While still in search of the Dead Sea scrolls containing original copies of the bible’s Old Testament, Josh Gates and the other archeology crew realize that some of these caves are damp; too damp to preserve scrolls. Most likely, some of these scrolls could not have survived the humidity over such long period of time. Before disappointment sets in, Josh is told of a different type of scroll that would have had no problem surviving in humid atmosphere because, unlike the conventional scrolls, the writings on these new scrolls are in pure copper, thus giving it its name – the copper scrolls. This new revelation sets Josh on a fresh path of adventure to seek more knowledge about the copper scrolls.
The fundamental uniqueness of the copper scrolls is overwhelming. The Dead Sea scrolls were made from parpary and the writings were done on this material, but for the copper scrolls, the writings were etched in copper! It is really no wonder because Josh finds out that the copper scrolls contain writings that may point the way to where valuable treasures were hidden. Experts say these treasures would be worth a billion dollars today!
He heads to Jordan, particularly the Jordan Museum of archeology, Amman; there he receives more insights on these scrolls and gets to see it. Very peculiar is the fact that the scrolls were rolled up making it extremely impossible to read its contents without damaging it. This begs the question, why were the scrolls rolled up? It is copper, and copper is metal. When metal is rolled up, to unroll it damages the whole thing; so why did the original authors of this scroll do this? To make access to its contents is difficult, no doubt; but now, access is practically impossible! Why would you write about where treasures are hidden only to make it impossible to access? So many questions strike the mind at this juncture. The lab technicians in an attempt to open these metal scrolls cut the metal to strips, but actually, they were damaging the copper further. Due to no prior experience, accessing these scrolls became impossible.
Nevertheless, some words could be made out on the surface of the scroll, describing where some treasures may be hidden. Extremely vague descriptions like:
“In the ruins in the valley of Ahor, under the stairs that must be climbed, hidden under the east side 40 cubits deep is a chest carrying the weight of 17 talents”
Now, a talent weighed approximately 75 pounds – if you do the math, 1,275 pounds of treasure – are hidden away in Ahor. That’s just one description. Amazing!
The scroll also points to places that are existing today in Jordan like Mount Nebo, so it may be real. Where do these scrolls come from? Who wrote them? Well, experts say the scrolls were taken from the second temple in Jerusalem, along with the Dead Sea scrolls (which were destroyed by Romans in the 70’s) and hidden away in the Qumran caves before they were discovered in 1952.
Armed with enough knowledge of the copper scrolls, Josh sets out on an adventure to find them. Driving along the scorching Jordanian desert, he heads to find some answers in the most breathtaking place, hidden within the desert sands.
Walking through a narrow canyon, still in the desert, Josh finds the famous narrow canyon walls which hide a very marvelous wonder: the lost city of Petra! It was brought into the limelight by a Swiss explorer named Yohan Rekhart, who disguised himself like one of the locals and convinced them to show him where the city was hidden. They did, and history thanks him for it. The wonder of the city is spectacular; once the center of commerce, having brilliant structures, including a movie theatre and the famous treasury. Josh found it surreal to be standing in it.
The city was built and created by the Nabetians – nomads in 400BC. Could they be the source of the lost treasures? These treasures, Josh is told by the archeologist there, Dr Najjar, were located on the other side of the Dead Sea, directly opposite Qumran. Without further ado, Josh and Najjar head to find these treasures, but they need the help of the locals, because due to the vagueness of the descriptions of the scroll, they need people who know the deserts well to point them in the right direction. So a long painstaking drive off-road the Jordanian deserts towards the camp of the Bedewings begins. The Bedewings are locals who are descendants of those who originally hid the scrolls. If anyone knows the whereabouts of these scrolls, it’ll be them. The journey to them isn’t easy; the desert sands compound the problem and make the journey ten times more difficult. Eventually, at the dark of the night, Josh and Najjar arrive at the Bedewing camp. After pleasantries, the Bedewings confirm the story of the copper scrolls and tell them the exact direction they are in. There would be caves to be explored there, hopefully, and the treasures would be discovered. Josh and Najjar are offered a hot meal and a bed to spend the night. The next day is pregnant with possibilities.
The following morning, awoken to intense desert sunshine, Josh and Najjer set out 20 miles farther into the desert in search of treasures. They arrive at their destination, seeing series of huge sand dunes, which deceptively look like caves – much like the caves in Qumran, Josh observes.
After a couple of tricky ‘caves,’ Josh and Najjar discover writings on a wall! It is in Greek but most of the writings have faded off. In another cave, they also found pottery and an oil lamp niche. This is irrefutable proof that there was human presence there centuries ago. The caves in this desert are in their hundreds; maybe thousands. It may take generations to explore the possibilities that are buried in these sands. Josh needed to streamline his search; so again, he is referred to Oren, his guide at Qumran during his past quest for the Dead Sea scrolls.
Josh meets Oren in Hycrania, also referred to as the fortress of Hycrania. Josh says there is a high possibility that treasures are hidden here; he had compelling reasons. The scroll begins with a description, ‘’under the valley of Ahor. ’’ The fortress of Hycrania is usually referred to as the ‘valley of Ahor’ and that is the only valley in the area. Convinced, both men set out.
They arrive at a tunnel that’s 350ft high. They literally had to slide down to reach the bottom, which presented two different tunnels, having two different dead ends that seem rather suspicious. Why would someone go through all the trouble of carving a tunnel 350ft high that leads to a dead end? Both men set out to another tunnel known for its proximity to a river bed, making it usually plagued by flood, but due to a drought, they had access to it. At the end of the tunnel, they found a body of water blocking their path, preventing them from going further. They whip up a snake camera to ascertain if the tunnel still goes down into the body of water. It does! There is hope, limitless possibilities. Najjar has to return when the water has dried up.
The possibilities and excitement of this episode is undeniable but a lot of questions still remain. Why were the scrolls rolled up to prevent people from reading its contents? Did they want the treasures hidden forever? If yes, why? Again, how come not a single clue of treasure was found in the Jordan desert? It is possible that the locals and Bedewings may have been there first. They know the deserts, they know where to find the treasures, so what stops them from finding them themselves? It is the Bedewings’ heritage after all. If man has learnt anything from history, it’s that humans tend to be possessive with their historical possessions. In this case, the artifacts worth a billion dollars. Lastly, is it possible that we may never really find these treasures anymore because we are late to the party?
