Knights of the Black and White

It has served us well, this myth of Christ.

—Pope Leo X

No other problem of our time is rooted so deeply in the past.

—Report of the Royal Palestine

Commission of Inquiry, 1937

It is difficult to distinguish fact from legend … I have found no consensus on what is fact; it depends on the viewpoint. Interestingly enough, legend—which is by definition distorted—gives a far more acceptable view of events. Everyone agrees on legend, but nobody agrees on facts.

—Michael Coney,

The Celestial Steam Locomotive