God's Lions: The Secret Chapel (14 page)

The two weary men watched the flight attendants walking up and down the aisle, slamming overhead compartment doors shut and checking seatbelts. Finally, the doors were closed and the lights dimmed as the plane adopted the muted hum of electrical power that preceded the start of the engines. They felt a slight jolt and saw the terminal begin to recede when a small tractor on the ground began to shove the jet backward, away from the gate. John closed his eyes and drummed his fingers on the armrest of his seat while he listened to the four engines come to life one at a time.

The large jet moved away from the terminal on its own power as John opened his eyes and peered out the window at the rows of blue taxiway lights passing below in the darkness. Without fanfare, the plane turned onto the main runway and started its takeoff run. Leaving the ground behind, the jet streaked upward, and the twinkling lights of Rome were quickly extinguished when they entered the base of some low-hanging clouds.

After drinking some bottled water, the two reclined their seats. Within minutes, they were both sound asleep, thirty-five thousand feet above the Mediterranean Sea. They were on their way to the Holy Land.

Jerusalem itself had no international airport. All flights from outside the country arrived at Ben Gurion, located between Tel Aviv on the Mediterranean coast and Jerusalem twenty-eight miles to the east. The sun had risen over the nose of the plane several minutes earlier and Leo and John were now fully awake, watching the scenery grow closer outside their window as the blue and white El Al jet flew in low over the coast of Israel and circled to land.

After touchdown, the aircraft taxied to the ultramodern Terminal 3, where the still-exhausted men shuffled their way out of the big Boeing jet and on through the lines at customs. The two were still paranoid after their ordeal in Rome, and every new situation made them grow progressively more anxious. Israel’s international airport reputedly had the tightest security of any airport in the world. Israeli soldiers with automatic weapons were everywhere, along with an invisible security presence no one ever saw, even though it saw them.

Walking through the main concourse, John reached inside his backpack and ran his fingers over the cool, chalky surface of the ancient brick. Satisfied that it was still tucked safely inside, he gave a thumbs up to Leo before they stepped out of the airport into the bright light of the Holy Land.

“God, what a feeling this place has,” John said. “I’ve never been here before. Just think, soon we’ll be walking in the footsteps of Jesus, Mary, the Apostles; it’s overwhelming.”

Leo stretched and watched the wide-eyed tourists flowing out of the terminal. “I experienced the same euphoria on my first visit to Israel many years ago. It doesn’t matter whether you’re a Christian, a Jew, or a Muslim; the emotions people experience here are powerful. Walking in the steps of our biblical forefathers has a profound effect on those who flock here every year from all over the world. They may not feel it yet, but as soon as they enter the old part of the city and touch the ground where Jesus carried the cross, they will know in their hearts that God is close by.”

Father Leo was as excited to be here as he had been on his first visit. It was springtime, and the Mediterranean climate was Eden-like. Breathing in the fresh air, Leo and John stood on the sidewalk in front of the airport. They were wondering what to do next when an old green Land Rover pulled up to the curb next to them. The driver flashed a grin and motioned with his hand. “Leo, John, hop in. We must hurry.”

Behind the wheel was a distinguished-looking man with gray hair and a beard. He was dressed in a khaki shirt with the sleeves rolled up, revealing strong tanned forearms and the rough hands of a man who enjoyed working outdoors. In short, he looked like the movie version of an archaeologist.

Leo and John traded looks but remained frozen on the sidewalk while the exasperated driver attempted to wave them into the vehicle. “I’m Lev Wasserman, Anthony’s friend. We’re not allowed to park here. Get in before we get in trouble with the authorities.”

A soldier in the brown uniform of the Israeli Defense Force was already walking in their direction. Leo grabbed the passenger-side door handle and slid into the front seat, while John followed his lead and climbed into the back. Lev waved to the soldier as they pulled away from the terminal and headed off down a palm-lined boulevard toward Tel Aviv and the coast.

“We’ve been waiting a long time to meet you, Professor,” Leo said, extending his hand. “I only wish Anthony could have been with us. I know you two were good friends.”

“I considered him one of my best friends,” Lev said, shaking Leo’s hand and glancing in the rearview mirror at John in the backseat. John’s eyes met Lev’s in the mirror. “I have to ask the obvious question, Professor. We couldn’t use our cell phones or e-mail you about—”

“How did I know what flight you were arriving on? How did I know what you looked like? Those kinds of questions? Well, let’s just say I have connections at El Al Airlines. A friend of mine who works at the airport in Rome let me know that you were arriving on this morning’s flight.”

“Probably that security guy who took our passports,” John said.

“Actually, it was the ticket agent,” Lev said. “She e-mailed me your photos last night so I could spot you. Nice shirts. I only wish Father Morelli could have made the trip with you. It’s hard to believe he’s not here with us now.”

Leo was watching the palm trees flash by the windows of the Land Rover. “I have a feeling he is here with us now. Why are we headed toward the coast? I thought we were going to Jerusalem.”

“Actually, I live on the coast, so I’m taking you to my villa on the beach. Father Morelli loved it there. He was able to relax and work uninterrupted on his many projects. The villa is fairly isolated and large enough to accommodate quite a few people; you’ll see. Everyone involved with the Bible code is gathering there today, and a lot of people are looking forward to meeting you. I hope you’re hungry, because my cooks are creating a fantastic lunch in your honor.”

“You have cooks?” John asked. He felt like he hadn’t eaten in days, which was close to the truth. “They must pay professors really well here in Israel.”

“Unfortunately, I don’t really make that much as a college professor, and my books on archaeology are not what you would call material for the masses, so they’re definitely not best sellers. My family was in manufacturing here in Israel and in America. I was an only child, so everything was left to me. I live comfortably, but not extravagantly. I was lucky enough to have a father who appreciated my desire to be a scholar instead of a businessman.”

“I thought your field was mathematics, Professor,” John said.

“Please, call me Lev. I have two PhDs, one in mathematics and the other in archaeology. When I first met Father Morelli on a dig outside Jerusalem years ago, I went back to school to study archaeology. Anthony’s passion for it was infectious. After going on a few excavations with him and digging down through the layers of history, I was hooked. To actually see and touch objects that no one has seen for thousands of years is addicting.”

Leo could already feel himself begin to unwind. “Thanks again for picking us up at the airport, Lev. Let’s just say the past few days in Rome have been somewhat of a challenge.”

“I’ve heard. There are things we will discuss in time. For now, you are safe. You were friends of Father Morelli, and you are now friends of mine. We all have a lot of work ahead of us, Leo, but first, you must relax. I want you both well rested and well fed. We will work later.”

Leo pulled out the small map of Israel he had purchased at the airport gift shop. “Is it far to your house on the coast?”

“We’re almost to Tel Aviv. My house is closer to Caesarea, the old Roman port to the north. It’s about a forty-five-minute drive from the airport if the traffic isn’t too bad.”

Leo remembered that distances in Israel were startlingly small to newcomers. A person had only to travel around the country to see just how tiny it really was. Up front in the Land Rover, Leo and Lev heard the faint sound of snoring coming from the backseat. Looking behind them, they saw that John was sound asleep, his arms wrapped around his backpack.

“Anthony was very fond of that young man,” Lev said. “He will be a great asset to your church someday.”

“He already is. I think John was the closest thing to a son that Anthony ever had.”

“Did you bring the stone brick you found in the ancient chapel?”

“It’s in that backpack John is holding onto so tightly. Anthony said it would be useful.”

“Vital would be a better choice of words, Father. I believe it will assist us in finding something of enormous significance here in Israel.”

“Do you have any hint of what we’re looking for?”

“We’ll be trying to find the answer to that question when the whole team comes together at my house later today. We’re hoping that the stone contains additional information, maybe even some subtle engravings, which will help us discover its true purpose. From what Father Morelli said, I have a feeling that a lot of people would like to get their hands on that brick right now.”

“John and I were chased all over Rome by security men from the Vatican, and Anthony mentioned in his letter that our lives were in danger. As strange as this might sound, he told me in a letter that I’m supposed to find an object that dates back to the time when Lucifer was cast out of heaven... so basically, I have no idea what I’m looking for.”

Lev turned the vehicle to the right as they reached the Mediterranean Sea and headed north along the coastal highway. “You’re not alone in this search, my friend. Whatever it is we’ve been called on to do will be revealed to us soon. I’m sure of it. Do you believe the code in the Bible is the word of God, Leo?”

“Well, I guess I’ve narrowed it down to the simple fact that the Bible was divinely inspired by God, and the code is in the Bible. Using that reasoning as a premise, and considering everything that’s happened over the past few days, I would have to say that I’m becoming convinced that God is using the code to lead us.”

“I’m glad to hear you say that, Father, because you will have to open yourself up to the fact that you are being led in the days ahead. You know, I can’t help but think back to the days of Moses. Do you think it’s possible that God chose something as simple as a burning bush to talk to man thousands of years ago, and is now using a complex code embedded in the Bible to speak to mankind in today’s world?”

“That’s an interesting concept, Professor.” Leo was impressed with the fact that Lev’s analogy simplified things and brought the complexities of the code into a biblical perspective. It was the mark of a very intelligent mind. “Doesn’t the name Lev mean lion in Hebrew?”

“Yes, as does your name, Leo. You’re also a lion.”

Leo sat up in his seat. “I seem to be running into a lot of things with subtle meanings lately. John’s last name is Lowe, another name that means lion.”

“I’m beginning to think that all of God’s lions are gathering here now, Father.” Lev pulled a cigar from his pocket and glanced over at Leo with the realization that an unrevealed plan was coming together and that he had met someone special, a kindred soul in the search for an unknown truth.

The Land Rover continued along the coast road as the men’s discussion revealed that both shared a common bond of scholars who felt a passion for digging down deep and uncovering new realities within their respective fields.

“Have you always lived here, Lev?”

“I grew up on a kibbutz.”

“I’ve always wondered, what exactly
is
a kibbutz?”

“It’s a communal farm run collectively and dedicated to the principal that intellectual work, production work, and domestic work are all of equal value. I built my house on the coast and the area surrounding it to resemble the kibbutz I was raised on. My mother and father moved to Palestine back in 1946 shortly before I was born. They were French Jews and were part of the French resistance that fought the Nazis in World War II. One of my uncles was killed by the Germans for hiding some American flyers who were shot down close to his farmhouse. When the war was over, my father wanted to leave Europe as quickly as possible. He and my mother traveled through Cyprus and ended up on a boat bound for the Holy Land.”

Leo hadn’t realized that Lev’s family had been part of the exodus from Europe. “That must have been very difficult for them. Did your father ever talk about those days?”

“He said it seemed peaceful here at first. The British still controlled the area and had been trying to limit Jewish immigration to Palestine. After the Holocaust, tens of thousands of Jews flocked to the region. The Irgun, an underground Jewish organization, fought the British, blowing up their headquarters in the King David Hotel. The Brits finally had enough and pulled the last of their troops out of Palestine in 1948 after the U.N. voted for the partition of the Holy Land into an Arab state and a Jewish state. Jerusalem was supposed to be an international city. After the British pulled out, it was open warfare between the Arabs and Jews. My parents went to live in a kibbutz formed outside of Tel Aviv for safety. I remember the fighting then and have witnessed it ever since.”

“You’ve led quite a life, Lev. I have to admire the Jewish people for preserving their heritage after everything they’ve been through. Why did you convert to Christianity?”

“That’s a strange question coming from a priest.”

Leo smiled. “Not really. I just haven’t met many Jews who’ve converted to another religion. They all seem pretty happy with their own beliefs.”

Lev lit the cigar hanging from his mouth with a match. “Most are happy with being Jewish. Sometimes, I think they’re a little
too
happy.”

Leo seemed puzzled. “What do you mean?”

“Well, here in Israel, we’re basically a Jewish state, even though the government is supposedly secular, and that causes problems in any society.”

As a university professor of theology, this was the kind of discussion Leo relished. “Are you saying that nationalism, along with a predominant national religion, gives rise to radicalism?”