Congress did not approve this design either. It was not until a month later, in June of 1782, that Congress gave all the drawings and papers from all three committees to Charles Thomson, the secretary of the Continental Congress. Thomson was a member of Benjamin Franklin’s private club, called the Junto (joined), which later became the American Philosophical Society. Thomson came up with the final design, incorporating parts of all three committees’ work. It was Thomson who was responsible for placing the open eye inside the capstone and leaving it suspended over the unfinished pyramid. He was also responsible for the Latin phrases on the reverse. Annuit Coeptis—Novus Ordo Seclorum: “He hath Favored—New Order of the Ages.”
Darius wondered how many knew these phrases came from the Roman poet Virgil. The phrase Annuit Coeptis came from the prayer of Ascanius to the god Jupiter: “Jupiter omnipotens, audacibus annue coeptis”—“Jupiter Almighty, favour [my] bold undertakings.”
As Darius’s thoughts turned back to Benjamin Franklin, he acknowledged that Franklin’s propensity for esoteric symbolism had extended beyond his influence on the seal of the United States. Franklin also designed the first continental currency of 1776. The first coinage did not designate a dollar amount, but it was assumed to have represented one dollar. The reverse side of the coinage showed thirteen intertwined circles, each with the name of one of the colonies. This serpentine circle was reminiscent of a serpent eating its tail. The thirteen intertwined circles surrounded another solar disc with a point at its center which contained the words, “We Are One.”
Darius couldn’t help but wonder now if Franklin’s symbolism extended beyond just the Illuminati symbol of a point within a circle to the origins of Masonry at ancient Babel. As a Mason himself at one time, Darius had often wondered how fundamentalist Christians reconciled their claim that America was set up as a Christian nation with the clear symbolism expressed by Franklin and other members of the Order, symbolism which they believed could be traced back to ancient Babylon. To be sure, some of the men of the early American republic were Christians in the sense that they believed Jesus Christ was a historical person. Heck, if that was the criteria for being a Christian Darius considered himself one. There was little evidence to show that a majority of US founders believed Jesus Christ was the literal Son of God. Most the symbolism was of non-Christian origins as far as he could tell anyway. Darius was no biblical scholar, but the concept of a people who were “one” was first taken from the pages of the Jewish Scriptures. He wondered how many realized that the Hebrew word echad or “one” had a Hebrew numerical value of thirteen.
And they said one to another, Go to, let us make brick, and burn them throughly. And they had brick for stone, and slime had they for morter. And they said, Go to, let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven; and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth. And YHWH came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of men builded. And YHWH said, Behold, the people is one, and they have all one language; and this they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do. (Genesis 11:3–6)
Darius had learned from Albert Mackey’s History of Freemasonry that the earliest known records of Freemasonry considered Babylon and Nimrod as the originators of “the Craft.” He had copied parts of it into File 13:
The Andersonian and the York Constitutions. In these the form of the Legend is greatly improved. The idea that Masonry was first established with appropriate laws at the Tower of Babel under the superintendence of Nimrod is still preserved . . . This form of the Legend prevailed during perhaps the whole of the 18th century. It became the settled conviction of the Masons of that period that Masonry was instituted at the Tower of Babel by Nimrod and thence propagated to the Chaldeans . . . But about the end of the last century, or, perhaps, still later, about the beginning of the present, this legendary account of the origin of Freemasonry began to be repudiated, and another one, in contradiction of the old manuscripts, was substituted for it . . . Masonry was no longer believed to have originated at the Tower of Babel; the Temple of Jerusalem was considered as the place of its birth; and Solomon and not Nimrod was called the “first Grand Master” . . . Hence, according to this latest form of the Legend, the Tower of Babel is degraded from the prominent place which was given to it in the older forms as the birth-place of Masonry, and becomes simply the symbol of the darkness and ignorance of the profane world as contradistinguished from the light and knowledge to be derived from an initiation into the system of Speculative Masonry. And, again, the Legend of the Craft vindicates its character, and correctly clothes an historical fact in symbolic language, when it portrays Babylonia, which was undoubtedly the fountain of all Semitic science and architecture, as also the birth-place of Operative Masonry.
Darius wondered if Manly P. Hall, the famous Masonic writer, was correct when he said, “Not only were many of the founders of the United States government Masons, but they received aid from a secret and august body existing in Europe which helped them to establish this country for a peculiar and particular purpose known only to the initiated few.”
Darius turned the quote over in his mind. Hall wasn’t some conspiracy nut, but a well-respected Mason. What secret body did these American Masons receive aid from, and what purpose did they have for this country? Was the secret he had been searching for all these years part of this conspiracy? Maybe the symbolism of Benjamin Franklin and Charles Thomson provided clues to that secret destiny. Was the “secret body” Manly P. Hall described the same group that Reverend G.W. Snyder warned George Washington about? Washington’s reply to Reverend Snyder in October of 1798 acknowledged the Illuminati threat, but defended Free Masonry from Reverend Snyder’s charge.
Mount Vernon, October 24, 1798.
Revd Sir: I have your favor of the 17th. instant before me; and my only motive to trouble you with the receipt of this letter, is to explain, and correct a mistake which I perceive the hurry in which I am obliged, often, to write letters, have led you into.
It was not my intention to doubt that, the Doctrines of the Illuminati, and principles of Jacobinism had not spread in the United States. On the contrary, no one is more truly satisfied of this fact than I am.
The idea that I meant to convey, was, that I did not believe that the Lodges of Free Masons in this Country had, as Societies, endeavoured to propagate the diabolical tenets of the first, or pernicious principles of the latter (if they are susceptible of separation). That Individuals of them may have done it, or that the founder, or instrument employed to found, the Democratic Societies in the United States, may have had these objects; and actually had a separation of the People from their Government in view, is too evident to be questioned.
As Darius closed the file, he couldn’t shake the idea that the secret was somehow connected to the symbolism associated with the intrigues of the early American republic. He wondered if the Order had somehow been involved in this as well. What was he missing?
Chapter 50
Capernaum, Israel
Zane rolled out of his sleeping bag with a groan. He hadn’t been this sore since David, Sam, and he had climbed the eleven-pitch, twelve-hundred-foot face in Zion National Park. Sitting up, he did some stretching to loosen up and get the circulation going. Pulling on his boots, he stepped out of the tent and looked around. It was just after sunup, peaceful and still. The only sound he heard was some small bird, maybe a sparrow or wren. As he walked down to the water’s edge, he noted some stirring in the staff campsite. He walked along the shore for about a half-mile, then returned to his tent to get a bite to eat. He guessed he had about fifteen or sixteen more loads to go to finish the large debris pile. He wanted to finish it by noon, so he decided to get an early start. After eating some beef jerky and an apple, he washed it down with a bottle of water and set out to find his wheelbarrow.
By the time he and the full wheelbarrow had reached the dump site, his sore muscles
had begun to loosen up. The camp was waking when he returned. On his way past the screening tables, Zane waved to Rachael as she looked up.
Later that morning on his return from the ninth trip for the day, he noticed that no one was at the screening tables. Everyone seemed to be congregated near the main dig site. Zane could see excited gestures from some of those gathered near the entrance to the cellar.
Working his way to the front of the group to find out what the excitement was about, he finally was able to see down into the excavated cellar. Down in the hole, Efran, William Flinders, and Rachael were looking at what appeared to be a large stone at the bottom of the stairs. Zane, not fluent in Hebrew, was having difficulty understanding the excited voices. He only caught bits and pieces of the conversation.
“Rachael,” Zane called down, “what did you find?”
Rachael, her face shining with excitement, replied, “A large piece of stone masonry which reads in part ‘Levi ben Cheleph.’ The rest of the inscription is missing.”
Zane looked questioningly at Rachael. “Is this important?”
“Zane,” Rachael said in a leading voice, “Cheleph is Hebrew for exchange or changing. You would know it by the Greek equivalent, Alphaeus. You know, Levi, the tax collector or customs officer, son of Alphaeus, also called Matthew in the New Testament?”
It took a second to sink in. “You mean the Gospel of Matthew, Matthew?” Zane said incredulously.
“This could well be his house. We will need some sort of confirming evidence to be absolutely certain, but this is an incredibly exciting find.” Rachael turned back to the stone and helped take pictures and notes. Once they had completely documented the find, they would carefully remove it to a secure location for later transport to the Antiquities Museum.
Zane walked back slowly to his wheelbarrow. He intended to finish the pile before lunch, and he had several loads to go. As he hauled the wheelbarrow up the trail, he thought about the find. If it did indeed turn out to be the house of Matthew, then it would really be big news in the biblical archeology community. From here on out, he guessed extra special care would be taken with every piece of debris removed from the site. Zane hoped they would find additional confirmatory evidence. Too bad this was to be his last working day. Maybe he could ask Rachael if she would mind keeping him updated by e-mail after he returned to the States. He would sure like to know if they found more important artifacts.
Tomorrow was the Sabbath, and no work would be done at the site. His plane did not leave until Sunday morning, so he thought he might explore the Arbel Cliffs near Migdol. He’d heard they had some climbing routes there. The cliffs were about five miles south of Capernaum, close enough to hike.
Finally, he finished. It had taken him until one p.m. to haul the rest of the pile up the hill. Parking the wheelbarrow, he walked up to his tent for lunch. He would miss all this when he returned to college. He loved the outdoors and the hard, satisfying work. Thankfully, he only had two more months of college. After that, he still wanted to work in the field of archeology, but he did not know exactly how he was going to proceed. For now, he was just content being part of the whole endeavor as a volunteer.
Zane finished his lunch and headed back down to the screening area. Rachael was not there, so he asked one of the other screeners if he could help. The screener pointed to Rachael’s table. “Rachael will probably not be back today, so you can take her place if you want.”
Zane walked over to Rachael’s screen and began to sort the debris. He worked until just before sundown. He would likely be gone all day on Saturday, so he wanted to say good-bye and thanks to Rachael. Walking over to her tent, he saw the flap was open. Stooping down, he looked in and saw her. Working on her field reports, she sat cross-legged on a small canvas camp chair at her makeshift desk. Her hair was tied back in a ponytail as she read over her reports; in her left hand her fingers unconsciously twirled a pencil. She was so absorbed she did not immediately look up. Zane couldn’t help but smile—he found Rachael Neumann’s personality compelling. She did things, and more often than not she did them well.
“Excuse me, Rachael,” he finally interrupted, “I’ll be leaving Saturday evening, and I just wanted to say good-bye and thank you. I really appreciated the words of encouragement you gave me the other night. I’ve enjoyed my time here.”
Rachael smiled. “Well, Zane, you will be sorely missed. You did the work of two people while you were here. And as for our talk the other night, I enjoyed the conversation. And the company as well.”
Zane hesitated, wanting to ask her for the favor but feeling uncomfortable at the same time. Finally, after an awkward silence during which Rachael intently watched him, Zane said, “Would you . . . I would like to ask you a favor.”
“What?” she asked simply.
“If it wouldn’t be too much trouble, would you e-mail me any new, exciting discoveries you find here? I would really like to know what’s going on over the next couple of months.”
Rachael warmly smiled and said, “Under one condition. I will make you a trade of sorts. Our talk the other night sparked my interest in the prophecy of Daniel 9. I will trade you my updates from here at the dig site if you will keep me updated on your search for the truth of Daniel 9 and the Messiah.”
Zane looked at her in sincere surprise. “You really want me to keep you up to date on my research?”
“Sure, why not?” she asked. “It’s something I do not know much about but would like to know more.”
Zane stuck out his hand. “You have yourself a deal, Miss Neumann.”
As Zane stepped back to go, Rachael asked, “You said you would be leaving Saturday evening. Will you be staying at the dig tomorrow?”
“No, I am going to hike over to the Arbel Cliffs tomorrow. I’ve heard they have some climbing routes over there. I thought I would check them out.”
Rachael hesitated as if she was going to say something and changed her mind. “Well then, it was a pleasure working with you, Zane. I hope you have a safe trip home. Oh,” she said, tearing off a strip of paper from a pad on her desk. After writing something down, she handed it to him. “That’s my e-mail. I look forward to hearing from you.”
* * *
That evening, Efran returned to his apartment in Tel Aviv to send a report to his contact. He wanted to keep this fish on the hook. The new find would make this dig one of the most important in the Holy Land. Hopefully this would spark the interest of his contact. All he needed now was to find something he could abscond without anyone noticing. He would have to watch extra closely. Once he finished composing and encrypting his message, he sent it on its way to the underworld.
Chapter 51
The next morning, Zane woke and packed some food and water in his climbing pack. Opening his tent door, he looked out. Rachael Neumann sat waiting on the stone he used to watch the sunset.
Smiling, she said, “Good morning, Zane. I was wondering if you minded some company for your hike today.”
Surprised, he said, “Sure, I would like that. But I thought you preferred your own company to that of others?”
“If I remember correctly, I said I am happy with my own company. Anyway, even if I did prefer my own company, isn’t a girl allowed to change her mind?”
Zane was both surprised and pleased at her roguish tone and the unexpected offer of companionship. “By all means, I would be happy to have your company for the day.” Gathering up his things, he closed up his tent and asked, “So which is the best way to go?”
Picking up her own backpack, Rachael replied, “How about we walk along the Galilee to Migdol, and then from there head inland to the cliffs?”
“Sounds good to me,” Zane replied. “Lead the way.”
They headed down the trail, through the dig site, and then to the shore of Galilee. It was a cool, crisp morning, and the sun was just coming over the horizon as they reached the edge of the water. Turning south along the shore, they walked in silence for several minutes. Wa
lking beside Rachael, Zane wondered why she had decided to come along. Not that he minded.
Rachael pointed to a rock along the shore where a bird sat. “A pygmy cormorant,” she said. Overhead, she pointed. “A squacco heron—they live in the salt marshes. If we’re lucky enough, we might see a long-billed pipit around the Arbel Mountains.”
“You seem to know a lot about the birds of this area,” Zane said with curiosity in his voice.
Rachael replied, “My mother, father, and I used to go birdwatching when I was young.”
“Not anymore?” Zane asked.
A shadow of sadness crossing her face, Rachael replied, “No, we haven’t gone since my mother passed away. It just didn’t seem the same without her.”
He paused, taking in that information. “I’m sorry. It must have been hard on you.”
“Yes, it was, but it was harder on my father. Ima—my mother—was the love of his life. They were one when together and never happy when apart. He still has a hard time talking about her. He misses her so much I believe it hurts him to talk about it.”
“When did she pass away?”
“When I was ten,” Rachael replied. “It’s funny—I always thought I remembered her well. But I’m only recently learning to see the woman she was through adult eyes. You know, the memories I have of my mother as a ten-year-old are not the same as I would have had as an adult. I remember her as gentle, beautiful, and motherly. But lately my father has been telling me stories of a woman I did not know. He says Ima was one of the most intelligent, competitive, and strong women he ever knew. Frankly, it’s hard to reconcile that to the picture of her in my mind.”
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