[Alouette]

It's simply inconceivable that the Vatican would be hiding it. If they had it, they would say so.

It's conceivable that they have a lot of STUFF jumbled away in vast storage catacombs which hasn't been sorted or catalogued or cleaned out in centuries. Kind of like my basement.

Imagine the garage sale!

[sphinx]

It's conceivable that they have a lot of STUFF jumbled away in vast storage catacombs which hasn't been sorted or catalogued or cleaned out in centuries. Kind of like my basement.

I would guess that the Vatican has a very professional, very active curatorial staff that has a pretty good idea of what it has.

[Askel5]

=== It's conceivable that they have a lot of STUFF jumbled away in vast storage catacombs which hasn't been sorted or catalogued or cleaned out in centuries.


I'll agree it's conceivable (I wish I had a basement for my "archives"), but it's highly improbable.

Keep in mind the archivist and ordered nature of the Medieval mind, particularly. The Church is painstakingly scrupulous about its central libraries and texts.

It's the bones and writings of martyrs and saints, actually ... particularly as hidden away from time to time in areas formerly the frontier of Christianity ... that tend to surprise everyone when an old catacomb or secret panel is discovered under the altars of ancient churches and such.

[xJones]

It's conceivable that they have a lot of STUFF jumbled away in vast storage catacombs which hasn't been sorted or catalogued or cleaned out in centuries.

Alouette, it's no time to start ragging the Catholics to be allowed to go climbing through the Vatican. Next, any remaining Albigensians may declare that the Holy Grail is hidden in there, or something equally ridiculous.

Catholics aren't blowing up Israeli IDF soldiers up, Muslims are. Stick to the real enemy.

[PAR35]

http://www.vatican.va/library_archives/vat_secret_archives/docs/documents/vsa_doc_10121999_regeng_en.html

[Campion]

It's conceivable that they have a lot of STUFF jumbled away in vast storage catacombs which hasn't been sorted or catalogued or cleaned out in centuries. Kind of like my basement.

In a country smaller than NYC's Central Park, most of which is covered by churches and gardens? Don't bet on it!

If the Temple artifacts weren't melted down by the Romans, they were stolen and destroyed/lost when the barbarians sacked Rome in the early 5th Century.

OTOH, if they still existed, they would be some of the most important archaelogical artifacts in the world, something the Vatican would hardly keep secret.

Y'all would have better luck looking for the Ark of the Covenant in Ethiopia.

[Romulus]

STUFF jumbled away in vast storage catacombs

Protected by sacred guard monkeys.