The Phoenician Code

by Karim El Koussa

  Lukas and Alycia were indeed very happy to hear that, certainly feeling proud of their accomplishments. It showed on their faces. Still gazing at him, Ms. Schiffer brushed a handful of strands of her light-blond hair away from her face and then said, “We were there, at the Domus Clericorum, when you gave your speech. Quite interesting what you had to say. It made sense, at least to me.” She looked at Lukas for confirmation.

  “We came across the challenging issue à propos the Temple of Solomon, while going through the Exile from Babylon,” Lukas stated seriously. “In fact, our extensive research led us to the same conclusion as yours about the Temple.” He paused in his train of thought, and then added, “We haven’t studied History and Archaeology for years, only to eventually validate some mythology that has existed in some people’s tradition, and especially within the pages of a book that has been pushed on us—Christians—as a holy book,” he ended.

  “The world has changed. Indeed it has,” Paul affirmed.

  “True!” Alycia agreed. “Most people around the world are seeking truth and knowledge nowadays. I fully believe that in today’s enlightened mind there is no room for legends and fairy tales. These were lovely stories to tell back then, a castle in the sky, or shall I say, a Temple,” she chuckled, as she looked at Paul. “Yes, time has come for a real change,” she declared, and turned towards Lukas, who was busy steering towards the right lane at the traffic Circle, and taking the first exit onto the A9 ramp towards Lausanne/Berne; merging, soon after, onto the A9 Toll Road on Autoroute du Léman.

  It was then that the unexpected happened. A black Van, shadowy as the falling night, flashed its headlights on the Volkswagen. The lights hit both mirrors at once: the one on the driver’s side and the rear-view mirror. They glared into Lukas’ eyes, blurring his sight, and impeding his driving. He almost smashed into the car to his left, but veered quickly away from it, steering straight into the car on the right, yet with unbelievably accurate reflexes he managed to maneuver between the cars, and return to his lane without even a scratch to any of the cars. He did it as though he had been half-asleep. And… quickly, Lukas stepped on the gas!

  “Damn it!” Alycia snapped. “How did they find us?” she asked, trying to ease down her tension.

  “Don’t you remember?” Paul asked, lifting an eyebrow, and gazing at her. Agitated himself, he tried to explain, “One of the men who chased us into the alley, saw us getting into this car, Alycia. The broken window was meant as an indicator for them to recognize it, in case they chose to pursue us. In fact, they must have stealthily followed us the instant we took off or shortly after that, for they already knew the car.”

  Alycia did not seem to get all of this. It showed clearly on her face. That’s not at all what she had in mind. She turned to Paul, “I recall very well what happened, but that’s not what I meant to ask. They could have taken another route, heading anywhere else. I wonder how they figured out we were taking this route in the first place!”

  She’s completely right, Paul thought. How did they choose to track us on this particular road? He pondered again over the matter.

  The black Van was close to their small car, travelling at a high speed more than halfway through the A9 Road: Autoroute du Léman. Lukas’ skillful maneuvering results were short-lived, just as he had expected. The van’s heavy bumper shook the Volkswagen from behind.

  Despite their fastened seat belts, the force of the thump launched them a few inches forward. Alycia lost her temper. She cried out in anger while Paul tried to soften her mood. Lukas stayed focused on the road for the sign to La Veyre and was about to make a slight right on it at the E27 Road.

  Another impact. It barely waggled the red car this time, and Lukas managed to make it to the new Road. “These guys are damned serious!” he mumbled under his breath. “It seems your speech really got under their skin, Mr. Khoury.” He glanced at him through the rear-view mirror to see his reaction, but all Lukas could see then were the faces of the two sturdy bald men in the black van, in a rage and ready to kill.

  Mr. Steiner shifted the gear stick in the manual transmission, and stepped firmly on the gasoline pedal. The black van followed suit, racing after him for yet another kilometer, before Lukas curved on to the right with the flow of the road, taking the A12 Partial Toll Road.

  “Well yes, I guess I did hit them hard after all,” Paul answered the driver, eyes focused on the road. “Though I had no idea at all that it would come to this,” he replied in a tone that betrayed not fear, but rather concern for the safety of his two new companions, whom he had unwittingly dragged into this mess, jeopardizing their lives. “I’m sorry about all of this,” he finally said.

  “No problem,” Lukas assured him. “Some neurotransmitter conveyance, from time to time, is not bad at all. It reminds us that we’re alive.” He grinned at Ms. Schiffer, who was pleased in Lukas’ courage—to see it through to the end.

  However, the two men in the black van had another point of view. They wanted to see the people in the small red car dead, not alive. The task to pursue and kill Paul had changed into a mission to make his German friends dead, as well. In fact, the ultimatum sent to Paul—in order to frighten him into leaving the country in a hurry—had changed into a real crusade, orchestrated by The Ordo Supremus Militaris Templi Hierosolymitani, better known in the English speaking world by the name of: The Sovereign Military Order of the Temple of Jerusalem.

  “What the hell are you waiting for, Levin?” the furious man, seated on the passenger’s side of the black van with his feet still aching, asked in rage. “It’s a long route, more than 75 kilometers. It’s now or never. We should dispose of them right on this road,” he commanded.

  “I know that, David, I know that very well,” Levin acknowledged. The goal of the chase was to destroy the car and kill everyone inside. “I’ve been doing my best, but their driver is good; he’s focused on the road, and more disciplined than I had anticipated.”

  “This is not a good reason to fail the mission. We have an advantage over him, a huge one. We’re in a van; they have a small stupid car.” He sent him a piercing stare. “After we make the serpentine twist ahead of us, you will push the accelerator to the ground. Got it?”

  The driver alerted his mind, and set his van off at high speed in a last attempt to destroy the enemy. Approaching the small Volkswagen, Levin flashed the headlights on and off, in rapidly incessant movements that broke Lukas’ concentration, and decreased his speed for a few moments. Immediately after, the black van’s heavy bumper knocked the car’s tail from side to side, breaking its rear fender. Still attached to the body of the car, it dangled loose, causing electric flickers upon contact with the asphalt road.

  The men in black, pleased now in the damage they had caused, felt the time had come to complete the mission they had been entrusted to fulfill. Levin drew forward, nearing the left side of the car where Lukas sat and jolted into it with a massive blow. The car skidded right in a continuous gliding motion, as Lukas seemed to have lost control over it. Alycia screamed at the top of her lungs, probably foreseeing the inevitable collision about to happen. Paul bit down on his tongue in a frenzy of nerves.

  The driver of the black van moved away from the car, preparing another hit to the side that would undoubtedly be fatal this time. From the driving compartment, the two bald men looked at their prey, bleeding in red color! With a broken rear window, a dangling fender, and smashed doors and windows, the car halted by the side of the road appeared to have been engaged in battle. Contented by the sight of this, they readied themselves for their ultimate strike of victory.

  Levin set off at top speed, advancing straight towards Lukas, whose head leaned slightly on the door. David’s eyes were glowing with anticipation, waiting to rejoice in the final moment of defeat of the enemy; an enemy they didn’t know quite well, who had nothing to lose at this point, and was ready to turn the tables. His head was still spinning from the impact of the first strike, and yet, Lukas waited in
absolute stillness for the van to come nearer and nearer.

  At the very last moment before collision, Lukas made an unbelievable movement in his will to survive. He changed the gear stick to first, and floored the gas pedal with every last ounce of strength and muscle he had left in him. He took off much too quickly for Levin to stop the van, which missed them, rushing into a group of trees at the side of Road A12, and overturning in a field nearby.

  Each one of the three tired passengers in the damaged Volkswagen whispered a sigh of relief almost at the same time. Alycia drew nearer to Lukas, hugged him tight, and kissed him on the cheeks. She probably couldn’t control her strong feelings of joy at being brought back to life by her colleague, the man she had just kissed so warmly, maybe even for the first time. A wide grin appeared on Paul’s face. His road to safety was now paved with good intentions.

  No more than two hours later, they entered Austria at the early crack of dawn. The needles in Paul’s watch pointed 5:06 AM. Although tired to the bones, they all decided not to rest here. Another two-hour’s drive and they would be relaxing in Munich. Alycia insisted on taking the wheel, allowing her hero, Lukas, to take a break for the remainder of the journey.

  Time passed slowly along the road to Munich.

  Located on the southern side of Germany; Munich, the capital city of Bavaria, stands as the third biggest city after Berlin and Hamburg. They had reached it by 7:28 AM. Few people appeared to be on the city roads on that early Sunday morning. It was usually jam-packed with more than a million inhabitants, both Catholics and Protestants living within the city limits. The Isar River streamed along its side, and the beautiful Bavarian Alps stood above it in regal posture. A vibrant city that looks like the Human brain on a map, well connected to the rest of Germany and to many other popular cities and towns.

  A diverse selection of buildings, both old-world and modern, make Munich a one-of-a-kind in all the Country, with a beautifully special motto that reads: München Mag Dich, which means: ‘Munich Likes you’. Certainly, this open wide spirit of Munich gave the city the ability to play a crucial role in its ever-changing image.

  Paul liked Munich too, and his admiration grew bigger, as he enjoyed the sight of the Buildings he ran across during his ride in the city center. A couple of minutes later, the car continued on Sonnenstraße, and then a slight turn to the right off the main road onto an alley on Nußbaumstraße, and parked under a tree in a designated area at the side of the road.

  A beautiful metallic-grey dome in a strange modern architectural design appeared on Paul’s left, as he got out of the car. Lukas and Alycia breathed in the uplifting air they had been missing these last few days, happy to finally be back home. Paul saw it in their eyes. He wanted to go home, himself.

  “What is that beautiful building?” Paul rushed to ask in amazement.

  “Oh, that’s the Münchner MotettenChor,” replied Lukas with a grin. “It’s the auditorium where the musical church choir sings. The concept was created by Hans Rudolf Zöbeley, in 1960; it later developed into a tiny group of students, keen about music, at the University of Munich. They had originally joined the choir, as a musical accompaniment for a speech given on sacred music, created by the great 17th century German composer and organist, Heinrich Schütz,” he explained.

  “The audition was a success!” Alycia interrupted excitedly, sending an apologetic look towards Lukas. “And so, many concerts followed, mainly on the Seven Last Words on the Cross and about the Passion of Christ, all performed on the loggia of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of St. Matthew just behind it.” She paused, thinking, before she added, “Through the many years that followed, the place expanded beautifully in size, as you see, and the choir’s repertoire grew rapidly to include Bach, Beethoven, and many other great composers, as well.” She then turned to Paul, alight with a sense of national pride.

  “It’s in this Church that you will find shelter, Paul,” Lukas confirmed, as he looked at his new friend. “That of course, if it is ok with you; it’s better here and much safer, just in case the men in black choose to chase you again.”

  Paul nodded. “Thanks for helping me out,” he said.

  Even though he was a Middle Eastern, Maronite Christian, following the Catholic Church of Rome, Paul considered Martin Luther as one of the greatest men in Christianity. His way of Protest was not a hideous, messy revolution that would bring down the Catholic Church based in the Vatican, but quite the opposite; Luther advanced a theological motion to reform Christianity with the doctrine of Justification by Grace through Faith alone.

  After walking around the massive musical auditorium, and admiring its beauty, they headed towards the Church, built in amber colored stones with a long tower, topped with an elevated cross. Paul recalled some great works penned by Luther that he had been thoughtfully acquainted with, during his Historical and Religious research of modern times, since he was a specialist in world ancient History & Religion. One book, though, flashed into his mind: Christian Liberty.

  Luther taught that if Justification, that single firm rock which is the chief article of the entire Christian doctrine, stands then the Church stands. If it falls, the Church falls. He believed Justification to be a living, dynamic, and day-to-day reality for anyone who accepts Christ, for he alone forgives, and practically makes people righteous in their lives. It is in the gospel—the New Testament—that we find the divine grace and the faith in Christ’s righteousness. It is the core of the Christian faith, around which all Christian doctrines are based.

  A few minutes later, as the three entered the Church, Lukas gave a brief historical prologue about his home city and that of Alycia’s. The name München is a derivation from the Old German word, Munichen, directly related to the monks of the Benedictine Order, who founded the city around 1158 AD. A monk, with wide-open arms, holding a red book—the New Testament—in one hand, and wearing a black tunic with a yellow-gold cross over it, has been depicted on the city’s coat of arms. Because of its religious foundation, Religion has long been a vital constituent in Munich’s life, and this is obvious from the many chapels, churches, and cathedrals that adorn the city. Among the most reputed, one may surely find; the inspirational Church of our Lady, St. Peters Church, St. Michael’s Church, St. Matthew’s Church, and St. Luke’s Church.

  When Paul approached the altar in reverent steps, Lukas and Alycia were already standing in the right corner, having a talk with a lean, tall priest, probably the minister of the congregation. Paul couldn’t hear what they were talking about. Engrossed in his prayers, thanking God that he was safe, he guessed they might be asking the priest to shelter him for a couple of days.

  Two days had passed, and Paul stayed in self-confinement at the Church, but that was the end of it. He couldn’t take it any longer. He called Lukas, first thing Tuesday morning, and told him that he felt like going out for a cup of coffee, and perhaps later in the day, have a tour of Munich. Lukas complied with his wish.

  Later that night, after he’d checked for available flights from Munich to Beirut, he tracked one down and booked it for Thursday afternoon. Moments later, an email alert bounced on the lower right-hand corner of his laptop screen. It was an email from Maya. He rushed to open it.

  Dear Paul,

  Hope this email finds you well.

  I’m writing you this email with great excitement. The Archaeological digging we have been carrying out, here in Gebel, has unearthed a Stone of dazzling beauty. A strange stone indeed! Youmna and I believe that it will reveal something of great importance.

  Having said that, we require your presence here, with us, at your earliest convenience.

  Anyway, hope you are enjoying your stay in Geneva.

  See you soon,

  Maya.

  Paul’s face lit up after reading Maya’s message. A strange Stone with dazzling beauty, he thought for a minute. “What could that be?” he muttered to himself. Thrilled by the astounding news, he wrote back to her in anticipation, confirming his a
rrival to the site in Gebel no later than Monday. That night he slept calmly and dreamt about the discovery.

  It was Thursday, October 14th at 6:20 PM, when the jet to Istanbul’s Atatürk International Airport took off from München’s Franz Joseph Strauss Airport. Paul Khoury was onboard, a wide smile on his face. After 2 hours and 35 minutes in the air, the Turkish Airliner, flight 1636, had finally landed. A stopover of 1h 55m took place, during which Paul changed jets to board flight 828, heading for Beirut International Airport, where he arrived on Friday at 1:35 AM.

  “Home sweet home!” he breathed.

  On Friday afternoon, he went to see the Padre.

  Part II

  .10.

  The Archaeological Site, Gebel

  Monday, October 18, 11:15 AM

  Lengthy, yet trouble-free, Paul’s journey brought him closer and closer to his destination: Gebel (Jbeil, Byblos), the ancient Phoenician city that had recently recorded seven millennia of history, perhaps more. Gebel means ‘Geb-El’, The Well of God! Yet, some believe this is one of the three interpretations made by historians. The second meaning refers to the Mountain of God, whereas the third interpretation means the Sacred Land of El and it sounds like a more appropriate meaning, according to one of the old Hamitic/Afro-Asiatic languages.

  Time passed leisurely, as Paul drove his blue Jeep in a pleasant mood along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea. The many thoughts about life in general, the escapade in Montreux, and the strange Stone with dazzling beauty that Maya mentioned in her email occupied his mind.

  The meeting with Padre Joseph on Friday was vital to Paul. He conveyed to the Padre what had happened in the city of Montreux, and showed him the two envelopes sealed with the ‘BB’ sign, along with the ominous messages written on the black papers inside. Immediately after reading them, the Padre sat up straight on the black leather armchair behind his brown desk, the New Testament peacefully reposing on it. His tranquil blue eyes emitted a strange gaze towards his guest. I have never seen that stern look on the Padre before, Paul thought to himself. Something had passed in the depth of his eyes. Paul might have seen it: a shape, a form, perhaps a distant memory.