Temple: The Prophecy of the Hidden Treasure (Brian Sadler Archaeological Mysteries Book 7) Read online

  TEMPLE

  The Prophecy of the Hidden Treasure

  Bill Thompson

  Published by

  Ascendente Books

  Dallas, Texas

  This is a work of fiction. The events and characters described herein are imaginary and any reference to specific places or living persons is incidental. The opinions expressed in this manuscript are solely the opinions of the author. The author has represented and warranted full ownership and/or legal rights to publish all the materials in this book.

  Temple: The Prophecy of the Hidden Treasure

  All Rights Reserved

  Copyright © 2017

  V.1.0

  This book may not be reproduced, transmitted or stored in whole or in part by any means, including graphic, electronic or mechanical without the express written consent of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

  Published by Ascendente Books

  ISBN 978-09979129-37

  Printed in the United States of America

  Books by Bill Thompson

  Brian Sadler Archaeological Mysteries

  THE BETHLEHEM SCROLL

  ANCIENT: A SEARCH FOR THE LOST CITY

  OF THE MAYAS

  THE STRANGEST THING

  THE BONES IN THE PIT

  ORDER OF SUCCESSION

  THE BLACK CROSS

  TEMPLE

  Apocalyptic Fiction

  THE OUTCASTS

  The Crypt Trilogy

  THE RELIC OF THE KING

  THE CRYPT OF THE ANCIENTS

  GHOST TRAIN

  Teen Fiction

  THE LEGEND OF GUNNERS COVE

  This book is dedicated to my late father Charles E. Thompson, a strong Christian and a student of eschatology, the study of the end times and God’s final judgment for those on earth. He never went to Israel but he would have loved it.

  My dad enjoyed every minute he spent with Dr. O.S. Hawkins, his pastor and next-door neighbor back in Oklahoma. I’m told they had many stimulating conversations about the Second Coming.

  My wife and I were privileged to make a trip to Israel with O.S. and his wife and it was the most wonderful place I have ever visited. You’ll see a glimpse of O.S. in one of the characters in this book (one of the good guys)!

  _____

  Thanks to my faithful beta readers whose comments and suggestions always provide valuable insight and guidance.

  _____

  My next novel will be available in the coming months. You can sign up to be notified in advance and get pre-release specials as available.

  Just go to

  billthompsonbooks.com

  and click “Sign Up for the Latest News”

  And I will give you the treasures of darkness,

  and hidden wealth of secret places,

  in order that you may know that it is I, the Lord,

  the God of Israel, who calls you by your name.

  Isaiah 45:3 (New American Standard version)

  Author's Note

  Although this is a work of fiction, the places in Israel that I mention all exist. Beth Shean (Beit She'an) is a fascinating archaeological site in the north, with acres of ruined, ancient buildings, their majestic stone columns standing like soldiers reaching to the sky. The spectacular Dome of the Rock sits atop the Temple Mount and is one of Jerusalem's most recognizable landmarks. Many scholars believe it stands on the very site of the Second Temple, which was destroyed by the Romans in AD 70. Others think the sacred Islamic shrine is close to the place where the temple stood, but not directly above it.

  I use the terms al Qaeda, al Qaeda in Syria or AQS interchangeably throughout this book. Earlier that group was called the al Nusra Front and today it is sometimes known as Tahrir al-Sham or the Levant Liberation Committee.

  Al Qaeda and ISIS are closely aligned at the very least, and some experts on the politics of the region believe they have now become a single jihadist organization.

  Biblical prophecy has always fascinated me because I believe that every time it is fulfilled – as it has been time and again throughout the centuries – it proves the existence of a higher Being who is and always has been in control.

  Isaiah prophesied that King Cyrus of Persia would free the Israelites and help them build the Second Temple. Isaiah 45:3, the verse on which this story is based, predicts the words of God to Cyrus, a man whom Isaiah called by name a hundred and fifty years before he was born. It was Cyrus to whom the treasures of darkness were given – the holy relics stolen from the Jews. The prophet Ezra predicted that Cyrus would help the Israelites rebuild their temple. And it all came to pass, just as Isaiah and Ezra had prophesied.

  This is significant because many Jews and Christians believe that the Third Temple must be rebuilt, rising like a phoenix from the spot where the Second Temple stood long ago. This will signal the end times – the war of Armageddon and the end of things as we know them. The political tension between Palestinians and Jews over rebuilding the temple makes it impossible to imagine that the Dome of the Rock would be razed just so the Jews could have their site back. Some biblical scholars think that it will be destroyed by natural causes to make way for the new structure. But what if the site of the Second Temple is on the Temple Mount, but not exactly where the Dome stands? If that were the case, the Third Temple could be erected alongside the Muslim shrine.

  The notion that there will be another temple in the end times comes from the book of Ezekiel. Today it is part of thrice-daily Jewish ritual prayers and is a fundamental aspect of Christian eschatology. According to an article entitled "Time to Build the Third Temple,"* in January 2017, the reestablished Sanhedrin asked the leaders of the USA and Russia to assume the role of Cyrus, fulfilling prophecy by helping the Jews rebuild their temple.

  The article further states that a member of Israel's Knesset, Rabbi Yehuda Glick, who attended President Donald J. Trump's inauguration, has had discussions with prolific Turkish Islamic author and television personality Adnan Oktar, who has called for Jews and Muslims to unite in building the Third Temple next to – but not in place of – the Dome of the Rock. He has met with members of the Jewish Sanhedrin on this subject.

  I love the thrill of adventure and I hope that someday the treasures of the Second Temple will be found. Could they have been whisked away on that night when the Romans sacked Jerusalem and burned the temple in AD 70? Perhaps in the end times – when the Third Temple is rebuilt and Jesus Christ comes again – we will learn the secret!

  *Brinegar, R. and Robins, D. (2017, March 2). Time to Build the Third Temple. Retrieved from http://www.endtime.com

  CHAPTER ONE

  Jerusalem Post, Sunday, May 2

  US VP Case to visit Jerusalem, dine with Lukin.

  First American leader on Israeli soil since Embassy moved from Tel Aviv

  There will be dramatically heightened security as American vice president Donovan Case arrives in Tel Aviv tomorrow for a two-day state visit. Case has a packed schedule of meetings and luncheons, and on the last evening he will dine with Prime Minister Avraham Lukin and his wife, Aya, at the American Colony Hotel in Jerusalem.

  Tensions have been high in Israel since President William Henry Harrison IV implemented the Jerusalem Embassy Act four months ago. He ordered the facility relocated from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. The embassy will temporarily share space in the building presently occupied by the United States consulate general's office. The ambassador and nearly two
hundred staff are currently working in Jerusalem. The remainder of the embassy employees – several hundred people – will move here when a new compound and ten-story office building under construction in West Jerusalem are completed next year.

  Although the Jerusalem Embassy Act has been law for two decades, every American president since Bill Clinton refused to implement it, citing concerns over national security. And those concerns now seem to be valid. Violent outbursts, rioting, protests and threats against leaders of both Israel and the United States have occurred almost daily since the move. Palestinians in Israel and Arabs in border countries are angered by America's move, which they describe as an attempt to legitimize Jewish control over Jerusalem.

  The vice president will be staying at the American Colony Hotel, which will be under tight security during his visit. Streets around the building will be blocked all day Tuesday in advance of that evening's dinner. Sources close to the matter told the Post that all guests who were staying at the American Colony will be moved to other venues for security reasons.

  _____

  Jerusalem Post, Tuesday, May 4

  Tensions high as American VP's motorcade is attacked;

  Hundreds of protesters arrested over two days as PM refuses to cancel dinner

  On Monday afternoon, a motorcade transporting US Vice President Donovan Case was attacked by an angry mob near the King David Hotel in Jerusalem. The protesters threw rocks, eggs and tomatoes at the vehicles and some broke through security lines, striking the American leader's SUV with their fists before being subdued by security officers and police.

  According to a person who spoke on condition of anonymity, some members of the Knesset urged Prime Minister Avraham Lukin to cancel Wednesday's scheduled state dinner with Case at the posh American Colony Hotel, but Lukin refused. That source revealed that both the vice president's security detail and Lukin's have expressed concern at the numbers of protesters taking to the streets and the heightened level of anger and violence they are displaying. Nearly three hundred people have been arrested since Case arrived on Monday, mostly Palestinians but also Syrians and Lebanese nationals who apparently came to Jerusalem solely to join the movement protesting the state visit of the American vice president.

  "In its short history, Israel has faced bigger challenges than threats from a group of rabble-rousers who have no valid claim to our land and who refuse to obey the law," the prime minister said. "Having the American embassy in Jerusalem after all this time is the culmination of years of struggle. This city belongs to the Jews, and our American friends have helped make that clear to the world. God willing, Vice President Case, my wife and I will have our dinner Tuesday evening and no rock-throwing hoodlums are going to force us to cancel it."

  The head of the Palestine Liberation Organization, Mohammed Kahn, termed Lukin's remarks "incendiary and dangerous," adding, "Retaliation by those whose legal right to these lands is challenged by Israel and America is both understandable and inevitable." When asked by a Post reporter if that remark meant he supported violence against Lukin or Case, he refused to answer.

  When the embassy was moved to Jerusalem a few months ago, the PLO revoked recognition of Israel as a nation, breaking the terms of the Oslo Peace Accord to which the PLO was a party. In the months since President Harrison's decision to relocate the symbolic seat of American government in Israel, violent protests, car bombings and threats against leaders have dramatically increased.

  CHAPTER TWO

  One Day Earlier

  Brian Sadler and his wife, Nicole Farber, sat in the expansive bar of the David Citadel Hotel in Jerusalem. Through the massive windows past the patio they could see the Tower of David and the Old City standing in ageless grandeur in the distance. The last rays of sunlight gleamed on its ancient, historic walls as though the fingers of God were reaching down from Heaven to bless that sacred spot.

  A couple of patrons in the bar stopped by their table, introducing themselves to Brian and saying how much they loved his TV specials on the History and Discovery networks.

  Bijan Rarities had already been a well-regarded Fifth Avenue antiquities gallery when Brian became its owner. He had significantly expanded both its reputation and his own by relentlessly promoting archaeology as an adventure, not a boring dig in the sand. The tedious work at hot, dusty sites was a factor in amazing discoveries, but Brian capitalized on the exciting parts – times like that morning when Howard Carter first gazed upon the golden treasures of King Tutankhamun and called them "wonderful things." He created immensely successful television documentaries that had been seen by millions around the globe and at the same time transformed himself into an instantly recognizable celebrity.

  After the tragic bombing of his New York gallery a few years ago, Brian had moved to Dallas to join Nicole, who would later become his wife. He established a shop there, using it as his base and traveling frequently to his other locations in London and New Orleans.

  He was also an adventurer, often visiting sites in Central and South America, exploring ruins and learning more about the mysterious people who had built enormous skyscraper temples while having only rudimentary tools with which to work. Many of these journeys had ended up as fodder for his television specials.

  His wife, Nicole, a solo-practice lawyer in Dallas, occasionally accompanied him on his adventures, and she'd been especially excited about this trip. This was her first time to Israel and Brian's second. He had enjoyed their week and loved accompanying her to the sites they'd read about in the Bible since they were children.

  They stood as Vice President Donovan Case strode confidently through the room, flanked by Secret Service agents. He gave them a wave as he approached their table and the three agents peeled away, taking up positions that allowed them to observe the surroundings.

  "Hey, guys," he said as he hugged Nicole, then Brian and pulled up a chair. "Sit! Sit! Great to see you both! Thanks for working with my schedule so we could get together. I'm sorry there's not much time, but you know how it is."

  Brian and Nicole had arrived in Jerusalem a week earlier. Although the primary purpose of his trip was to attend tomorrow's auction of relics from the time of Jesus, they'd allowed plenty of time to visit the historic sites. When they heard Don was going to be in town, Brian had asked his scheduler if he could spare time for a quick drink.

  "Mr. Vice President," Nicole began, but Case shook his head and wagged a finger in her face.

  "After what we've been through, I'll always be on a first-name basis with you both."

  "Don," she began again, "we've been fortunate to have time here for sightseeing. Do you get a chance for any of that on these state visits?"

  "Occasionally, but usually it's such a hassle on both sides that it isn't worth it. I've always wanted to visit the Temple Mount, for instance, but your friend the president screwed that up for me. Since he moved the embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem last spring, the Dome of the Rock's now off-limits to firebrands like me." He chuckled, but they knew he was serious.

  A few months ago, President Harrison had ordered the embassy moved from Tel Aviv to West Jerusalem, the actual capital of Israel. Knowing there would be a tremendous firestorm over the act – one that had been approved by Congress years before but never implemented – the president had secretly prepared the ambassador and consul general well in advance. On the morning that the president made his announcement from the Rose Garden, semitrailer trucks were already on the road, hauling furniture and equipment from Tel Aviv to the consulate general's compound in Jerusalem. His existing staff would be shuffled around to make room for over a hundred and fifty newcomers who had been lodged in Jerusalem hotels the night before the announcement. There would be cramped quarters for months while a new compound was built, but it was business as usual in the new Jerusalem embassy the morning after the president's press conference.

  Prominent Jews in Israel and the United States had praised the president, calling the move an act of courage. Prime Minister
Lukin said it was a bold step in the right direction, but his opinion was not universally shared. Within minutes after Harry's speech, there was a hastily arranged press conference from the Capitol, where minority leaders of the House and Senate assailed the president for his decision. They called it a foolish, dangerous move that would needlessly incite anger. There was no reason to relocate the embassy, they railed. But it had been too late.

  As expected, inflammatory, bitter criticism had been leveled at Harry by the chairman of the PLO and the heads of state of many Arab nations. The president of the European Union was more diplomatic in her remarks, although it was clear that she and other allies felt this was an unnecessary, volatile move, one that would create far more problems than if he had simply left it alone, as his predecessors had chosen to do.

  While in Israel, Brian and Nicole had seen firsthand the anger some citizens felt. They had hired a former Mossad officer's security company – one recommended by the embassy – to arrange a guide for their excursions in Jerusalem and around Israel. He was fluent in English, well-versed in the Christian and Jewish history of the sites they visited, and – as evidenced by distinct bulges under his jacket – ready for a problem if one arose. It was comforting yet disconcerting, given the unrest they saw everywhere.