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Fiery Spear from Heaven
In Hebrew legends, Lucifer's fall from the War in Heaven was like a mighty fire-ball streaking from heaven, trailing a tail like a fiery dragon. The fall from heaven resembled a meteorite that came from the fiery "eye of God's throne", like a falling star. Lucifer was cast out from the presence of the fiery eye of God by the Archangel Michael while the Archangel Gabriel protected the souls that were not swept down to earth by the dragon's great tail. Meteorites were a powerful symbol for the ancient Hebrews who revered their splendor and usefulness. Meteorites brought the gift of fire from the sky and the precious metals and crystals inside. These substances aided the advancement of metal working and forging to a great deal and gave the exact substances needed for the Bronze Age to become the Iron Age.
Tubal-Cain was the son of Cain who was noted for his brilliance in fashioning tools for living. He was known as the first smithy who forged metal, even from the iron and nickel found in meteorites. Iron meteorites gave direct access to the hardest metals without having to separate them from their matrix. They also contain carbon which tempers iron into steal. Other metals such as cobalt, nickel, white gold, arsenic, and many other elements and metals useful in forging metal are found in meteorites. A spec of the right meteorite mixed with bronze, turns the metal hard and makes bronze as hard as steal.
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Olivine crystal
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Other meteorites, called palladiums, are filled with a green crystal called olivine. In some cases, the entire meteorite may be solid olivine crystal. Meteorites helped Tubal-Cain create strong swords and spears as well as provided crystal that could be ground and made into vessels.
Legend has it that Tubal-Cain found a great meteorite that God told him to forge into a very special sword and spear, that together, would be invincible. As long as the bearer of the weapons never separated the sword and spear, they could not be defeated. Tubal-Cain was instructed to hide the weapons deep among rocks at the top of a mountain until the time would come that they would be needed. They were found again much later and used by the kings and leaders of the Hebrew people to bring many victories.
Unfortunately, the sword and spear were jealousy desired by rulers who fought over them and separated them. Eventually, the spear came be to owned by Phinehas, the grandson of Aaron. This same spear was still used at the time of Jesus of Nazareth and was carried out to the Mount of the Skull (Golgotha) by the Sanhedrin during the crucifixion. This spear was considered to be the "authority" and "witness" when the Sanhedrin condemned someone to death.
Roman Catholics also revere meteorites and have built numerous churches at the site of a meteor fall. These churches were dedicated to the Archangel Michael and the meteorite is often incorporated into a statue of Michael holding Lucifer (dragon) at bay. It is generally the shield of Michael that has been forged from a meteorite. Often, this shield is rather small compared to standard shields because the meteorite was limited in size. The shield is usually not very prominent and is in the shape of a bowl or dish, not the shape of a standard shield. The meteorite is forged into a small dish-shaped shield that can protect an Archangel. These beliefs are most interesting and show that whether as sword, spear, or shield, meteorites from "heaven" play a large part in the protection of a "Soldier of God", of whom the Archangel Michael is the perfect archetypal example.
Whether an olivine crystal carved into a bowl, or one of Tubal-Cain's forged swords or spears with meteorites folded into the mix, the ancient Hebrews understood both the beneficial aspects of meteorites for advancing metal work and for the value of olivine and the other precious substances found in meteorites. Even during Roman times, a centurion's spear (hasta novio magus) was forged with meteorite to strengthen the spearhead. It is likely that Longinus's spear would have been made with meteorite and the Spear of Phinehas, also made with meteoric metal, was brought to Golgotha as the "authority" to put Jesus to death. The spiritual spear of Longinus opposed the Hebrew spear of Phinehas that had been used for so much death and war.
Animistic beliefs in the living nature of meteorites is most pronounced in Indonesia, particularly Java. It was tradition that every male Javanese had a special knife or spear called a cris (also kris or keris) that was revered as a living god if it contained meteorite. These knives and spears were made of three parts that were often fashioned by three different artists. The blade was forged and then the smithy would determine if the blade had a good or a bad spirit to it. Generally, a cris with meteorite was seen as good and filled with the dragon or serpent force that was seen in the tail of the meteorite as it fell to earth.
Every cris was considered alive and was treated as a god or a demon. Javanese religious worship centers around these sacred cris. The legends and myths concerning these double-edged daggers, shaped like a serpent, continue to this day. Miraculous powers and phenomenon accompany these blades and the scabbard that holds the blade is sacred also. The scabbard is seen as the "vessel" that holds the power of the blade of heaven. The handle of the cris is also considered holy and has powers of the human spirit - a sort of "I am", or individualized personality. Some cris are ancient, and the beings associated with them are seen as archaic wise beings who communicate with Javanese priests.
Finding the meteorite connection to the Christian grail legends does not belittle the belief of archaic animism. Knowing the living nature of substances is a part of "grail science." Meteorites advanced metallurgy through a quantum leap that didn't take faith. Believing that an olivine bowl caught the blood of a god that redeemed the dead nature of the earth and the human spirit still takes great faith. Using living tools that become spiritual tools does not detract from the cosmic meaning and power of the Mystery of Golgotha (the life, death and resurrection of Christ). In fact, using living substances that carry powerful symbolic value for the believer simply enhances the experience. Christians absorbed many prior beliefs and ritual practices because they had inherent power and aligned perfectly with the clairvoyant predictions that prefigure Jesus Christ.
Christ was like a meteor descending from the throne of God. The flaming sword of Michael was present at the crucifixion, the spear of Longinus was made with meteoric metal, and the vessel of Joseph of Arimathea was a green stone that fell from heaven. None of these legendary, and historical, stories detract from the Mystery of Golgotha, but in fact, enhance and enrich the beliefs.
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