The Cana Mystery - читать бесплатно онлайн полную версию книги автора David Beckett (Chapter 2) #4

Chapter 2

The plane began to roll. Runway lights flickered past Ava’s window. The jet lifted off, lurched, and then steadied. Ava grabbed her laptop and began reading about the lost jars and various related miracles and locales. As the captain’s voice announced passengers’ freedom to move about the cabin, Ava reviewed her research. The first article was from CNN Online, dated December 21, 2004, and titled “Water to Wine: Are These the Jars?”

Among the roots of ancient olive trees, archaeologists have found pieces of large jars.… Experts believe these could be the same kind of vessels Jesus used in his first miracle, and the site where the jars were found could be the location of biblical Cana.… Christian theologians attach great significance to the water-to-wine miracle. It was not only Jesus’s first, but it also came at a crucial point in his ministry. The shards were found during a salvage dig in modern-day Cana, between Nazareth and Capernaum. Israeli archaeologist Yardena Alexander believes the Arab town was built near the ancient village. The jars date to the Roman period, when Jesus traveled the Galilee. “Just the existence of stone vessels is not enough to prove this is a biblical site,” Alexander said. Nevertheless, she believes the vessels are the same type of jars described in the Gospel of John.

“How could she know?” Ava wondered. There were probably thousands of similar jars in ancient Israel. What’s more, Ava didn’t believe modern Cana was located in the same place as historical Cana. This seemed too pat. Scanning her research, she found the heading “Cana, Location.”

A tradition dating back to the eighth century identifies Cana with the settlement of Kafr Kanna, eight kilometers from Nazareth. Scholars have suggested alternatives to Kafr Kanna, including Kenet-al-Jalil, Qana, and Ani Kana.

Ava scrolled down absently. She doubted that so-called experts would ever agree on historical Cana’s true location. Then, something caught her attention.

… led to speculation about the ultimate location of the historically significant lost jars of Cana. John 2:12 states that, after the wedding, Jesus “went down to Capernaum with his mother, his brothers, and his disciples; and they remained there a few days.” During this period, Christ may have announced a prophecy, which his followers recorded and sealed in the jars. Archaeologists sought the jars in Capernaum, others dug near modern-day Cana, but most maintain the jars were hidden in Tabgha.

She clicked on the file for Tabgha and found an article illustrated with a picture of a Romanesque mosaic.

Tabgha was described by a contemporaneous source as “not far from Capernaum, facing the Sea of Galilee… a well-watered land where lush grasses grow, with numerous trees and palms. Seven springs provide abundant water.” The Synoptics locate the city in “a desert place” near Bethsaida, but the Gospel of John describes it as lush and grassy. Today, scholars believe a newly discovered archaeological site is the lost city of Tabgha, where the Church of the Multiplication stands. Tabgha is derived from the Greek name Heptapegon, meaning “seven springs.” According to legend, Tabgha was situated on the northwest shore of the Sea of Galilee. St. Jerome referred to Tabgha as eremos, meaning “the solitude.”

Ava opened the next file: “Newly Discovered Archaeological Site.”

Recent excavation, funded by the philanthropist Simon DeMaj, unearthed walls and mosaics of a fourth-century Byzantine church near the junction of Highways 90 and 87, about ten kilometers north of Tiberias. A mosaic depicting fish, loaves, and one of the legendary jars can be seen next to a large rock. Historians believe this location was revered in Byzantine culture.

She shook her head. Did they actually have the nerve to call Simon DeMaj a philanthropist? That word means “lover of mankind.” If he loves humanity so much, she thought, why does he live in a secluded villa and travel by private helicopter?

Although many attribute Tabgha’s annihilation to the Arab invasion, it was more likely destroyed in AD 614 by Persians. Regardless, the city was lost for centuries. German explorers claimed to have rediscovered Tabgha in 1932 while seeking the lost jars of Cana. Because no evidence of the jars has been found at Tabgha or Jerusalem, scholars believe the jars must have been removed to a secret location (probably in Egypt) to prevent their being stolen or destroyed by invaders.

An effete flight attendant with a purely professional smile brought Ava a tiny cup of tomato juice. She’d have preferred the whole can. Maybe she could get a decent Bloody Mary during her three-hour layover. Ava closed her computer, reclined her seat, and dozed until the captain announced they’d begun their descent into Atlanta.

* * *

As she waited for the connecting flight, Ava resumed her research. Indexed under “Lost Jars” and “Cana,” she found an article by Professor Alan Millard.

Archaeologists have found several stone jars in the ruined houses of first-century Jerusalem. At least six jars stood in the basement kitchen of the Burnt House. They are 65–80 centimeters (2–2.5 feet) tall, were shaped and finished on a very big lathe, and were given a pedestal foot and simple decoration. Such stone jars would hold large quantities of water for washing and kitchen needs. Flat disks served as lids. The jars at Cana may have been similar to these.

These facts squared with information from a particularly well-researched 2002 piece by Yitzhak Magen.

Barrel-shaped kratars appear in different sizes, from 76 centimeters up to 87 centimeters. These stone jars have a wide opening. Some feature simple patterns while others have elaborate ornamentation, modeled after decorated bronze calyx kratars. Examples found on the Temple Mount have a large hemispheric receptacle and a base composed of a plinth and a torus. Larger kallal-type vessels had circular stone lids ranging from 40 centimeters to 50 centimeters in diameter, with the top surface worked into a profiled molding. The lids’ underside is typically flat, although some have a stepped rim to fit the jar.

Eventually it was time to board. Passengers pushed and jostled their way onto the Boeing 777. A nasal voice boomed over the PA, demanding that everyone follow instructions. After stowing her carry-on and fastening her seat belt, Ava resumed reading until interrupted by the singsong tones of mock courtesy: “Miss, you must be eighteen or older to sit in an exit row.”

Ava looked up to behold a stern attendant whose countenance had been drained of beauty by decades of nagging. “Thanks for the update.”

“Honey, maybe you don’t understand. You can’t sit here unless you’re eighteen.”

Several passengers turned. Blood rushed to Ava’s face. Her eyes widened, then narrowed. “I’m twenty-six,” she snapped. The attendant paused, dubious. Ava went on, “I graduated from Harvard four years ago. Next year I’ll finish my Ph.D. I’m twenty-six. Do you need to see my passport?”

“No, that’s fine,” the woman murmured, wandering off to bother the next passenger.

* * *

Paul was bone weary. He felt sand in his shoes, in his hair, even under his fingernails. Strong body odor attested to the fact that he’d not showered for days. Still, the work was exciting. When he accepted this job, he never expected to participate in one of history’s great discoveries. His phone rang. It was Simon, his mercurial boss.

“Get packed, and make sure the truck is ready. We’re going back to HQ. We need to perform more extensive testing, and the field equipment is inadequate. You’ve an hour.”

Grinning, Paul verbally acknowledged the instructions. He loved that Simon called his Yemen office “HQ.” So military! Paul unzipped his bag and started tossing in dirty clothes, toothbrush, razor…

Then he heard angry shouting outside the tent. What now? Had Simon failed to pay sufficient baksheesh to some petty official? Were the diggers demanding overtime? He stepped outside, ready to smooth whatever feathers Simon had ruffled. Paul walked to the truck. A short distance ahead, Simon argued in Arabic with a group of seven locals. Two were very old men. The others were much younger — some looked just fifteen or sixteen. They were shouting and blocking Simon’s progress. Paul couldn’t understand a word, but the argument sounded intense. After a few minutes DeMaj reentered the command tent and gathered his security team. “Uh-oh,” Paul whispered. The guards were tough customers. Technically off-duty police, they were actually thugs. Simon kept them on the payroll to placate Sheik Ahmed, the regional drug lord. They carried AK-47s everywhere they went.

Simon’s security team waved their guns threateningly, but the seven brave Egyptians stood their ground. DeMaj was irate. He threw up his hands in frustration and shouted in Arabic.

Then the guards started firing. Each emptied a full clip into the unarmed men, mowing them down, riddling their bodies with holes. Blood sprayed into the air. Bullets whizzed by Paul’s face; others slammed into the vehicle.

“No!” Paul shouted. He climbed quickly into the truck and punched the ignition. He could overlook bribery, but not murder. Not the murder of innocent civilians. Not the murder of children.

As he hit the gas, he shouted, “I quit! Do you hear me, Simon? I quit! You’ll never get the jars, and you can go to hell!”

Furious, scared, and alone, Paul sped into the dark, empty desert.

* * *

Halfway across the Atlantic, Ava tired of solving sudokus and resumed her research. Cross-referencing “hidden meaning” with “gospels,” “Jesus,” and “Lost Jars of Cana,” she found an article among her files.

Much controversy exists over what (if anything) the sacred jars represent. One theory is that they stand for the early Christian geographic divisions, and the leftover wine represents the Temple. Thus, as the wine is sealed in the jars, so the ancient Temple is superseded by the Christian churches. The importance of the jars’ number is clear. In the Old Testament, the number 7 signifies wholeness and completeness. A week has 7 days. On the 7th day, God rested because his work was finished. There are 6 jars because Jesus himself is the 7th. Christ placed significance on the leftovers from these miracles, whether collected in baskets or in jars. When asked by his disciples what to do, he chides: “Having ears, hear ye not? Do ye not remember? How is it that ye do not understand?” (Mark 8:18–21)

Ava deleted that article. She had no tolerance for mysticism or numerology. She refined her search terms. To her great amusement, under “legend + Cana + wedding + jars,” she found a 2012 article cowritten by none other than Dr. Ron Bagelton. Ava couldn’t resist giving it a look.

The first miracle occurred at a marriage feast, often considered the wedding of Mary and John the Apostle, but a suppressed, older version of the legend reveals that the wedding was between Mary Magdalene and Jesus himself.

She rolled her eyes. Naturally, the unscrupulous Bagelton would exploit the supposed proof that Jesus had been married. Ava recalled the buzz around Harvard when Professor Karen King unveiled a business card — size papyrus fragment purporting to quote Jesus mentioning a wife. The gullible U.S. media went wild. Fortunately, sober-minded journals exercised more caution. The Harvard Theological Review postponed publication of Dr. King’s article, citing the need for further research. In Italy, the Vatican’s L’Osservatore Romano declared the fragment a “very modern forgery.” Faced with the growing consensus among scholars that she’d been victimized by a hoax, Dr. King conceded the existence of doubts about the fragment’s authenticity, accepted the need for additional testing, and agreed to revise her paper. Bagelton’s article, unencumbered by any mention of the dispute, continued.

The Secret Gospel of Mark relates the story of Jesus in Capernaum, where Jesus says: “Happy are those invited to the wedding feast of the Lamb. Write down the true words of God. The one alone shall be chaste [fruitless]. Only two together behold [contain] the truth.” Later, Jesus explains why Romans cannot yet comprehend his message: “They listen, but do not understand, because their minds are dull. They have stopped-up ears. If you have ears, listen to what the Spirit says to the people!”

Ava skipped a few paragraphs, then read on.

In Revelation 5:2, St. John writes: “Who is worthy to break the seals and unlock the message?” This passage has never been deciphered. The interpretation might be similar to cryptic writings of Greek mysticism. There have been attempts throughout history to decode a biblical instruction set for creating a mystic diagram, taking the gematria of the passage into account.

Gematria? Ava laughed out loud. “Give me a break,” she thought. “How does a man like Bagelton still have an academic career?” She moved on to the next article. On the whole, it provided more history and less baloney, but it concluded:

Some scholars interpret these stories as factual events, prodding fanatics and treasure hunters to seek the relics mentioned in the biblical text. The legendary lost jars of Cana, said by John to have been used when Christ converted water to wine, are rumored to contain an unreadable prophecy predicting the ultimate apocalypse and providing the subtext for the warnings in Revelation against the coming Antichrist.

“Great,” thought Ava, closing her laptop. “The end of the world.”

* * *

Simon sat in his tent and fumed. Savage winds jostled the tent posts, rocking a kerosene lantern to and fro. Each pendular swing cast fearsome shadows across the sandy floor, sometimes lighting and sometimes obscuring Simon’s face. He cursed. Events had overtaken them. The recovery mission had devolved into disaster, and now the situation was spiraling out of control. He tried Paul’s phone again. No answer. DeMaj fought to maintain his composure. Pouring another cup of coffee, he wondered: Where would the young American go? What would he think? And what of the girl, the ancient-languages expert? She must arrive in Sana’a soon. Did she know anything? Would she be difficult? As the sirocco clawed the taut canvas, Simon plotted his next move. Reluctantly, he unlocked his phone and dialed Sheik Ahmed’s number.