The Secret of the Sacred Panel: Nazi Art Theft, Conspiracy and the Crown of Thorns

In 1934, part of a Van Eyck masterpiece was stolen from Ghent Cathedral. It has never been found. In The Secret of the Sacred Panel, Dutch author Karl Hammer reports the amazing story told to him by Tom R., an art historian who was enlisted to spy for the CIA and MI5 during WWII in order to trace the whereabouts of the vast horde of art stolen by the Nazis.

His search for the missing altarpiece, led to the greater quest for the Arma Christi, the nails and crown of thorns of Jesus crucifixion.

The reader is taken into quite unexpected territory, encompassing Himmler s obsession with the occult; Jewish mysticism and the reality of Jesus and his mission, the harsh truth about the Cathar heresy and the enduringly appealing Rennes-le- Chateau mystery from an entirely new angle. All of this is supported by Tom R. s meticulous and wide research into religion, mysticism, and history.

A Dutch version of this book was published in 2006 and attracted unusual interest, including an article in Wikipedia and hosts of references to Holy Blood and The Holy Grail and inevitably The Da Vinci Code.