The Grail tablet was one of two markers left by the Holy Grail knights, describing the location of the Holy Grail. The tablet was made of sandstone, and according to Indiana Jones, used an early Latin text and was probably from the mid-12th century. Unfortunately, with the top section of the tablet missing, the exact location of the grail could not be determined.
In the 1930s, while searching for copper in the mountains north of Ankara, Turkey, engineers working for Walter Donovan unearthed the artifact. Donovan kept the tablet in his New York City apartment, and used it as proof of that the story of the Holy Grail knights was true.
He sent an expedition to Venice to search for the second market, possibly buried with one of the knights. Later, when expedition team leader Henry Jones disappeared, Donovan showed the tablet to Indiana Jones to interest him in the quest.
The text of the complete Grail tablet matched exactly the text on the second marker, the Grail Knight's shield.
With the top section missing, part of the text of the Grail tablet read:
- "...who drinks the water I shall give him, says the Lord, will have a spring inside him welling up for eternal life. Let them bring me to your holy mountain in the place where you dwell. Across the desert and through the mountains to the Canyon of the Crescent Moon, to the temple where the cup that holds the blood of Jesus Christ resides forever."
- ―translated by Indiana Jones[src]
Background
The Grail Tablet text is a combination of original Latin Psalms, retranslated scripture, and invented passages. The prop masters took the English psalm text and retranslated it into Latin word by word which would result in a very 'rough' effect to anyone who would try to read Latin.
The tablet was made by prop manufacturer Paul Robins. There were several different versions made, with varying stone effects and edges. The tablet is made from solid plaster, with a stone effect surface.