The Scroll Read online

  “Hence the term Dead Sea Scrolls.”

  “Exactly. In March of 1952, scholars found other scrolls in a cave near the ancient village of Qumran on the west side of the Dead Sea. They also found one scroll that was very different. Instead of being written on parchment or leather, this singular message was chiseled into three copper sheets and rolled like a scroll. That scroll became known as 3Q15—the fifteenth scroll found in the third cave at Qumran.”

  “I like Copper Scroll better.” Beth smiled. “That name has flair.”

  Nuri huffed. “Science hates flair.”

  “That is science’s loss.” She returned her gaze to the photo. “Go on. Don’t keep a girl waiting.”

  Nuri shrugged, and Chambers wound up for his next pitch. “The scroll is made up of three copper sheets riveted together. It’s about a foot wide and eight feet long. Of course, time had taken its toll as it does on all things. After many weeks of restoration work, however, the scroll became readable. It was engraved with Hebrew letters, most likely by one of the Jewish Essene priests. The scroll lists sixty-four secret locations where temple treasure was hidden. That treasure, according to the scroll, includes temple vessels, manuscripts, massive amounts of gold and silver bullion, and two very important religious artifacts: the oil of anointing and the breastpiece of the high priest.”

  “They hid the treasure to keep it from falling into the hands of the Romans?” Beth looked from one man to the other.

  “Not just that,” Nuri said. “The ancient Jews also knew the day would come when Rome would destroy the temple, so they removed everything needed to set up worship in a new temple—whenever that might be built.”

  Beth leaned back and shook her head. “This sounds like the premise to a bad Indiana Jones movie. A secret treasure scroll. How do you know it’s not just the work of an early short-story writer?”

  “You’re not the first to suggest that, my dear.” Nuri patted her hand, then let his hand linger a moment too long. Beth placed her hands in her lap.

  Chambers held back the snide comments ricocheting inside his skull, but he communicated a great deal with his stare. He moved his gaze back to Beth. “You bring up a fair point, one I’ve wondered about many times. The scroll polarizes scholars. Some are quick to dismiss it as the fanciful writings of some industrious scribe, but that idea can be laid to rest. The text contains no embellishment, poetry, or symbolism, just straight descriptions, almost like an accountant’s list of valuable inventory.”

  “Maybe the guy wasn’t all that imaginative.” Beth defused the cut with a smile.

  “He was accurate if not imaginative. For example, he describes caves and cisterns around Wadi Ha Keppah, near Qumran.”

  “Near the shores of the Dead Sea,” Nuri added.

  Chambers ignored him. “There are ancient maps that identify the area as the Valley of Qumran. Some of these places can be identified through toponyms.”

  “Toponyms?”

  Chambers nodded. “It’s a compound word taken from the Greek topos meaning ‘place,’ and onuma meaning ‘name.’ ”

  Beth raised an eyebrow. “Place names?”

  “Most people wouldn’t get that,” Nuri said and winked.

  Chambers wondered if the guy ever quit. He continued, “Right. A toponym is a name derived from an identifiable topological feature.”

  Beth looked puzzled.

  “Ever been to Yosemite in California?” Chambers asked.

  “Yes. I was there three years ago. Flew some execs to Fresno for a week of meetings. I stayed for a few days. Beautiful place.”

  “Good,” Chambers said. “So you saw Half Dome?”

  “Of course … Half Dome is a toponym?”

  “Yes.” Chambers saw the light go on in the woman’s eyes. “It’s called Half Dome because it looks like half a dome. A toponym. Archaeologist use these name descriptors as clues. Toponyms have special meanings in any local language.”

  Chambers repositioned himself in his chair. All of this was old hat to him, but it helped pass the time. Even so, the second best thing to doing archaeology was talking archaeology. He would talk as long as she was willing to listen.

  “The scroll mentions three significant areas including Qumran by the Dead Sea to the southeast of Jerusalem, Mount Zion, and a northern region on the east side of the Jordan River.”

  “Modern Jordan,” Nuri said.

  “I figured that.” Beth kept her attention on Chambers. “And these areas are important?”

  “They’re known to be major settlement areas for Essenes. It was where the Essenes were most active.”

  “So why hasn’t the treasure been found?” Beth leaned toward the aisle as if putting another foot between her and Nuri. He didn’t seem to notice.

  “Since these artifacts are hidden in different locations, it is best to think of them as multiple treasures, not one. The answer to your question is simple: things have changed. Some places in Israel have remained the same for millennia, but two thousand years of wind, erosion, and human activity have altered the terrain. Modern Israel is very different from first century Israel. For example, the Jordan River is very different today than it was a couple thousand years ago. In 1964 a dam was constructed near the Sea of Galilee, the major source of the river’s water. In that same year, Jordan constructed a channel that bleeds water for irrigation from the Yarmouk River, another water source for the Jordan River. The Jordan feeds the Dead Sea, but since the river runs much lower now, the Dead Sea is drying up. Over time, everything changes.”

  Beth seemed to ponder this. “So the treasures will be lost forever?”

  Chambers shrugged. “Maybe, but many scholars think that there may be other scrolls found that will help us along. The Qumran community existed for more than two hundred years. The United States has been around about as long. There may be more scrolls to be discovered.”

  “Ah, here’s where things get interesting.” Nuri straightened.

  “We’re moving from low-tech to high-tech. Some time back, NASA developed a technology that enables researchers to take molecular frequency analysis of underground features, features that can be several hundred feet underground. Apollo crews used an earlier version of this on the moon to determine the best places to take core samples. Well, during the last few decades, the technology has improved in accuracy and detail. These surveys are noninvasive, which is a beautiful thing. It sure beats digging acres of land before finding anything worth digging for.”

  “Okay, I’m pretty good with tech,” Beth said, “but molecular frequency analysis is a little above my pay grade.”

  “Understandable. You can’t pick up one of these things at eBay or Best Buy. Noninvasive frequency analysis reads the electromagnetic spectrum of elements.”

  “Ah, well, that explains it.”

  Beth’s sarcasm made Chambers grin. “The system reads the electromagnetic spectrum in hidden materials and tells the user the composition of the unseen objects. Using this and ground penetrating radar, we can identify underground caves, tunnels, chambers, and even some of the objects in those spaces.”

  “And you’ve had success with this?”

  Nuri answered. “Surveys have found at least forty clay jars buried in the Qumran area—intact jars with parchment manuscripts. There have been other objects found, including another copper scroll.”

  “What do those scrolls say?”

  Chambers noticed she addressed him instead of Nuri, even though he had been the one to provide the last tidbit of information. “Those finds are recent, and it takes time to get permission and funding to do the work. Some work has already been approved by the Israeli government. The largest cave is forty feet below the surface. Archaeologists move at a snail’s pace. It will take several years to dig that deep and keep track of archaeological finds they make along the way.”

  “I could never be that patient.”

  “There are many who share your philosophy,” Nuri said and turned his gaze out the s
ide window. Chambers understood the feeling. An archaeologist could end a career quickly by destroying one find to reach another. The days of gonzo, devil-may-care archaeology were gone. To let one’s impatience dictate the pace of a dig would only earn the disdain of the archaeological community, a society that could be brutal to members who offend its code.

  “So how much treasure are you talking about here?”

  “Short answer: about 2.5 to 3 billion US dollars.”

  There was a pause, then Beth said. “Did I hear a B in that sentence?”

  Chambers nodded. “Billion not million. By the Copper Scroll’s accounting there are 3,282 talents of gold and 1,280 talents of silver—”

  “A talent?”

  “It’s a measurement of weight. The term was a little, shall we say, flexible. A talent weighed between 75 and 125 pounds. To keep the math simple, assume a talent equals 100 pounds. That means 4,562 talents times 100 pounds each, yielding 456,200 pounds of precious metal, mostly gold. At today’s rates for silver and gold, the whole monetary treasure amounts to nearly three billion dollars, and that’s not counting the archaeological value.”

  “How could people of that day acquire so much money?”

  “The temple treasury held more than monetary gifts from worshipers and the temple treasures. It also guarded Israel’s secular wealth. In a sense, you could say the temple was the national bank of first-century Israel, serving the entire nation, the government, and private citizens.”

  Chambers leaned forward and continued. “Flavius Josephus, the first-century Jewish historian, noted that after General Pompey conquered Jerusalem in 63 BCE, Crassus demanded a 10,000 talent gold payment—and got it.”

  “I can’t begin to imagine that much money.”

  “It accumulated over time. The people supported their temple through a half-shekel tax. A half shekel was used only for religious purposes and equaled about two days work. Every Jewish man over the age of twenty contributed a half shekel every year. There were tens of millions of Jews spread throughout the Roman Empire. The tribute probably brought in about a billion dollars every year. Imagine that multiplied over many years. It’s not unreasonable to believe the temple treasury had billions of dollars. That’s just the money side of things. Again, if we think about the social, historical, and religious significance of the worship items, the value of the treasure becomes incalculable. Ceremonial items have a value all their own. Not the least of which is the fact that they’re made from precious metals.”

  “In some cases.” Chambers continued, “I mentioned some of the items in the first temple. The second temple in the first century did not have the ark of the covenant, but it had its share of gold. But there are things more important than financial value.”

  “Really. More important than money?”

  “She sounds like you, Chambers.”

  “Stuff it, Nuri.”

  Beth rolled her eyes, which Chambers took to mean she was reaching the threshold of her patience.

  “During the siege of 70 CE, while Jerusalem was in the throes of the worst turmoil imaginable—the Romans killed over a million and a quarter Jews—priests secreted away the ashes of the red heifer and other sacred objects—”

  “Wait. They did what? They stole the ashes of a dead animal?”

  “They didn’t steal the ashes. They took them to safety. It wasn’t just any dead animal.” He paused as he considered the best way to make a complicated topic simple. “Okay, here it is in a nutshell. The Old Testament book of Numbers prescribes that a red heifer, one that’s perfect and has never been used for work, shall be killed outside the camp and burned and that its ashes be mixed with pure water, hyssop, cedar, and scarlet.”

  “Okay, now that’s just weird.” Beth scrunched her nose.

  Again Chambers paused; the archaeology fascinated him, but talking about the spiritual side of things made him uncomfortable, something that hadn’t always been true. The jet bounced through some clear-air turbulence, as if prompting Chambers to get on with his explanation. “I know it sounds strange, but as an archaeologist, it isn’t my job to pass judgment on belief systems. It was what it was. Besides, no matter how foolish it might appear to you or me, there are still millions of Jews and Christians who believe the red heifer is important. Observant Jews have believed this since the days of Moses, almost thirty-five hundred years ago. More on target for our discussion is the fact that the ashes of the red heifer were important enough for priests to rescue them and take them for safekeeping and do so while thousands were being killed in and around Jerusalem.”

  “People do strange things in adverse conditions.” Nuri returned his gaze to the others and tapped his forehead. “Human psychology may be the strangest study of all. Did you know that after the Americans dropped atomic bombs on Japan, several men in Hiroshima, burned and injured, retrieved a painting of the emperor from the wall of a government building and ran through the burning streets of the city shouting, ‘Make way for the emperor; make way for the emperor.’ ” He raised his hands and shrugged. “Who can explain the minds of men?”

  “Or women,” Beth said.

  “No one can explain that, my dear.”

  Beth graced him with a smile, then asked, “So they mix the ashes of this red heifer with water. Why?”

  “Initially, it was used in ritual purification. For example, the ancient Jews—well some contemporary Jews as well—believed that touching a dead body made a person ceremonially unclean. Purification could be achieved by visiting the priests who used the water and ashes to perform the ceremonial cleansing. Ironically, the process made the priests themselves unclean, and they would undergo their own ritual cleansing. Many Christians believe the act symbolizes Christ and His sacrifice on the cross.”

  “Christians see a lot of symbolism in the Old Testament,” Nuri said.

  “So how does this connect to the Copper Scroll and the temple?” The plane jostled again, and Beth tightened her seat belt.

  “Purification rites were not just for ritually unclean people. It is believed that the third temple—the one yet to be built—will need to be purified before it can be used for worship.”

  “So by saving the ashes while the second temple was being destroyed, the ancient priests were preparing for a future temple.” Beth blinked, and for the first time, Chambers noticed the intelligence in her eyes.

  “Exactly. The same goes for the oil of anointing.” He shuffled through the papers on the table. “Let me read a few lines from the scroll: ‘On the way from Jericho to Succukah, by the River ha Kippah, in the tomb of Zaok the priest, which is a cave that has two openings. On the open side by the north, the view toward the east, dig two and one-half cubits under the plaster and there will be found the Kalah and under it one scroll.’ ”

  “What’s a Kalah?”

  Nuri spoke up but sounded bored. “It’s pottery made from clay and red heifer dung.”

  “Ew, sorry I asked.” A moment later she asked, “Well, was it there?”

  “Like I said, a lot has changed. It hasn’t been found, but something else has, something very few know about.”

  “Ooh, intrigue.”

  “You have no idea, my dear lady.” Nuri looked serious. “Archaeology has more intrigue than you can imagine.” He motioned to Chambers. “Carry on with your story. I enjoy a good tale.”

  Chambers closed his eyes for a moment, letting the jab pass, then lowered his voice as if others were around to hear him. “I have a colleague who, using information found in the Copper Scroll, undertook an expedition to find the sacred oil of anointing. The oil has been missing since the first century. He and the others searched Cave 11 near Qumran and discovered a buried clay vessel. It is about thirteen centimeters—five inches—and contained a gelatin-like substance. He said it reminded him of molasses.

  “The jar had been wrapped in palm leaves and buried in a one-meter-deep pit. That protected the oil from the high heat of the Dead Sea area. Now here’s the kicker: the
shemen afarsimon goes back to the days of the Exodus—”

  “The what?”

  “Sorry, the term means persimmon oil. The book of Exodus describes the five special ingredients necessary to make this anointing oil. Analysis of the oil residue in the container revealed myrrh, sweet cinnamon, sweet calamus, cassia, and olive oil. The oil was used to anoint kings, priests, and certain sacred objects. Tests showed the oil in the little jug matched this unique recipe.”

  Chambers rubbed his fingers together as if some of the oil had appeared on his fingertips. “Carbon-14 testing returned an age of two thousand years.”

  “Which puts it right at the time of the fall of Jerusalem.”

  “It’s certainly in the ballpark. The Israel Museum verified that the composition of the oil is unlike any other oil they have evaluated. After intensive testing by the pharmaceutical department of Hebrew University, which verified the composition of the substance, the oil was turned over to the two chief rabbis of Israel. They have taken precautions to protect it.”

  “Okay,” Beth said, “if I understand this correctly, the treasure is gold, silver, precious objects, and sacred artifacts that some believe are needed for a new temple. Am I close?”

  “That’s it. Of course, there is much more, but you get the idea.” Chambers grinned. “And remember: you asked.”

  “It’s all fascinating, but my head is spinning. I think I’ll go forward for a bit and focus on easy stuff, like flying a jet at thirty thousand feet.”

  That made Chambers laugh. “Now that would make my head spin.”

  FIVE

  The hands that would touch the object bore wrinkles, calluses, and age spots. The hands reflected the man, forged and shaped by a hard existence that ultimately led to wealth. These were hands that had worked cargo ships that plied the Mediterranean, hands that were slow to release a dollar. Those dollars became investments, and those investments became a comfortable living. Two decades later, the hands never had to work again.