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Vandals Cut Down The Holy Thorn Tree of Glastonbury

With a 2000 year old history, the Holy Thorn Tree of Glastonbury has stood as an important symbol for Christians in England — a pilgrimage point retracing the steps of Joseph of Arimathea (believed to be Jesus’ great uncle). Now it has been cut down in what some are alleging to be an anti-Christian act of vandalism. I have seen no evidence establishing an anti-Christian intent.

Now, the tree stump is covered in police tape.

Many Christians believe that Saint Joseph traveled to the location after Christ was crucified — bringing with him the Holy Grail. The legend is that Joseph stuck his wooden staff in the ground when he went to sleep on the hill and when he woke, a thorn tree had sprouted.

The tree would flower twice a year at Christmas and Easter.

When the original tree was chopped down by the Puritans in the Civil War, the cuttings were replanted and this tree was from one of those cuttings.

Experts have verified that the tree – known as the Crategus Monogyna Bi Flora – originated from the Middle East.

An arrest in the case will present an interesting question of the appropriate charge and whether it will be treated as a hate crime.

Source: Daily Mail

39 thoughts on “Vandals Cut Down The Holy Thorn Tree of Glastonbury”

  1. lottakatz,

    It won’t be quite the same, but you could block the link on both ends with some/any character… We could then cut and paste. Something’s lost in this approach, but some of us won’t then feel deprived 🙂

  8. “Occam’s Razor and $25m tend to make me think the second motive most likely.” -Buddha

    Yep.

  9. $25,236,693.90 reasons why it was likely money.

    Valuing relics is one thing and all well and good, but if you were looking to cause trouble for someone who owed you millions? Making it look like they were too irresponsible to properly care for such a relic – and possibly becoming the object of (admittedly misguided) Christian scorn? Eh, that smells faintly of payback.

    All I’m saying, ID, is that it may be a religious based attack, but most crimes are related to money. Occam’s Razor and $25m tend to make me think the second motive most likely.

  10. Blouise wrote:

    “Whatever the motivation of the perpetrators, destruction was their goal.”

    ========

    Succinctly summarized… Well said. 🙂

  13. Isabel Darcy,

    We just don’t know, is the truth of it, IMHO. Many of those who would vandalize religious relics or a 2000 year old tree, in this case, are simply thugs that wouldn’t know the first thing about religion — any religion, that is, except their own, which is the “religion” of thuggery, hatefulness and willful destruction of property or, even, people…

    It’s despicable act, but until more is known, it’s difficult to reach any conclusion with certainty… Having said this, the words of an old song come to mind: “Money, Money, Money”

  14. I am sorry but I have to disagree. This tree was a Christian symbol. If someone knocked the head off a statue of the Virgin Mary would you say that the act would not be construed as anti-Christian? My cultural heritage is Christian and I value these relics of medieval Christian culture, just as I value relics of medieval Jewish and Islamic culture.

  19. The following seems more likely, but who knows…

    From the Daily Mail (link above):

    “The land on which the Holy Thorn stood is owned by Edward James, who was arrested this week in connection with an investigation into failed currency exchange firm Crown Currency Exchange, of which he is a director.

    According to the administrator’s report, Crown Currency collapsed owing £16million with little more than £3million in the bank. Last night there was speculation that the attack on the Holy Thorn may have been part of a vendetta against him.”

  20. There is always the possibility that this has nothing to do with hating Christians.

    Maybe the perp simply hates trees.

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