil. In the film, Mammon is shown to be Satan's son, but the word Mammon in biblical scripture personifies greed.
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| Codex Gigas (Devil's Bible) |
According to legend the scribe was a monk who breached his monastic code and was sentenced to be walled up alive. In order to forbear this harsh penalty he promised to create - in one single night - a book to glorify the monastery forever, including all human knowledge. Near midnight he became sure that he could not complete this task alone, so he sold his soul to the devil for help. The devil completed the manuscript and the monk added the devil's picture out of gratitude for his aid. It is due to this unique illustration that it the Codex Gigas is also known as the Devil's Bible.
