“No sir. Nothing to speak of. Ballistics has analyzed the bullet, what’s left of it. Impact with the skull and the brainpan left it in bad shape. Based on the size of the wound, the fact that it didn’t exit, and the weight of the fragments, the police are pretty sure that the round was a .25 caliber, possibly a .22. Small weapon means small sound. Even if they could get a good image of the bullet’s grooves and marks, we have no gun to compare it to. Not yet anyway. The coroner told us what we already knew: death by gunshot to the head.”
“But the police are still looking?” Ben-Judah seemed worried.
“Of course, Professor. I have a man working with them. He will keep me informed.”
Ben-Judah nodded slightly. “A great loss. So many are heartbroken over this.” He ran a finger beneath his eye and an uncomfortable, dark silence filled the room. He took in a deep breath and raised his head. “David. Speak to us.” Ben-Judah sat and leaned to one side, a position Chambers had seen before. It was what the man did when pondering something said in conversation. Ben-Judah was ready to listen.
Chambers rose. “Joel and I have prepared a slide presentation, but I don’t see a projector.”
“You don’t need one,” Nuri said. “Here.” He rose and walked to Chambers, took his tablet PC, and tapped the touchscreen a few times. Everyone in the room had an identical tablet, and they all came to life at once. “The tablets are linked, David. Whatever is on your screen will now appear on ours.” He grinned. “This is the twenty-first century, you know.”
“Really? I hadn’t heard.” Then he forced another word from his throat. “Thanks.”
Nuri bowed slightly and walked back to his seat, his self-satisfied grin adding to the light in the room.
Chambers regained his mental footing. “As the professor alluded to, most of what I have to say will be well known to the other archaeologists in the room, but I’ve been asked to give a quick review on the archaeological evidence for the historical truth of the Bible.” He tapped his screen and a quote appeared in large letters. A quick look told him the same image appeared on the other tablets in the room:
It may be stated categorically that no archaeological discovery has ever controverted a Biblical reference. Scores of archaeological findings have been made which confirm in clear outline or in exact detail historical statements in the Bible. And by the same token, proper evaluation of Biblical descriptions has often led to amazing discoveries. They form tesserae in the vast mosaic of the Bible’s almost incredibly correct historical memory.
“Dr. Nelson Glueck made that comment in his book Rivers in the Desert in 1959. Over fifty years later, the statement is just as true. We can cite similar comments from Robert Dick Wilson, Dr. J. O. Kinnaman, and others. Those men and others like them inspired my own interest in the biblical authenticity as proven by archaeology.”
“Until recently,” Nuri said.
Chambers started to fire back but refrained. Talking to Nuri was like talking to a potsherd, except the broken bit of pottery was interesting. “Of course, not everyone shared their belief. With the rise of German higher criticism and the new archaeology, many scholars and textbook writers went out of their way to prove that the biblical narrative is fabrication, a collection of myths compiled long after the traditional dates of writing. For example, scholars have maintained for some time that the monarchies of David and Solomon are myths. This became the assumption of many Arabs, who previously accepted the historical David but now contend that there never was a Jewish kingdom or a first temple. Yasser Arafat and his followers denied the existence of David and the Jewish monarchy. Odd since the first Muslims referred to Jerusalem as the ‘city of the temple.’
“Add to this,” Chambers continued, “an inscription found by Dr. Avraham Biran at Tel Dan in northern Israel, near Mount Hermon. It appears that the stone inscription had been part of a stele which, for some reason, had been purposely destroyed. Other pieces have since been found. The stone includes the phrase, ‘House of David.’ ”
He tapped the screen again and a new image appeared. The image was of a circular pad of clay with an impression pressed into its center. Three lines of paleo-Hebrew could be seen. “This is an image of the Baruch bulla. As was the custom of the day, papyrus scrolls were sealed with such bullae. Dr. R. Hecht acquired this clay seal sometime in the 1970s. Nahman Avigad published the bulla. Amber, you’re our language expert. Care to translate?”
“I’m familiar with it,” she said. “It reads, “Belonging to Berechiah son of Neriah the scribe.” It is interesting to note the writing is preexilic, linear script, not the postexilic script.”
“Which means what?” Landau asked.
Chambers answered. “It means that it was written before the Babylonian captivity, which makes it the right age to belong to Baruch ben Neriah, the prophet Jeremiah’s scribe. His name is mentioned in Jeremiah 36:4.” He advanced to the next screen. “I won’t read all of these, but this is a list of other significant bullae, including that of Seraiah ben Neriah, the chamberlain to King Zedekiah. The biblical reference to that is Jeremiah 51:59. As you might have surmised from the names, they were brothers.
“The New Testament is supported by scores of archaeological finds.” He advanced the presentation. “Two important discoveries come to mind.” Another tap of the screen and the image of a faded yellow box with intricate carvings on one side flashed on the linked screens. “This is not new to most people here.”
“The Caiaphas Ossuary,” Nuri said. He didn’t look up from the screen.
“Correct. Sometimes archaeology happens by accident. In November of 1990, a dump truck unwittingly broke through the roof of an unknown tomb. This happened on the southwest side of Old Jerusalem, across the Hinnom Valley. An ossuary is a bone box. After decomposition—and remember that Jews did not embalm—the bones of the deceased would be place in a box like this. The wealthier the family, the more ornate the box. As you can see from the rosettes and patterns carved into the stone, this belonged to a family of means.”
He showed another photo of the ossuary. “On the undecorated side, the family carved a name. Actually, they carved the name twice: Yehosef bar Qafa—Joseph, son of Caiaphas.”
“The high priest who led one of the trials of Jesus,” Amber said.
“Exactly. This ossuary held the bones of several individuals. Six to be exact: Two infants, a toddler, a thirteen- to eighteen-year-old teenager, an adult female, and an adult male who was about sixty years old at the time of his death. As Amber said, this is the final resting area for the High Priest Caiaphas.”
Another slide. A white-gray stone with Roman block letters. “For many years, some historians and archaeologists questioned the existence of Pontius Pilate, the fifth governor of Judea under Rome. This despite the fact that the man is mentioned in nonbiblical texts from Josephus, Philo, and Tacitus, and despite the existence of coins from his time as ruler. Italian excavator Antonio Frova found a dedication stone in Caesarea Maritima on the coast. The text reads: ‘Tiberieum, Pontius Pilatus Praefectus Iudaeae—Tiberius was the Roman emperor at the time, so we have Tiberius, Pontius Pilate, Prefect of Judea.”
Chambers felt something in his chest; something warm, inviting, convicting. As he spoke he began to feel the old enthusiasm that had put him on the course of his life. The bitterness that had grown weedlike over the months tried to reassert itself, but for the moment, Chambers relished the old enthusiasm. He had missed the sensation. What was it Ben-Judah told him a decade ago when Chambers served as one of the student archaeologists on an Institute dig? “It is far easier to fall into a pit than to climb out of one.” The thought made him smile.
“Are you still with us, David?” Chambers looked at his mentor, who starred back quizzically. “Yes, of course. Just remembering something someone once told me.”
“It is good to see you smile.”
Chambers’s face warmed, and he redirected his attention to his presentation. “We could spend the rest of the day l
isting all the finds that give the biblical record credibility. Instead, I’ve prepared a list of the key finds you can review later. I do want to add a few things.
“In recent years, I’ve had the opportunity to work with Jewish archaeologists on the tunnels that parallel the Western Wall of the Temple Mount. We discovered Zechariah’s Tunnel, a secret passageway that leads north from the Temple Mount, beneath the city’s Muslim Quarter, and connects with Zedekiah’s Cave, also known as the Royal Cave. This tunnel runs below the northern wall of Jerusalem to Golgotha. Golgotha, of course, is the place where Jesus was crucified. It also leads to Jeremiah’s cistern prison. As you know, King Zedekiah was the final king of Judah and escaped with his family through this ancient tunnel.
“There is another ancient tunnel-stairway beneath the City of David. It’s a half kilometer long and runs from the ancient Pool of Siloam up to the southern entrance to the Temple Mount.”
Ben-Judah raised a hand like a schoolboy. “David, what would you like to find?”
“Many things, Professor. Too many to list.”
“Humor me.”
“Well, we’ve already discussed the treasures of the Copper Scroll. I assume that’s why we’re here, but finding the Table of Shewbread from the temple days would be amazing. Or the jeweled breastpiece of the high priest.” He hesitated. “But I suppose finding the long-lost subterranean tomb of King David and King Solomon. The wealth contained in those tombs boggles the mind.”
“It is always about the money with you, isn’t it, David?” Nuri said.
“That’s unfair,” Amber said.
“Oh, so now you defend him. I suppose it is only natural. What is one to do with such a lost puppy?”
Chambers fought the instinct to throw his tablet PC at the man, but there was a chance he would hit Amber. He started to speak but Trent beat him to it.
“Dr. Aumann, may I have your attention for a moment.”
“Of course, Mr. Trent.”
“Shut up.”
“Excuse me?”
“You heard me, and your English is better than that of most of my countrymen. Shut your yap.”
Nuri looked at Amber. “Yap means mouth, Nuri.”
Nuri’s face reddened, but he said nothing more.
Trent turned his face to Chambers. “Thank you, Dr. Chambers. Just for the record, you may get your wish.”
“I don’t understand.”
“You will.” Trent directed his gaze at Nuri. “Your turn, Dr. Aumann.”
THIRTEEN
Nuri gathered his composure and stood as Chambers seated himself. “Thank you, Mr. Trent.” He tapped his screen several times, and the image on Chambers’s tablet switched to an image of Jerusalem taken from a satellite. “I have had a wonderful time reviewing the documents provided. I thought I knew all the latest technology, but I must admit, I didn’t know it had advanced this far.”
The image changed to a tighter shot of the city. Chambers could see the old City of David, the new construction, the main roads, and even small dots he took to be people at the Wailing Wall. “Over the last few years, my focus has been on using technology to speed up the process of archaeology. Some of my peers love me for it; others, the traditionalists, think I’m a heretic for believing that what now takes years can be done in months. Unfortunately, most people in the field still work with a nineteenth-century mentality.
“Be that as it may, Professor Ben-Judah and Mr. Trent have provided me with some interesting material.” The clear satellite photo of Jerusalem changed to a white-and-gray image with dark lines and blurry shapes, like an old, poorly developed photo from a century ago. Something about it, however, seemed familiar.
“What am I seeing here, Nuri?” Chambers leaned closer to the screen. “Is this an x-ray scan of the city?”
“Close, David. Not bad. I’m impressed. No, it’s not an x-ray. It took me a moment to realize what I was seeing. Using satellites to search for lost cities is not new. Some Egyptian settlements have been found just by using Google Earth. A few years ago, a previously unknown meteor crater was found in the desert of Egypt, the result of an iron meteor strike. But satellite photos only reveal the surface of the earth. Some areas are covered with vegetation, so archaeologists searching for hidden cities of Mesoamerican peoples used infrared cameras to peer through the jungle canopy and had great success with it.”
“But this isn’t infrared, Nuri,” Amber said.
“That’s true, my dear, nor are they ultraviolet.” He puffed out his chest as if he had taken the photos himself. “These are T-ray images.”
“T-rays?” Landau inched closer to the table. “I’ve heard of those, but never in this context. They have a security application.”
“Right, Mr. Landau. Absolutely right. The term T-rays is shorthand for terahertz rays, waves between infrared and microwaves on the electromagnetic spectrum. Their frequency is up to a thousand times lower than visible light. Scientists and engineers have been using T-ray devices to analyze the composition and density of objects. As Mr. Landau states, one of the early uses of these machines was in security, replacing x-ray machines that can be harmful to people. They can be used to see through a person’s clothing, say at an airport. Hidden guns, knives, and explosives are easily seen. The T-rays pass through clothing, plastics, cardboard, and the like. Medical doctors are using them for everything from dental examinations to searching for cancer. Remarkable really.”
“I thought you said that this was new to you,” Chambers said.
“Not the basic technology. What I was unaware of was its use from space. You see, David, T-rays are another way—well, let us say a better way—of looking belowground without lifting a shovel. Oh, of course we’ve all used ground-penetrating radar to search for objects or voids below grade. Very useful tools, and they get better every year, but T-rays not only show what we cannot see with our eyes but may allow us to detect the material composition of an object. In other words, we will know a clay jar is clay before we touch it.”
Chambers had used the technology in his work, but like Nuri, he had never seen it used to scan a whole city at one time. “Wow.”
“Not scientific, David,” Nuri said. For a change, Chambers didn’t hear distain in his tone. He seemed genuinely impressed with the technology.
Chambers looked at Trent, who sat still and quiet. So did Ben-Judah. This was information they’d had for some time.
“David.” Ben-Judah spoke softly. “Your face tells me you see something on the image. What has caught your attention?”
On a hunch, Chambers put two fingers on his tablet’s screen and moved them apart. The image zoomed in. He saw the other tablets match what was on his computer. A dark line ran from the Fortress of Antonia to Jericho, about eleven miles outside the Old City. “Herod’s tunnel.”
Ben-Judah grinned for the first time since Chambers entered the room. “I thought you might notice that.”
Chambers eyes scoured the image. He saw lines where he and others had uncovered ancient tunnels, including those he had just mentioned in his presentation. He also saw a few lines he couldn’t recognize.
“Thank you, Dr. Aumann. Exceptional as expected.” Ben-Judah pulled his tablet close.
“But Professor. I have more.”
“There are things you haven’t seen yet, Nuri. Please sit.”
Nuri did, looking like a child just scolded by his teacher.
Ben-Judah looked to Trent, who nodded. The image on their screens changed to the mysterious Ring of Solomon. Chambers watched as Ben-Judah tapped in the password, touching each point of the star and three of the dots between the star and the circle enclosing it. “This is the Ring of Solomon. Is that news to anyone?” Ben-Judah looked up. Only Amber and Landau raised a hand. Ben-Judah grunted. “Over the centuries, it has been used by occultists for many distasteful things, and there is much silliness associated with it: magic, mysticism, control over demons, that sort of thing. I prefer not to surrender its use to those w
ho have no respect for accurate history.”
The screen changed to a list of files. Ben-Judah tapped one, and an image similar to the one before appeared, but this one sported more detail.
“In the interest of full disclosure,” Trent said, “you should know that the material you are now seeing has not been seen by anyone other than myself, the professor, and a few trusted technicians employed to take these readings. I have access to this technology because I paid for its development. You don’t need to know the details; just know that I come by it honestly.” He pointed at the image in front of him. “What is the first thing you notice?”
Nuri answered. “The detail and the clarity.”
“Exactly. What we gave you, Dr. Aumann, represents the best and newest in satellite surveys. To my knowledge, no other archaeologist has had access to this technology. Still, a satellite does its work far above the earth. As you have seen, what it does, it does remarkably, but for the real detail, the T-ray emitter must be closer. So Professor Ben-Judah was able to persuade the government to allow several flyovers. We had to promise that we would reveal to the military anything of … um … interest to them: a hidden weapons cache, biologicals, hidden areas.”
“I’m surprised the Israelis didn’t ask for the technology in return,” Nuri said.
“They did.” Trent didn’t blink.
“And you gave it to them?” Amber asked.
“That is not pertinent to our discussion, and I advise against making assumptions. Your job is to use this and other technology to take our mission to the next level.”
“Mission?” Chambers looked up. “Interesting choice of words.”
“I’m a businessman, Dr. Chambers, not an English professor. You know what I mean.”
Chambers did know, but wondered if the billionaire had other secrets. “No offense meant.”
“None taken.” He rubbed his face, showing his humanity for the first time. For a moment, he looked like a man with a great weight on his shoulders.
Amber tapped the table, something Chambers had seen her do when her mind was in high gear. “Okay, I’m just going to admit my ignorance and ask. Yesterday you said that we were going to change the world, and with all due respect, you just mentioned a mission. The Copper Scroll has come up several times, including when the professor recruited me, but I’m feeling more and more lost about our work. Why do I think you’re after more than the Copper Scroll treasures? You don’t strike me as a smuggler, and I know the professor well enough to know that he’d give up both arms and legs before participating in illegal archaeological exports.”
The Scroll Page 11
