The Sacred Cipher Read online

  “Richard, you’ve gathered a great deal of valuable information here in a short time,” Larsen said as he turned away from the maps. “I congratulate you. But there are other significant possibilities that we should consider, perhaps add to these maps. First of all, we need to remember that there were at least five gates, the Huldah Gates, in the lower reaches of the southern wall. Herod built the wall to support the platform on top of the Temple Mount, and at least two of those gates led to underground tunnels that ascended up through the mountain and exited on the platform near the entrance to the temple.” Larsen picked up a red grease pencil and began to mark locations on the map of ancient Jerusalem. “The gates were here,” he said, making small squares, “and exited here.”

  “Yes, I remember,” Johnson said, pointing the deadly end of his pencil at the map Larsen marked. “We took a group from the museum to examine those gates about ten years ago. The most western gate, the Double Gate, has a double-arch entryway and a double-section lobby once inside the gate, while the most eastern one, the Triple Gate, has a triple archway on the front, which is now blocked, and a lobby of three rooms behind the entrance. General archaeological opinion is that there were two and three passages, respectively, leading up from the gates. But no one knows what is behind the other three gates.”

  Larsen turned from the maps and walked back to the table where Johnson was making lists.

  “Don’t you think it strange, Richard, that there has been so much archaeological interest in Jerusalem and the Temple Mount, yet there remains so much that is completely unknown?

  “I recently saw a quote from Hershel Shanks in Biblical Archaeology Review,” Larsen said, as he flipped to the article. “‘The City of David, a long, narrow ridge extending south from the Temple Mount . . . was home to Jerusalem’s earliest settlers. But how much do we know about this crucial site? Despite, or perhaps because of, its claim to being the most excavated city in the world, Jerusalem continues to confound, and sometimes delight, archaeologists as recent excavations force them to rewrite the history of the ancient city, its fortifications and its water system.’ It appears as if every week science is finding out more and more about Jerusalem, about the placement of its walls, the variety and security of its water systems, the spread of the city.”

  Larsen jumped as Johnson slammed his Ticonderoga into the wooden arm of his chair, shattering the pencil. “It’s not strange that we know so little of the Temple Mount,” said Johnson, “it’s absolutely criminal!

  “Winthrop, you have just touched on one of the things that absolutely drives me nuts”—Johnson waved the shattered remains of his pencil in Larsen’s direction—“the arrogance of the Muslims and the incompetence of the Israelis in their stewardship of the most vital historical site in the history of the world.

  “For thirteen hundred years, since the Caliph Abd al-Malik captured Jerusalem, Islam has maintained control over the Temple Mount, remarkably, even after Israel regained sovereignty over all Jerusalem following the ’67 war. Even then, the Israeli government allowed Muslims to control the Temple Mount. But what have they done with such control? Absolutely nothing of value, and,” Johnson said, stomping his foot, “most likely an incredible amount of harm.”

  Larsen returned to his seat. Experience told him his mentor was only getting started.

  “Through all this time, the Muslims have virtually shut down access to the Temple Mount, even for legitimate research and the world’s most renowned archaeologists. It’s virtually impossible to get near the Mount unless you are an Islamic worshiper. And it is impossible to gain permission to do any kind of exploration primarily because the Muslims are frightened that evidence may be uncovered that verifies the existence of the Jewish Temple on the Mount, something they refuse to acknowledge even today.

  “But that’s not the worst part,” Johnson said, wagging his finger in Larsen’s face. “The most infuriating thing is that the Waqf is simply raping the Mount with impunity and destroying irreplaceable artifacts. Again, I believe it is a blatant effort to destroy any evidence of a Jewish temple, and therefore any Jewish claim, on the Temple Mount. Do you know that in the last few years, the Waqf has had the audacity to bring bulldozers—bulldozers—into the area under the Mount that some have called Solomon’s Stables? And the bulldozers have dug out thousands of yards of dirt, poured it into dump trucks, and hauled the dirt to a dump, all without any oversight or supervision from international archaeological agencies. Random searches through the dump have found significant pre-Herodian masonry, portals and lintels and columns, strewn among the dirt and trash. Some of the artifacts have been recovered, but they have been thoughtlessly ripped from their contextual resting place, destroying any opportunity science would have had to make sense of their importance.

  “And the Israelis?” Johnson scoffed. “The Israelis sit placidly and ignorantly on their butts and do absolutely nothing to stop this outrage.” Johnson quickly got out of his chair and crossed to a corner of the room, digging through a pile of periodicals. He came back to Larsen with a magazine in his hand. “Here . . . here, read this. It’s absolutely disgusting.”

  Larsen obediently reached out to take the magazine, a 2000 edition of Biblical Archaeology Review that Johnson had opened to an article entitled, “Furor Over Temple Mount Construction,” by Steven Feldman, and then, with effort, ignored Johnson’s pacing while he read:

  The furor stems from a construction project undertaken by the Waqf, the Muslim religious authority that controls the Temple Mount, to create a second entrance to the al-Marawani mosque, located under the southeastern quadrant of the Mount in an area popularly, but mistakenly, known as Solomon’s Stables.

  The huge underground mosque at times attracts thousands of worshipers, so there was no question that a second entryway was needed for safety reasons. But the Waqf’s decision to simply haul material from the area and to dump it, in the dead of night, in the nearby Kidron Valley has been attacked as irresponsible destruction of an archaeological site. Israeli archaeologists say the area should first have been subjected to a controlled excavation. Now personnel from the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) can only sift through the dump in the Kidron Valley in hopes of gaining some raw, but context less, data about ancient Jerusalem.

  Solomon’s Stables served as a storehouse and stable in the 12th century A.D. for the Crusaders, who assumed that King Solomon had used the vaulted cavern in the same way. But the site actually dates to the reign of Herod the Great (37–4 B.C.), who greatly expanded the Temple precinct.

  “It is one of the most important sites in the country, and they’ve gone at it with a bulldozer,” Jon Seligman, Jerusalem region archaeologist for the IAA, told BAR. Seligman was appointed to his position at the very end of 1999, in the midst of the controversy—“Dropped into the boiling oil,” as he put it—though he had served as Jerusalem district archaeologist since 1994.

  Seligman said that the IAA has been examining the dumped remains, primarily pottery shards, coins and even some nails. About 40 to 45 percent dates to the Byzantine (fourth to seventh century A.D.) and early Islamic (seventh to eighth century A.D.) periods; about two percent dates to the late First Temple period (seventh to sixth century B.C.)—“The background noise of Jerusalem archaeology,” in Seligman’s words.

  Seligman added that the dump was not his primary concern. “The issue is the Temple Mount,” he said. “The dump is a side issue.”

  “This was an opportunity to learn about the site,” Ronny Reich, an IAA archaeologist and a specialist on the history of ancient Jerusalem, told BAR. Now, according to Reich, that chance has been lost forever. Reich added that the material hauled away from the Mount might even have contributed to the debate on whether Jerusalem was a significant city in the tenth century B.C., the era of King David.

  By destroying the historical context of the remains, the Waqf’s action violates Israeli law, which requires the IAA to conduct excavations before construction can begin at any historica
lly significant site. Relations between the Waqf and Israeli authorities have been greatly strained, however, since 1996, when a decision by then-Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to open an exit at one end of a tunnel running alongside the western wall of the Temple Mount led to widespread and deadly rioting by Muslims.

  Israel’s attorney general, Elyakim Rubenstein, admitted that law enforcement authorities had lost de facto authority over the Temple Mount. “The remnants of the history of the Jewish people are being trampled,” he said. “The Waqf must be told that we have tolerance for their worship, but they will not be allowed to kick aside our history.” Rubenstein acknowledged that “the issue there is a very sensitive one. Every Muslim home boasts a photograph of the Al-Aksa Mosque, part of which lies over Solomon’s Stables.”

  Given the volatility of the situation, Shlomo Ben-Ami, Israel’s internal security minister, announced in December that no forceful means would be employed to seal the new entrance. “I don’t want to put on a show of force that will cause the entire city to burn,” he said. Indeed, on December 6, Ahmed Tibi, an Arab member of the Knesset (Israel’s parliament) and a confidant of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, warned, “If someone has the nerve to close the entrances, he is declaring war on the Muslims!”

  At press time, the situation had become quieter, thanks in part to the Muslim holy month of Ramadan and to heavy rains that have hampered construction activity. Seligman told BAR that the work at Solomon’s Stables was near completion in any case. But it seems only a matter of time before the issue flares up again elsewhere on the Temple Mount.

  This is not the first time the Waqf has destroyed archaeological features on the Temple Mount. In the 1980s, an unauthorized trench dug to relocate utilities uncovered an ancient wall thought by an archaeologist who briefly saw it to be from the time of King Herod. It was probably a wall of one of the courts of the Second Temple. The wall was 6 feet thick, and a length of over 16 feet of it was exposed, but it was quickly removed and the area covered before it could be studied.

  In 1993 the Israeli Supreme Court handed down a decision in a case that had been brought to prevent the Waqf from continuing to destroy archaeological features of the Temple Mount (see Stephen J. Adler, “The Temple Mount in Court,” BAR, September/October 1991; and “Israeli Court Finds Muslim Council Destroyed Ancient Remains on Temple Mount,” BAR, July/August 1994). The court found the Waqf guilty of 35 violations of the antiquities law that involved irreversible destruction of important archaeological remains. Even during the pendency of the lawsuit, however, the Waqf continued to destroy ancient features on the Temple Mount.—S.F.

  Larsen put the magazine down and turned his head to look again at the immense map of the Temple Mount area of Jerusalem.

  “Richard, couldn’t this whole thing, the arrogance of the Waqf and the indifference, or incompetence, of the Israelis, couldn’t that prove invaluable to us?”

  “Are you kidding me?” Johnson blurted, snapping the point off another pencil. “Why they—”

  “Doc, wait a minute, think,” Larsen cautioned. “I’m not saying it’s right. And anybody with any sense would never let it continue. But think about it at least from our perspective. First of all, this article tells us that there is already a mosque situated under the Temple Mount, another argument that it’s possible for a temple to exist there. And, as you’ve noted, the Muslims have prohibited almost any exploration, either on top of or under the Mount. The only known study under the Mount was conducted by Warren, in secret, at night. But the dearth of information about the underbelly of the Mount has also prevented anyone from stumbling upon Abiathar’s Temple. Lastly, we know there are several documented tunnels and cisterns either at the base of, or under, the Temple Mount, correct? Well, how many other tunnels are in existence that no one has ever discovered? And they could be tunnels that are easily accessible if you knew where to look, but have never been officially uncovered.”

  Larsen reached out his hand and placed it on Johnson’s arm. “Look, don’t let your righteous anger ruin your perspective. If we can find a way into the Mount—or should I say, once we find our way into the Mount—if we do it right, we won’t have to worry about a bunch of archaeologists or a bunch of tourists tripping over us. Nobody gets under there. Once we do, we’ll have the place to ourselves. It will make the search much easier knowing we have free access and don’t have to worry about making noise.”

  Johnson looked at Larsen as if he had two heads. But his face softened, and his reason returned. “And I thought you were the student,” he said respectfully.

  Larsen blushed, then tried to hide his delight behind a light chuckle. “Well, since you’re in a receptive mood, I’ve got a few other thoughts for you. I think I may have identified three potential entrance points for us, entrance points that may not be under constant scrutiny by the authorities.”

  Tossing aside his ravaged pencil, Johnson capitulated.

  “The first,” Larsen said, returning to the map of the Temple Mount and pointing to the areas he had identified, “would be in the area of the southern wall we’ve already been talking about, the Huldah Gates. The second would be an area around the Gihon Spring. And the third would be the recently uncovered King’s Garden Tunnel.” He looked to Johnson for rebuttal or release.

  “Press on, my friend, you have my interest.”

  “Okay, let’s take the Huldah Gates first,” Larsen said, buoyed by Doc’s encouragement. “As you said, most pilgrims entered the Herodian Temple Mount area through either the Double Gate on the west or the Triple Gate on the east. A Herodian entry chamber, which is only partially preserved, exists inside the gate and leads to tunnels through which the worshiper could walk up to the level of the Temple Mount esplanade.

  “Now, there were two mikva’ot, or ritual cleansing basins, on either side of this tunnel’s exit. The pools provided the last opportunity for worshipers to cleanse themselves ritually before entering consecrated ground. In their surveys late in the nineteenth century, Charles Warren and Charles Wilson identified two subterranean cavities beneath the Temple Mount. Recently, other researchers have claimed these cavities were the Jewish ritual baths that were situated at the end of the tunnels from the Huldah Gates. But the main point for us is that what once could have been cleansing basins on the surface of the Mount were already, over a hundred years ago, well beneath the surface.

  “It’s possible that when we get to Jerusalem, we may be able to access these cavities, as Warren called them, or other cavities or caverns that are underground, and find an entry point to the tunnels that at one time led from the Huldah Gates to the surface of the Temple Mount,” he explained, returning to the assembly of maps and charts. “Perhaps along one of those tunnels, we could find some clue to the whereabouts of Abiathar’s Temple. This is a possibility, but not, I believe, our best possibility.”

  “Okay, professor,” said Johnson, with a patrician’s bow of the head, “what is our best possibility?”

  Addressing the map of Jerusalem at the time of Jesus, Larsen again took the red grease pencil and drew a small square near the base of the escarpment upon which the city rested, at the edge of the Kidron Valley, southeast of the Temple Mount. He then drew another square, outlining an area at the very southeast corner of the city, directly against the city wall, at the very end of the City of David. Pointing to the squares in order, Larsen stated, “The Pool of Siloam, just inside the Tekoa Gate at the southeast tip of the City of David and . . . the Gihon Spring, across from the Mount of Olives at the base of the escarpment.” He looked over at Johnson.

  Johnson nodded. “Right. Hezekiah’s Tunnel carried the water from the Gihon Spring to the Pool of Siloam,” said Johnson. “Since the Gihon Spring was inside the city walls, Jerusalem’s water source was protected in the time of siege.”

  “Ah, that’s what we were taught,” said Larsen, turning away from the map and resting his hands on a nearby chair, “but now it appears that what we were taught was com
pletely wrong.

  “For years, the most educated and accepted theory of Jerusalem’s walls was that they could only be built at the top of the escarpment, both because of engineering difficulties and also because any lower position would have left the city within range of enemy archers standing on the other side of the Kidron Valley. So it was theorized Hezekiah’s Tunnel was constructed to bring freshwater from the Gihon Spring to the Pool of Siloam, inside the walls.

  “But Reich and Stammers have unearthed a fourteen-foot-wide wall that predated Hezekiah, that runs along the base of the escarpment, and completely encloses the Gihon Spring. The remains of the wall reveal the existence of two huge towers on either side of the spring, obviously designed to protect the spring from attack.”

  Larsen watched Johnson as he absorbed the new information. “So, why the tunnel?” Johnson asked.

  “Exactly, why the tunnel?” Larsen responded. “Why cut a fifteen-hundred-foot tunnel when it was not necessary to keep the water supply safe? And,” he said, turning back to the map, drawing a serpentine shape along the face of the escarpment, “why start the tunnel from both ends at the same time? Wouldn’t that make the chance of meeting in the middle nearly impossible? And why this highly irregular ‘S’ course? Contrary to popular lore, this was not an engineering marvel where the two teams miraculously converged. From both directions there are numerous dead ends, obvious starts and stops, as the teams tried to find each other. But the most important question is, why build it in the first place?”

  “Do you think it possible that Abiathar may have used the Siloam Tunnel as his point of entry to the lower reaches of the Temple?” Johnson asked, tracing the course of the tunnel with his finger. “That perhaps, if we could gain access to the tunnel from the Gihon Spring, we may find a hidden point of access that would lead us farther under the Temple Mount?”