1 Monty: {climbing a stone staircase} I can't believe we managed to track down the Spear of Longinus! Used to test if Christ was dead on the Cross.
2 Monty: {outside an ancient door} Whoever wields the Spear controls the destiny of the entire world! Lucky we got here before Hitler's men could.
3 Prof. Jones: This Spear... It's going to be guarded by some of the most hideous traps and fiendishly deadly devices imaginable, isn't it?
4 Monty: {opening the door} After you, dad.
4 Prof. Jones: You didn't answer my question, Junior.

2012-08-06 Rerun commentary: The Spear of Longinus is also known as the Holy Lance, Spear of Destiny, and a few other names. According to the Gospel of John, when Jesus was being crucified the Romans tested to make sure he was dead by having a soldier poke him in the side with a spear (or lance). Later tradition (some 400 years later) adds that the soldier who performed this deed was named Longinus. Stories about Longinus vary widely over the next few hundred years, but eventually decide that he converted to Christianity and became a martyr, for which he is now venerated as a saint.

The spear itself vanished from all records for over 500 years, until claimed to have been seen in Jerusalem. From there, various claims of objects purporting to be the spear, or pieces of the spear, begin overlapping. Various places around the world now claim to have what may or may not be the original spear. There are even modern day stories that the Nazis did in fact get their hands on the genuine spear, and that it sunk off the coast of Denmark inside a U-boat in the last days of World War II.

If someone tries selling you a magical spear, make sure you ask where it's been.