What really bugged him, he had to admit, was that Darius no longer consulted him on his transactions. Dylan had been relegated to watching and managing the share price of AQES. Sure, that was important, he knew—but what was Darius doing? Should he ask what was going on? Surely Darius would have asked if he had wanted his advice. One thing was for sure: while he tried to decide if he was going to broach the subject with Darius, he would be raising his own cash position in the company. His stock was worth many hundreds of billions of dollars. He was going to sell at least half of it in the next couple of months. If Darius was going to run this company into the ground, he wasn’t going to go down with the ship. Anyway, he had been working 24/7 for the past twelve months with very little rest. He was beginning to fray at the edges. He needed a break. Maybe he would take some time off.
Turning to the monitor that showed the live stock price of AQES, he watched the stock price trade. AQES was now trading at $236.89 a share. The share price had been on a relentless rise for the past eight months. On another monitor, he pulled up his personal trading account. He had over 4.9 billion shares of AQES in his trading account. He had only sold fifty million shares so far. His account value was a ludicrous 1.1 trillion dollars. He laughed outright. That amount of money was absurd. A billion dollars was more than he could probably spend in his lifetime. But one thing was for sure: he couldn’t spend any of it if it was not cash in his account.
Right then, Dylan decided to sell one billion shares. He turned to another monitor which ran his black-box algo. In the modeling module of his program, he punched in the one billion shares and looked at the results. They showed that, at current price, volume, and market conditions, barring any unforeseen adverse events, it would take one month to sell the one billion shares without adversely affecting the share price.
The model also told him that he could sell all one billion shares in one week, but the share price of AQES would drop about five percent in that scenario. The one billion shares would sell for an average of $221.53 for a total of two-hundred-twenty-one-billion dollars. Dylan decided to test the accuracy of his model. He entered a one billion share sell order to be executed over the next seven trading days and punched the sell order into the trading module of his algo. Immediately, he could see the increase in volume. For a few minutes he watched it in fascination, and standing up, he stretched and left his office. He didn’t need to watch; his program would take care of the rest. He needed to think about what he wanted to do with the money once he sold his shares. He knew he should diversify and get it to a safe place. Laughing, he thought, It would take several places to park that much money.
Chapter 54
Dallas, Texas
Zane returned to the States jet-lagged as always. He was soon back in the grind of school, preparing for his final exams and working on his research paper. The first thing he did when he got settled in was to e-mail Rachael a copy of his research paper. A few days later, she e-mailed him in return with an update on the Capernaum dig. They were still working on cleaning out the sub-ground level of the house. The only real thing of interest they had found was the precision and care with which the walls of the cellar had been finished. Large, expertly dressed stones had been used and laid in an almost seamless fashion. Quite a work of art, she had noted, and most likely expensive. This type of workmanship was normally only seen on more monumental buildings such as the nearby synagogue.
Finally, she ended her note by thanking him for sending her a copy of his research paper and offering some thoughts on the time factor:
Zane, one thing has struck me in your research regarding the time factor. I don’t think you will find what you are looking for unless it is based on a reckoning of time which would have been familiar to the Jewish people of that era. Most of the examples you describe in your research are either a Gentile-based reckoning of time or a theoretical deluge-based reckoning of time. If there is an answer to this puzzle I believe you will find it in a reckoning of time based in the context of the Second Temple era.
Take care and keep me posted,
Regards,
Rachael
Over the past couple of weeks, Zane had been giving her advice serious thought. Tonight he sat trying to put down on paper what he had learned and some of his thoughts concerning it.
What exactly was a Second Temple Jewish reckoning of time? He thought he had the answer, but as with many things in life, it wasn’t as simple as it sounded.
He had found the first biblical definition of time in Genesis:
And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years. (Genesis 1:14)
The lights in the heaven—sun, moon, and stars—were to divide the day from the night. They were also to be for “signs,” Hebrew owth, for signal or remembrance, and “seasons”—Hebrew mow’ed or appointed times, for days and years.
The biblical calendar, then, was based upon the function of the sun, moon, and stars. Its days were based upon the rising and setting of the sun and its months upon the cycle of the moon. During the Second Temple Era, according to rabbinic tradition, the months began with the first sighting of the waxing moon. It was this lunar cycle which the feast days, or mow’eds, were based upon. The first month began in spring and was variously called “Aviv” (Green Barley), “Nisan,” and “the first month” at different places in the Scripture. This month began the religious biblical calendar of the Jewish people. The spring feast of Passover was celebrated in the first month. In the seventh month, the fall biblical festivals of Yom Teruah (Trumpets), Yom Kippur (Atonement), and Sukkoth (Tabernacles) were celebrated.
This was all pretty straightforward. Where the difficulty arose was in the changing of the years. The lunar calendar was based on a 29.53-day cycle, and the solar calendar was based upon a 365.24-day cycle. Twelve lunar months only equaled 354.36 days. This made the lunar “year” roughly eleven days short when compared to the solar year. In order to keep the lunar and solar year synchronized, an intercalary month was added every three years or so. This makeup month was called Veadar. So he was stuck with a Jewish calendar that varied and a lunar year which sometimes varied and then had to be recalibrated, so to speak, with the solar yearly cycle. How was he supposed to figure out anything based upon a calendar which had varying year lengths? No wonder Sir Robert Anderson had chosen to use a Noahadic year of three-hundred-and-sixty days! Nothing else seemed to work.
Frustrated, Zane pushed back from his desk and stood up. He needed to get some fresh air. Outside, he considered his options on the research paper. He had not found a solution, and his paper was due in two weeks. Even as it stood now, he needed a week of editing to make it presentable. He had two options, as he saw it. Don’t turn it in at all, or clean it up and present the evidence he had found. Ruefully, he knew neither option was great. Option 1 was really no option at all. As for Option 2, turning in a research paper which showed that Jesus did not fulfill, contrary to established consensus, one of the most important messianic prophecies of the Scripture was not exactly a pleasant prospect. Well, he was not a coward, and he was not a quitter. He would have to clean it up and present the facts as he understood them.
With his decision made, he returned to his room and sat down to rewrite his research paper and put it into a presentable format for his professor. For the next several hours he wrote and edited, and finally, at eleven p.m., he had enough and stopped. He was satisfied with what he had accomplished tonight, even if he wasn’t satisfied with the content. Cleaning up his desk, he ordered his papers and went to bed.
Over the next several days, Zane worked on the paper. It took him until Tuesday of the following week to accomplish the task. His paper was forty pages of thoroughly documented scriptural evidence, along with a substantial amount of historical references, all of which pointed to the conclusion that Daniel’s prophecy of seventy weeks, as currently interpreted by the majority of schol
ars since the time of Sir Robert Anderson, did not meet a reasonable level of proof to show that Jesus was its fulfillment.
Zane reread his paper one last time with mixed emotions. He definitely felt uncomfortable reading a paper his own hand had written which undermined claims concerning Jesus. On the other hand, he knew his research was thorough and well documented, his paper well organized, and his thoughts fluid and understandable.
Don’t be afraid of the truth, he reminded himself.
Putting the paper back on his desk, he placed it in a small binder and set it with his books for tomorrow’s class. While Zane was not satisfied with the conclusions he had reached, he also knew he would never rest until he had solved the problem of Daniel’s seventy weeks. The prophecy spoke to the coming of the Messiah, and he wanted an answer. If it was not Jesus whom this prophecy spoke about, then whom?
Zane sat back down at his desk. He had one more task to do before he called it a day. He opened his laptop and then his e-mail client.
June 5
Dear Rachael,
It is with mixed emotions that I send you the final draft of my research paper. I have not reached a satisfactory conclusion, but I am out of time for the present. I have not given up, but I must turn in my paper this week. Please find attached a copy of what I will be turning in to my professor tomorrow. I’m sure it will be a big hit! Any thoughts or comments you might have would be welcome.
How is the dig coming? After school, I will be returning to Arizona for the rest of June and all of July to visit with my parents. Will you still need help at the Capernaum dig in August? I would like to return if I can be of help.
Yours truly,
Zane Harrison
* * *
The next evening Rachael checked her inbox and found Zane’s e-mail. After reading his brief note, she opened the attached file and read the final draft of his research paper. Since he had sent her the first draft, she had been checking out his references and thinking about the prophecy. The prophecy clearly spoke of a coming Messiah. So far she hadn’t found any faults in Zane’s reasoning or evidence. She didn’t see how Daniel 9 could be speaking of Yeshua unless there was something they were all missing. She understood now the ease with which Sir Robert Anderson and others had assumed that Nehemiah and Ezra were contemporaries of Artaxerxes Longimanus. There weren’t really any alternatives that would work without creating more problems than they solved.
Reading the paper once more, she was impressed with the clear and concise arguments Zane had made. This young man was clearly smart—and independent. It took character to go against the flow and challenge assertions made centuries ago. What she had researched in just the past few weeks told her that Zane’s assertions would not be well received. She knew from the little they had talked that he must be conflicted about this.
Well, at least he is coming back to . . . coming back to the dig. What was she about to think? Was she interested in this young man? To be honest with herself, yes, she was interested. Interested, not smitten or infatuated. She found his company agreeable. Okay, more than agreeable. She enjoyed it. He didn’t talk endlessly about himself. For that matter, he didn’t talk all that much. What he did say was thoughtful, often considerate. One thing was for sure, his actions spoke way louder than his words. Yes, Zane Harrison was a man of action. So far she hadn’t felt uncomfortable around him at all. Being with him seemed natural. He gave no indication that he felt intimidated around her, which was often the case with other young men. She didn’t have to be on guard with her words or actions around him.
Thinking back to the first time they had met, she remembered the first words she had spoken to him: “Don’t be foolish, you can’t make that move.” She had learned that day that “don’t” and “can’t” weren’t words Zane Harrison had in his vocabulary. And what were the first words he had spoken to her. “Shut up”? She blushed, remembering. He was right—she had been wasting her words and his. He had ignored her and done what was necessary anyway. She couldn’t even make herself angry about his sharp words. She understood him, and frankly, she respected him more for it.
She smiled. She couldn’t speak for other women, but she liked men who acted like men. Rough around the edges, but with a good heart. Laughing softly, she said to herself, “Rachael, that’s enough boy thoughts for one night.”
Turning her thoughts back to the dig, she considered the progress they had made so far. Another week or two, and the lower-level cellar would be completely cleared. Another four weeks and they would have the house walls completely exposed and cleared. Say another two weeks for a final site survey and miscellaneous details. The excavations would be done around the middle of August. All that would be left then would be the hauling of the debris piles up to the dump site.
For the first couple of weeks after the discovery of the Levi inscription, they had turned away volunteers. When nothing additional was found, the excitement wore off and volunteers were harder to come by. The past couple of weeks there had only been two, and they had only stayed for a few days each. Laughing, she remembered that neither of them had been able to drive the girl-barrow. They had managed to make a couple of trips with the kiddy-barrow and then given up. Since then she had been hauling most of the debris herself—with Zane’s girl-barrow. It was quite a job, but she was far too proud and stubborn to ever touch the kiddy-barrow again.
Young Mr. Harrison, you have ruined me, sir, she thought. She doubted they would get any strong young volunteers so late in the dig. She guessed it would take four weeks by herself to move those piles. With Zane’s help, they could get it done in two or less. For more than one reason, she hoped he would come back.
Out in the camp, she could hear Efran Finkelstein’s voice discussing the dig with the site archeologist, William Flinders. She wondered about Efran lately. He seemed unusually restless. And he seemed to be hanging on at the dig for no apparent reason. What was he waiting for, anyway? He didn’t need to stay, and it looked like the excitement was over. What gives?
As far as digs went, Capernaum was a great success. They had found a major artifact. This excavation would look good on Efran’s resume. Maybe he just wanted to make sure nothing went wrong. Come on, Rachael, she said to herself, give him the benefit of the doubt. After all, he had acted almost human for the past several months. And best of all, he had left her alone.
Before turning in for the evening, she e-mailed Zane:
Dear Zane,
I got your last e-mail. I read the final draft of your research paper and found it interesting and informative. Thanks to you, I learned something I might otherwise not have known. I appreciate you letting me read your paper.
Regarding the dig, it is winding down now. We have at the most another six–eight weeks of excavation left. After that, another two–four weeks of hauling debris depending on how many strong young volunteers we get. Your girl-barrow really misses you, so feel free to come back in August. We could really use your help.
Warm regards,
Rachael
P.S. I have been practicing your one-handed trick on the girl-barrow. I have not mastered it yet but remain undaunted.
* * *
The next morning as Zane was preparing to leave for classes, he received Rachael’s e-mail. After reading it, he laughed. He bet she would have the one-handed wheelbarrow trick mastered by the time he returned—or die trying. She was that kind of girl. Well, heck, with that kind of invitation, how could he stay away? After all, it wasn’t every day you got an invitation from a girl-barrow that missed you. Laughing, he walked out the door of his dorm room.
His morning classes went well, and after a brief lunch, he headed to his theology class with Professor Ragen Donaldson. Faith and fact, ever the two shall meet? he asked himself. Well, his paper would be a real hit. He was glad they didn’t have to read them out loud at least. Don’t be such a chicken. He’d done his best and hadn’t compromised with the facts as he understood them. He should be proud of his work�
�okay, if not proud, at least satisfied.
At the end of class, he walked up to the professor’s desk and turned in his paper. Professor Donaldson smiled and said, “I was beginning to wonder if I would ever see your paper, Mr. Harrison. It’s the last one.”
“I’ve done my best, sir.”
“I look forward to reading your work, Zane.”
“Thank you, sir. I hope you are not disappointed.”
On his way to his next class, Zane couldn’t help but think that Mr. Donaldson was in for an unexpected surprise.
Later that evening, back in his room, he called his parents and gave them the dates for graduation. They asked about his plans, and he told them he would like to come home for several weeks before going back to Israel. They were thrilled, and he knew they could use the help at the nursery. Zane loved his parents, and frankly, he liked them as well. They were hardworking and happy. They were fun to be around, and he enjoyed their company. He hoped that someday, if he was blessed with children, they would say the same about him. It would take a wife to make that happen, buddy, he told himself. And you don’t even have a girlfriend. Hey, but at least I have my girl-barrow, he thought ruefully. He’d seen too many examples of bad marriages in his church to want to rush into getting married. After seeing his parents’ relationship, he was going to take his time. What they had was worth praying for, not to mention waiting for.
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