Indisputable Proof (10 page)

CHAPTER 15

September 11. Tuesday – 3:01 p.m. Northwest Coast of Costa Rica

The ocean nestled against the sheer gray façade which towered above them, creating a deepwater shoreline. Fortunately, the base of the Formacion Descartes Santa Elena was just a step above the ocean surface, and, therefore, they would not have to scale the stone wall to enter.

Tolen brought the boat to within 150 feet of the land formation before cutting the engines. He purposely kept the vessel at a distance in case anyone came by. He wanted it to appear they were trying to conceal their activity, when in reality he welcomed any of the ‘True Sons of Light’ who wished to engage them.

After they weighed anchor, it took the efforts of both Tolen and Jade to get Diaz topside. The tough, roguish inspector was a mess; a puddle of queasy discomfort. They helped him into the small dinghy behind the boat. Diaz slumped in his seat and grabbed his head. “Please, God, make it stop,” he said through deep, labored breaths. He looked up at Tolen, who was prepping the outboard motor to pull the cord. “At first I thought I was going to die,” Diaz said, then formed his mouth as if to belch, yet nothing came out. His face was an unnatural shade of green. “Now I fear I’m going to live.”

Jade looked at Tolen. A mild grin brushed across her face. “Maybe you should take his gun away from him.”

“He’ll be fine once we get to firm ground.”

Tolen could sympathize with Diaz. He had become seasick, or motion sick as it is also called, as a child, the first time his father took him on the water. To this day, he recalled the horrid feeling of headache, nausea, and dizziness.

Tolen removed his jacket. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Jade do a nearly imperceptible double-take when she noticed the linear scar on his right forearm. She refrained from asking the obvious question. Instead, she helped him load the tools—pickaxes, flashlights, rope, electric lanterns—into the dinghy. Then they took their seats. Tolen sat aft and cranked the small outboard motor. Diaz was in the middle, head down in his hands. Jade was on the bow, staring appreciatively at the formation in the slate wall.

Once the motor started, Tolen grabbed the tiller and aimed the small craft for the wall. The brisk wind and steady current forced Tolen to tack ahead, aiming to a point at the wall before the formation in order to offset the forces of nature.

Ahead, the triangular opening grew larger. The discovery of Joseph of Arimathea’s tomb, if made, would be monumental. Not in his wildest dreams would he have foreseen the find of a biblical site in South America. The thought of it still seemed improbable.

The sunlight angled in from the west, lancing a shadow across the recessed opening and darkening the inside. In fact, there was no way to tell how deep the cave extended, because it faced due north, so the sunlight never reached very far inside.

Tolen had found no information to suggest anyone had ever ventured into the cavity. It was apparently relevant enough to have been named, yet not distinctive enough to be worthy of closer investigation—or at least no one had documented their findings. This was probably due to its inaccessibility.

Tolen looked to either side and behind. There were no boats visible on the horizon, only whitecaps dotting the vast blue terrain to the north. A cloudless sky stretched overhead. In the slower-moving craft, the sun’s warmth intensified as the cool wind became shielded by the cliff facing. The air remained saturated with salt and sea. The rumbling motor propelled them forward despite the current’s best effort to draw them backward.

“This is crazy,” Diaz muttered, his face still in his hands. “No one traveled here from the Holy Lands across the ocean two thousand years ago.”

“Actually,” Tolen began, “in 1970, Thor Heyerdahl, a world-renowned explorer and archaeologist from Norway, sailed a twelve-meter papyrus boat from the old Phoenician port of Safi, Morocco to Barbados. His journey crossed the widest part of the Atlantic, some 3,200-plus miles. Heyerdahl proved that modern science has long underestimated early seafaring technology.”

Jade gave him a subtle smile, apparently impressed once again with his knowledge.

Diaz offered no response other than to continue to bemoan his discomfort.

Nearing to within fifty feet of Formacion Descartes Santa Elena, Tolen cut the motor speed to half. Just then, the boat abruptly stopped, jerked forward, and stopped again. Tolen killed the engine.

Diaz lifted his head weakly. “What’s….the matter?” he asked in a throaty voice.

Jade looked at Tolen with palpable concern.

Tolen lifted the motor by tugging on the powerhead and tilting the prop out of the water. The skeg, the extended piece that guards the prop, had impacted something under water. With the lower half of the motor now raised, he could see the twisted metal at the end. “There’s a rock bed, or possibly a seamount just below the surface adjoined to the underwater base of the wall. We struck it.”

“A subduction zone?” Jade asked.

“There’s no way to know. We don’t have a depth finder. It means we can’t take the boat all the way in. Even if we kept the motor up and paddled, it’s not worth the risk of slicing the bottom of the craft on a jutting piece of underwater structure. We’ll have to swim the rest of the way. The tide is low, but rising. I’ll pull the long lead rope to the formation, and we’ll tie the boat up there so it doesn’t drift away.”

Jade looked down at the water. Diaz had plugged his face in his hands again.

Tolen opened a rear compartment and tossed a 25-pound anchor out from the stern. Then he tied it off on one of the cleats.

“How can we swim over there and carry the tools?” Jade asked, still eyeing the water. She seemed anxious.

Tolen removed three life jackets from underneath his seat. He tossed one to each person. He grabbed the two pickaxes and, one at a time, launched them across the water into the Formacion Descartes Santa Elena where they landed with a clang and were lost from sight. He took the extra coil of rope and draped it over Diaz’s shoulder and neck like a bandolero wearing a gun belt. The man hardly seemed to notice in his sickly state.

Tolen removed a large plastic bag from his pants pocket and proceeded to place the flashlights, electric lanterns, and his Springfield pistol inside. He motioned for Diaz’s weapon, and the man groggily complied. Then Tolen closed the bag off, making sure it sealed shut, and tied it to the end of the bow rope. “Diaz, if you can get that coil of rope over, I’ll get the rest as I take the bow rope. I’ll go first, followed by you, then Jade. As I stretch out the bow rope, you can both use it as a guide. Hopefully, we’ll avoid any jagged rock protrusions if we go slowly. Everyone take your time, and keep your shoes and clothes on,” he said, happening to look at Jade.

“Did you think I was going to strip starkers before you two?” she asked, arching her eyebrows.

“Let’s go,” Tolen shrugged as he grabbed the plastic bag and lead rope. He slipped over the gunwale into the water.

Diaz pushed himself up and plopped over the side of the boat. Jade was last, entering the water tentatively. Next to the boat, the threesome stood upon a forest of jagged rocks four feet below the surface.

Even with the weight of the flashlights and lanterns, the plastic bag, with its pocket of air, remained buoyant. Tolen kept a firm grip on it as he started trudging forward. Diaz followed behind, and Jade fell in line after the two men.

With any luck, the stone protrusions at their feet would remain at the current depth and not impede their progress. As Tolen proceeded further ahead of them, the lead rope stretched out, and Diaz and Jade grabbed it as they went. Not surprisingly, the water was warm as the waves sloshed against Tolen’s chest, slowing his progress.

Halfway to the opening, the pointed rocks below became increasingly deeper. The tips also sharpened. Without shoes, their feet would have been cut to shreds. Tolen was forced to swim, gliding into the teeth of the swells. In turn, Diaz and Jade also went horizontal, paddling across the surface. Tolen maintained a firm grip on the lead rope and plastic bag as he swam vigorously, knowing he only had to cover another fifteen feet. He was a strong swimmer, and even fully clothed, he cut through the swells. Within seconds, he reached a flat, underwater stone ledge which angled slightly upward into the shadows of the wall crevice. He climbed onto the dry stone, turned, and helped Diaz up, and then Jade. Tolen noticed a chalky smell as the threesome took a moment to remove their life jackets and allow their clothes to drain water. Tolen tied the end of the line around a fortuitous rock formation with a curved stone that created a small circle, perfect for his needs. Then he proceeded to open the plastic bag and disperse the flashlights and lanterns. He handed Diaz his pistol and returned his own weapon to his wet holster under his left arm. Each switched their flashlight on.

Reaching the Formacion Descartes Santa Elena was easier than he had expected. Yet when he looked into the cave where the lights cut through the shadows, Tolen knew the real challenge was just beginning.

There was a three-foot-high, uneven rectangular opening in the back left corner of the recess. It was irregular enough to be the work of nature, but precise enough to be manmade. Tolen made his way over to it, knelt down, and shined his flashlight inside. “There’s another cave.” He crabbed through, and Diaz and Jade followed.

This second cave was clearly natural with its seven-foot scabrous ceiling. It was also completely empty. A dozen feet in, it ended at a wall of craggy black-and-gray stone. There were no other outlets.

They were at a dead end.

CHAPTER 16

September 11. Tuesday – 3:33 p.m. Northwest Coast of Costa Rica

“There’s nothing here,” Diaz remarked. Jade noticed his voice sounded nearly human again. The stable footing had cured his seasickness almost immediately.

As Tolen surveyed the walls and floor, Jade detected a faint burnt smell.

“Someone has been here,” Tolen said as he moved to the rear left corner of the cave floor and kicked at a low, dark pile of soot. Dust stirred into the air. “Ashes. Probably from a campfire. No telling how long it’s been here.”

Jade shot him a discouraged look.

“It doesn’t mean someone found the tomb. May have simply been someone seeking shelter,” Tolen tried to reassure her.

She appreciated his attempt to mollify her, but she was not convinced. She desperately wanted this to have been Joseph’s tomb.

Jade turned and felt the rock edge along the lower rectangular entrance they had passed through. “This opening is manmade. See? There are tool marks,” her voice gained back some enthusiasm.

“What does it matter?” Diaz said. “There’s nothing here.”

Jade strolled to the left wall and began to examine it. Tolen flicked on one of the electric lanterns, throwing suffused light about the room.

“The cave appears natural,” Tolen remarked.

“I would agree,” Jade said, sliding the tips of her fingers along the smooth surface. Tolen and Diaz came to her side.

Diaz remained disinterested. “We got soaking wet for nothing, and now I get to ride back in that boat while my stomach turns in knots again. It’s time to leave this treasure hunt and talk to the authorities about Dr. Phillip Cherrigan’s death. Time is running out.”

Jade spun around. “We’re not going
anywhere
until I’ve had a chance to examine this room.” Her words were clipped, her tone annoyed.

Diaz offered a single grunt and took a seat on the stone floor. “You do what you have to do. Then we’re leaving.”

Jade’s eyes shot daggers at the man. She started to turn away in disgust then wheeled back on Diaz. “Do you realize the discovery of artifacts which could validate Jesus’ existence would be earth-shattering?”

“One does not need physical evidence to know that Jesus existed and was the Son of God,” Diaz responded calmly.

“That’s the point, Diaz,” Jade said. “You don’t require tangible evidence, since your beliefs hinge on your faith; but a cache of Jesus’ possessions, incontrovertibly tied to the man, would be proof to others who may not have the level of faith you possess.”

Diaz’s brow furrowed. “You speak of this cache as if we don’t already have objects from His past, when, in fact, we do. The Sudarium, the Shroud of Turin...those linens once touched the body of the Savior.” Irritation had crept back into his voice.

“Even you must realize, Diaz, there’s no way to prove the authenticity of either relic indisputably,” Jade added. “These, too, must be categorized as items of faith.”

Diaz looked incensed. “So you think the Sudarium is a fake?”

Jade tightened visibly. “I never said that.”
Stay calm
. “My understanding is there’s no positive proof to claim it even existed in the first century.”

“It’s mentioned in the Bible!” Diaz fumed, his rising agitation evident.

Tolen responded calmly. “If archaeologists could find tangible evidence, those who doubt Jesus’ historical existence would be forced to accept the truth. The find would be monumental for both historians and biblical pundits.”

To Jade, Tolen seemed introspective as he spoke this time.

“There’s also the possibility that the earthly objects of Jesus may be referring to his remains,” Jade said. She was thinking as an archaeologist, but even as the words left her lips, she realized it was a mistake to bring up the point in Diaz’s presence.

“His...what?” Diaz screwed his face. “There
are
no earthly remains of Jesus Christ! Have you not read the biblical account of the resurrection?! I will listen to no more of this blasphemy!”

Jade gave up on Diaz. She continued to guide her fingers over the wall, keeping the flashlight in her other hand to provide focused light.

Tolen spoke, “What are you hoping to find, Jade?”

“Another symbol like we found on the Harvard sphere, perhaps,” She turned to Tolen, her hazel eyes pleading as she lowered her voice. “This has to be the place. The description matches the clue so perfectly. There’s got to be something we’re missing.”

Tolen joined Jade at the rock face, and the two meticulously inspected the left wall. It took about twenty minutes to examine every square inch, but they found nothing unusual—no images or symbols. It was merely a flat wall of stone. Jade turned and drifted to the wall behind them.

Tolen looked at the wall where Jade now stood, then at the back wall. Diaz was seated in the middle of the room watching them. He had unshouldered the rope, taken his shirt off, and was wringing the seawater out of it.

“Let’s examine this one next,” Tolen said, motioning to the rear wall.

Jade followed his recommendation.

The two began studying the wall judiciously. It appeared to be the same as the other three walls. Tolen stepped back and studied it momentarily.

By now, Diaz had also come over to see as he struggled to get his wet shirt back on.

Without a word, Tolen left the room through the low rectangular opening and returned seconds later with a pickaxe. He used the point to tap on the left wall, then the right. Jade heard the distinct thuds. These were solid stone walls.

He moved beside Jade and Diaz and tapped on various places along the entire back wall. Each time he rapped on the stone surface, he heard a distinctive tinny sound, unique from the other walls.

Jade’s eyes lit. “It’s hollow,” she said, nearly breathless. “This is a false wall!”

Diaz remained nonplussed.

Jade turned to Tolen. “How did you know?”

“It’s the only wall precisely perpendicular to the floor.” He aimed his flashlight to the right. “That wall is slightly leaning in; the other two leaning away. Those walls are what you’d expect in a natural formation, but this wall is perfectly vertical. It may be manmade.”

“Diaz, please go get the other pickaxe and give me a hand.”

Diaz left the room. Tolen began to chip away at the wall. It gave way easily. Whatever the wall’s composition, it was not solid stone.

By the time Diaz returned, Tolen had forged a tiny opening through the six-inch-thick wall. The instant he broke through, Jade signaled for him to halt. She crowded against the wall and aimed the flashlight through the opening. She placed her hand to her forehead as she felt her face flush. She could hardly believe the sight before her. Her next words came out excitedly, “There’s a large chamber beyond this wall. I believe it’s the tomb!”

She could barely contain herself as she stared back in awe through the opening. The rush of excitement caused her to shake. Before she knew it, Tolen had placed an arm around her for support as he moved beside her, glimpsing inside using his own flashlight.

Even Diaz seemed stunned by the visage beyond. “It’s unbelievable,” he said, his mouth gaping open.

Jade turned to Tolen. As if the fog suddenly cleared from her mind, Jade looked down at Tolen’s arm and awkwardly pulled away from his grasp. “I’m…I’m fine,” she stuttered. She looked at Diaz, who was still transfixed before the opening. “Do you believe me now?” she called to him.

Diaz said nothing. He silently picked up the axe and went to work on the wall. Tolen joined him.

It was only a matter of minutes before they created an opening large enough for them to pass through. There was no hesitancy from Jade, who promptly went first, her flashlight stabbing into the dark hole where she disappeared. Diaz followed, and Tolen passed through last, each carrying a lantern and a flashlight. Diaz once again had the coil of rope hoisted upon his shoulder.

Even by flashlight, Jade could tell the place was enormous. As soon as they turned their electric lanterns on, she gasped. The cavernous chamber was immense, like the interior of a massive cathedral. The circular walls curved upward, creating a lofty dome overhead. The room seemed to self-illuminate, the result of bright, bold images which adorned the ceiling: colorful pictures in hues of every color, orchestrated together in an elaborate fresco depicting men and angels, prophets and beggars, kings and servants, soldiers and priests.

All three stood in place, marveling at the sight.

“This is extraordinary!” Jade said in awe, her British accent heightened by her excitement.

****

Tolen felt a chill race over his body. It was either from his still-damp clothes or the undeniable excitement he now felt. The dust became strong in his nostrils, and he could taste the flavor of ancient stone with each inhale. The chalky aroma was not pure; it blended with something else he could not distinguish.

Around the chamber at ground level were niches carved into the walls every dozen feet or so. Each niche had a waist-high ledge containing a stone-carved cross. No two crosses were the same; each varied in height and width. Equally as remarkable, a large pond dominated the majority of the room. The base had apparently been carved out to form a subterranean pocket filled with fresh water. Where they stood, a narrow walkway ran the perimeter of the entire room, encircling the pond.

There was absolute silence as they took in the grandeur of this monstrous cavity and the spectacle of its features and intricate artwork. It was unlike anything Samuel Tolen had ever seen. He felt a mild touch of reverence.

Tolen turned to look at the niche behind when he heard Jade audibly inhale a second time. He spun around to see what had caught her attention. Diaz was already staring out at the water.

“My God,” Jade said, “look.” She pointed to the center of the large pond.

Tolen spotted a miniscule round island slightly elevated from the surface of the pond; a gray dimple in the middle of the watery landscape. It appeared as a hump, made of smooth stone and no more than nine feet in circumference.

This was not what had caused Jade’s reaction, however. It was the large circular boulder sitting in the middle of the island that had made her gasp.

“It’s another stone sphere!” she exclaimed.