The Jesus Gene

The Jesus Gene

by: Dennis R. Humphreys (the Dream Writer)

based on the Book of Yeoshua ben Yeoseph

David Bartholomew sat at his desk in the heat. The lab's air conditioning went out again for the third time in a month and made working intense. Sweat dripped off the end of his nose and he was constantly cleaning his glasses because of the sweat and body oil, catching on the frame, only to make its way down over the lens.

He was excited going through the four new copper clad scrolls they had uncovered outside Qumran near the Dead Sea, where many had been uncovered in hidden caves over the years, since the first discovery in the late 1940s. Two of the scrolls appeared to be the same, but written by different hands... probably at two different times.

His initial shock was after translating the first scroll's heading, realizing it was perhaps the most important discovery to date. It read: the Book of Yeoshua ben Yeoseph, as written in his hand. This was a scroll written at the time in the hand of Jesus Christ himself. A tingle in the back of the neck of the archaeologist, alerted him. David Bartholomew had dealt with the authorities with other important discoveries in the past, and didn't like where he knew this would go. The last scrolls they discovered, written at the time of Christ and the oldest to date, announced... were confiscated two days later by the Vatican Secret Service and government officials after marching into the facility. To date, nothing was ever returned for analysis, and when inquiries were made about the objects no one ever responded. The items, important to history, archaeology and Christendom seemed to have faded from existence.

One has to ask the question why? The obvious answer and the simplest which probably upholds the old adage of being the correct answer, was to protect the standing structure of power and money. The status quo would be at risk. The last scrolls this happened with were the most important find at the time... these were more so.

Bartholomew was head of the small group of archaeologists that uncovered these four scrolls, so he approached the others about keeping quiet for the time being about them. He wanted to translate them first... at least what he considered the most important ones. The others might be used just to pacify the wolves looking for justification of funding, but might also cause the historical censorship... but perhaps that was the intent. David had become a skeptic over the years dealing with all these people in regards to integrity and truth. They seemed to only want you to disclose what they want you to disclose. Please do not rock the boat.

There was a safe in his office that only he had the combination for, having installed it six years ago when he became the leader of the project. After the restoration of these new scrolls were completed... before the actual textual interpretation began, David had full digital pictures taken of everything. Even if the something happened to the scrolls, there would be something to interpret. Those copies and the original scrolls were placed every night in David's safe. No one knew about it's existence.

There was one other person he trusted implicitly there... Grace Carson, a fellow archaeologist versed in several ancient languages, also able to translate the scrolls.

“Grace... you were here the last time we lost those other scrolls, when the Vatican people and the government came in and confiscated everything,” David approached her.

“I sure was. A lot of historical information disappeared that day. I wonder who that benefited?” Grace surmised.

“Exactly! Listen, these scrolls are even more important. I translated the headers on them but I'm not telling anyone else but you. If it gets out, we'll have the same people grabbing everything. I've made digitals of everything and I've stored them away. I'm keeping the scrolls under wraps as well. I want no one else to be aware of their contents except you and me. I've already talked to everyone else about not even saying anything about their existence. They're in agreement,” he outlined to his fellow scientist.

“Alright... you have my attention, stop laying out so much groundwork and tell me what you have,” she proposed.

“These two scrolls, one is an original and the other a copy made about the same time. The original is in the hand of Christ himself. The third is in the hand of his mother, Mary. The fourth is in the hand of his twin brother Judas Thomas but is different than the one that was confiscated before and might be the one Constantine abandoned as heresy back in 325AD at the Council of Nicea, when he declared the divinity of Christ,” David explained.

“Yeah... makes you wonder what Constantine was up to back then when a pagan edits and rewrites part of the bible for the believers,” Grace commented. “What do you want me to do?”

“I'd like to work with you on translating these scrolls but not when anyone else is around. The rest of the group can work on the Judas Thomas scroll and the Mary scroll. I think both of those will give insight into the missing years of Christ, but if they're taken somehow, I'd rather it be them,” he told her.

“I agree... sure I'd love to,” Grace added.

The two began working together that very night, away from the eyes of their fellow investigators. Great care was taken not to leave anything out for extraneous peering eyes but now with Grace and David there most of the time, someone other than them seeing them would be hard pressed. There were times in the past when they would come in mornings, when things were misplaced and appeared to have been searched... as if someone came in during the night looking for something. Nothing was missing, just out of place. Nothing was broken into, so someone had duplicate keys, and there were few with them. For both David and Grace it formed serious questions. Were their efforts to uncover history or to find it and keep it hidden?

“The first of this reads like a historical genealogy. Yeoshua cites the seventy four generations from Adam to his birth. What I find interesting he describes his early years spent with his uncle, Joseph of Aremathea, mining tin and shipping it to the middle east from Wales. That's only been conjecture to this point but to have confirmation of that in Christ's own hand is going to cause a stir on its own,” Grace explained to her cohort who was busy translating a section of his own.

“This part talks about building a mud hut where he stayed while he was in Glastonbury... that's the site of the first Christian cathedral outside of the Holy Land... a definite confirmation on the site over which it was built, as well

“The copy here, we'll keep to translate. I can see it is an exact duplicate now. It says it was copied five years after Christ wrote this one, by a Yehon ben something or other. I'm taking the original off site and hiding it somewhere. I don't want some asshole getting their hands on this. It's way too important,” David informed Grace and she agreed.

“You need to figure something out in case something happens to you, so someone can get to it. Listen, I've been thinking about it... once we have the full translation, we should get it out over the Internet, to as many people as possible with instructions for them to get it out as well to as many as they can. That way it's out there and no one can keep it away from anyone else,” Grace suggested.

“Sounds like a plan,” David answered her. It would be too easy to take down a site or blog by just posting the information and thinking that was that. It needed to be disseminated to as many people as possible up front and then once it's repeated it can't be stopped. Still what was in here or could be revealed that would be so mind blowing that the aristocrats would want silenced?

Perhaps the section Grace was interpreting several days later, gave some indication of that. In and of itself, it supported the prophecy in the New Testament, which perhaps out of context meant nothing, but looking at it in today's context and in the shadow of 'what if' conjectures, it might refer to something of substance.

“He talks a lot about resurrection here but it's not in the context of actual physical resurrection from death per se. He seems to have a pretty good hold on genetic and cellular regeneration. The vernacular at the time was pretty limited, so he speaks simply but it's obvious what he's saying,” Grace explained as she moved her computer screen towards her lab partner so he could read what she had. He read further and began working with her on the next part.

“He goes on to expand on his own prophecy, that in the end he will come back... the second coming of Christ. In light of some of the others things he says here... what if he's saying he will somehow be born again?” David threw the question out to Grace as his own mind began racing ahead, putting other things and thoughts into place.

“What are you getting at?” she asked him.

“You know, a species fights for survival... a known fact. It's also a fact the genetics are stored within the evolutionary construct of a species. For example... the Tasmanian Devil was thought to be extinct for quite some time but suddenly it's discovered alive and well in New Zealand. The genetic thing that makes the Tasmanian Devil what it is, is out there in the species it evolved from and the species that evolved from it, carrying the gene. Under the right circumstances that gene can be activated and suddenly a Tasmanian Devil is born into a litter of something or other,” David told her.

“I've read several supposedly extinct creatures like that where it happened... lizards, mammals and fish. They just recently found American Ravens that went extinct in the 1940s alive and well in northern Nevada. They don't think they were hold outs in some isolated area. They think they're reactivated genes that are out there. That's how they think they might bring mammoths back, by back engineering genetic material until they can reproduce the creatures,” she went on to explain.

“Exactly... what if there's a Jesus gene out there among some of his descendants that might be activated at any time? Not just a someone related within the homo sapiens species... but an actual duplicate of Christ... like a clone? When the timing is right or conditions occur to make it happen when needed. After all, authorities define a miracle as an ordinary occurrence that happens when it is needed.” Bartholomew suggested.

“The Second Coming... there would be those that wouldn't want that if it was about to happen... or even the possibility of it happening,” Grace added. She had enough experiences with people in power to be suspect of their intents. Too many atrocities had been committed by those in power within the political constructs and religious ones. She wasn't a conspiratorialist but so many people looking to protect their way of lives out there did so by manipulations of the worst kind.

“It makes you wonder... they went through so many efforts to maintain genealogical records from the first man to Christ, if he's coming back again, don't you think someone would be keeping the same meticulous records?' David reasoned.

“But Adam wasn't the first man. Even the Bible refers to other people at the time. His first wife was Lillith in Genesis,” Grace conjectured.

“Yeah but he was made in the image and likeness of God who was a spirit without form unlike men. The common link is the soul. The others were without souls which made them unlike God. The only way to experience that connection and that love, is through the soul. The only real love is spiritual. You've heard of soul mates?” David told her.

“Do you really believe that?” Grace asked him.

“Scientists have found a biochemical cause for love. Well', that's what they call it but a biochemical cause is a corporeal cause. What happens if something happens to that biochemical cause? Do you stop loving? A truly non corporeal connection... a spiritual connection cannot cease,” he explained to her.

It was something he thought about a lot over the years though various relationships and ones that dissolved. A spiritual connection was natural and without work. Corporeal relationships required a lot of work to make them successful. That's why so many dissolved over time. They weren't of a spiritual nature. But how many people can actually make that spiritual connection with another human being? Plus, David theorized that if there were those in the beginning without souls and there was a strict warning given by God for the angels not to be sexually active with the newly created man, that there may be many alive void of souls. Remember, Satan refused to acknowledge the superiority of Adam as God insisted. Physically since they could breed they were the same. The only difference was the soul and probably some genetic imperfections. Perhaps the very people trying to keep things like these scrolls under wraps were the soulless off spring from that era. Perhaps the problem was somewhere with people where one or both in a relationship, were void of a soul. Something from which science fiction stories might grow.

You wouldn't know. They would be like most other people. Some might think they'd be moving around like zombies, but what they would not have is that interpersonal relationship within the spiritual community. David was certain there were such people within the Vatican. Most likely, many gravitated into government as well, where based on their not having souls, would by their nature, be self serving.

“So the old saying, 'what God has joined in Heaven, let no man tear asunder,' has a deeper meaning, but is actually factual,” Grace derived a conclusion listening to her partner.

“I think so. You have to interpret what you interpret in the context of the times you're working. You know that... it's Ancient Languages 101. That's all I'm doing,” David defended himself but he didn't need to... Grace agreed with most of what he said. A few things she had come to an understanding over time but as he spoke he tied an awful lot of lose ends together. Now in light of what they were interpreting, more things would come to light.

“Look here... Yeoshua speaks of his marriage ceremony at Canna to Mary from the town of Magdela in northern Galilee. Then he embarked on his Rabbinical career in Jerusalem before going on to Qumran where he obtained his doctorate in therapeutics.

“There's an awful lot of information here the powers to be are going to want to censor,” she insisted.

“All this is prior to the damage Constantine did in the fourth century, which is what ninety eight percent of what Christians believe. Sure it's what they based their lives on... yeah, they're going to try and censor it. I wonder what other tidbits we're going to find?” Dr. Bartholomew anticipated.

The week went on and few more things came to light. There was a percentage of people out there who just wouldn't believe the facts, even proven to be written in Jesus's own hand. It would be too disruptive of everything they were taught or believed. It was cause them to think too much and make a decision. Most people don't like stepping outside of there small world into one less known. David and Grace were both spending a lot of time in the lab. They were doing their own thing with the scrolls at night, and they were working with the others there during the day trying to keep things under wraps.

“Hey partner... it's been a long week. How about you and I going into Jerusalem. I'll buy the first round of beer,” Grace offered. The AC went down again earlier on a really hot day and a cold beer sounded inviting.

“That sounds really good. I think I need to catch up on some sleep tonight so I may not come in to work on our project,” Davis told his partner.

The drive into Jerusalem was not a long one. They were only six miles from there in Qumran, but it was hot, dry and dusty. The Toyota SUV they were driving, kicked up a ton of dust as they passed people walking to and from Jerusalem. They slowed down driving through Bethany which was midway. There was always a lot of activity there since it was the center for the olive industry and there were a couple of commercial olive oil presses there putting out a constant supply of the desired oil.

Finally, they pulled up to a small bar in town run by an Englishman by the name of Totes... Totes Garody. As they left their vehicle, as soon as their feet hit the ground, they were inundated by groups of children, begging for money. You almost had to give them something to get out of your way, or your progress would be completely impeded. As David threw some coinage out onto the ground to clear their way, he noticed some of them descending onto another vehicle that just pulled up. They engulfed the man that just disembarked, shouting and yelling indescribably in his ears with their hands out in expectation.

The place was warm but cooler than outside. It took a minute to get used to the darkness of the pub, the sun was so bright outside and the entire drive towards Jerusalem was towards the afternoon sun. Dave followed Grace into the bar and sat down with her at the table she chose.

“Hey, you two. I haven't seen either of you here in awhile. How are things in Qumran?” Totes asked.

“Good, Totes. How are things with you?” David asked as Totes looked up and welcomed the other guy that pulled up behind them, the one distracting some of the beggars.

From the sound of it, the man was Italian, which sent up a red flag to David as Grace ordered the beer and began talking non stop to him about things, for which he had no mind. His distraction became obvious to her then.

“Am I boring you?” she asked looking first at him and then towards the spot his attention was focused.

“Excuse me... not at all. It's just that man that came in here behind us,” David began in a whisper as he leaned forward closer to Grace to keep from being heard, “he's Italian.”

“So are most people from Italy,” Grace joked not making a connection.

“Yeah, but you don't get many Italians here in this part of the world. Considering what we're doing and what has happened here in our research... don't you find that a little curious?” David wondered.

“Maybe. Why would he be here now? I mean how would he know there's something for him to have an interest?” Grace asked.

“Maybe the place is bugged or there's someone in our group with a big mouth,” David suggested. Someone that wanted to know could easily pay for the info. None of them certainly made very much money, so it might be easy to interest someone in sharing what they knew or heard. What they did was a work of love... love of learning and discovering information undiscovered before about the past.

David was suspicious and now so was Grace. She hoped it was just paranoia because having someone in their group compromising them could lead to certain disasters.

After three beers and a some chips, Totes put in a bowl on their table, they left.

“Let's go for a drive,” Grace suggested. “I want to see if your Italian guy follows us or if he's just Roman.”

“Is that what a few beers do to you? "Davis asked.

“He was listening to everything we said. He tried not to show it but I could tell. When we left he called for his bill. Strange timing,” she enlightened David.

As they drove northward past the Dome of the Rocks, the sight for King Solomon's original temple, Grace looked in her mirror. The vehicle the Italian was driving was right behind them.

“I think you're right to be suspicious. The guy's behind us now,” she announced to her passenger. “What do you want to do?”

“Nothing. Ignore the guy. Just make sure we're careful. We're only working on one of three digital copies of the originals so if they get them is won't do them much good. We'll just keep all he originals under wraps. They've probably already gone through the lab and know we're only working with copies so that's probably want the originals,” he informed her.

“We'll probably get a visit from those holding the strings this week,” Grace surmised.

“No, I don't think so. I think they want to know where the originals are. If we do anything construed as defensive we'll start something that might be difficult to finish, David conjectured and probably for good reason.

“Let's get out and look around like we're just... looking around,” Grace suggested.

They stopped at the 'wailing wall' and got out. There were dozens of people out and about there...Jewish and Christian alike. It was amazing more problems didn't occur under the circumstances but people seemed to leave each other to their own. The man had gotten out of his car, that was following, but he walked around within sight of them and close to his vehicle. Grace expressed the desire to slap him around to find out something but David assured her she wouldn't get a straight story.

“Listen, let's go to my place,” David suggested to Grace, “I'm going to put my things in the hiding place I have there. Let's drop what you have off as well. I don't want to leave anything out of my sight now and if you want to work on any of this over the weekend, I suggest we do it together. I don't think he'll try anything with both of us together,” David suggested.

“OK, that sounds fine. If we leave to go anywhere too, we'll take everything with us. I'll use my backpack. Unless he forcibly takes it from me, they're not getting it,” she told her partner.

David enjoyed having the company. Normally he spent his weekends alone, reading. He didn't have much of a social life before getting out here to the Middle East, but he had less so now. He didn't really miss it. All too often it was positioning and impressing someone, which he wasn't into. Grace struck him the same way. She was attractive but did little to make herself more attractive to people of the opposite sex or otherwise.

“Here, you can take my bedroom, I'll sleep on the couch... it's a fold-away. There's the bathroom... clean towels in the closet,” he mumbled as he pointed out things. I usually keep a pot of coffee on the counter all the time during the weekend. If you want something else...” he was indicating to Grace.

“No... coffee's fine. I live on the stuff like you do. If you don't mind I want to start looking at the scroll. I'm getting more and more excited about it, if that's possible,” she told him. “It's more than just a gospel... it's almost like an auto biography.”

“Where are you at? I'll take the next section then,” he asked.

It was morning, at sunrise before they realized that they had spent the night translating the work. At the appearance of the sun, David got up and stretched. Then he went into the kitchen area and prepared the pot of a new round of coffee.

“I love the smell of fresh brewed coffee. That stuff in a puck just doesn't quite do it for me. Growing up I'd hear mom in the kitchen using the old percolator of grandmas to make coffee. I got so hooked on the smell, I couldn't wait until she let me have some when I got older,” she enlightened David.

“I remember my parents keeping it from until I was sixteen, saying drinking coffee would stunt my growth. Wherever was the proof in that?” he shared.

“You know, that guy's probably outside watching this place. We were up all night with the lights on... he probably thinks we have insatiable sexual appetites or we were working on something important, like the scrolls. Now he may figure we have either the originals with us or copies... either way I'm sure we're going to be visited,” she surmised.

Grace was thinking whoever is doing this is probably suspicious and a little paranoid. They will assume certain things and act on them. They may break into the place when they're not around or they may just confront them directly. It depended on the importance they placed on the scrolls and how badly they wanted to sequester them. Having the two of them and knowing their contents could even provide enough of a threat for them to go even further with their efforts.

“I was thinking... maybe we should keep track of everything we do, aurally and in print, and make copies we can give to certain people we trust...” David stumbled through what he was formulating in his head.

“In case something happens to us. I agree... we aren't just being paranoid are we?”

By the end of the weekend, more things were uncovered in the scroll. Evidently, Jesus' twin brother, Judas Thomas, had an on-going fight with his brother to the point he offered Jesus in trade for Anais Caiaphas' son, Barabbas, son of the father as he was called since Caiaphas was the high priest who officiated Passover meals. Barabbas had been arrested for insurrection two weeks earlier in Jerusalem and sentenced to crucifixion. The High Priest wanted Jesus' head because the holy man wanted to open the Jewish religion to gentiles, specifically the Romans. Caiaphas was against this. Politically everything fell into place and Judas Thomas agreed to help with the arrest of his brother, in exchange for Barabbas' life. The problem was, when the centurions went to the oil press chambers at Gethsemane, they found Judas Thomas there. Knowing Jesus by sight, they arrested the wrong twin. The other apostles present, ignored Judas Thomas' cries for help and let the arresting officers take him away, while Jesus stayed in the back press room, out of sight.

So it seems, the Romans arrested the wrong man.

Jesus did not expect his brother to garner a sentence of execution, but when the sentence was verbalized, he went about trying to save his brother with the help of Simon Magus, his uncle, also known as the apostle, Simon the Zealot. He was head of the local rebellion against the Romans so they were actively looking for him. He had another identity which he used, living in a second house, he maintained with his sister, Mary, in the town of Bethany. It was Lazarus. Simon was also the head of the West Manessa group of magi, or magicians. He was acknowledged as the one to develop 'gaul' which was a combination of soured wine and cobra venom. The Romans gave their victims, who were dying, soured wine to extend their life and pain as they were dying. They did not add the venom. The addition of venom kept its consumer in a coma for three days, at which time aloe vera had to be administered in large quantities to purge the toxin from the body. David wondered if the raising of Lazarus was a dress rehearsal. Jesus quoted a passage from Deuteronomy saying one of their people could not hang on a tree overnight into the Sabbath, through Joseph of Aremathea to Pontius Pilate. Pilate then commuted the sentence in respect, from crucifixion to live burial. This gave them the ability to have Nicodemus bring a mule loaded with aloe vera to the sepulcher and administer to Judas Thomas.

“I can't believe the context of this text. This is what the Vatican fears. Somewhere in the basement, in a sealed room of that place is already evidence to this effect that they're sitting on... now this springs up.

“Well I completed the scroll,” Grace announced later. “The condition of it as I went on made it easier and easier.”

“Anything else enlightening?” David asked her, putting down his coffee.

“He does verify they had a daughter together... Jesus and Mary Magdela. Her name was Tamara as most historians already knew,” Grace expanded.

“He also verified that Mary Magdela was supposed to be the head of his 'church' which was a more encompassing sect of the Nazorean Essenes but became aware it was not the intent of the apostles to accept her as the leader. After 'the crucifixion' she left with Joseph of Arimathea and the rest of the family to go to France and Wales. They fled the Hold Land, not to flee the Romans. but to flee the apostles. They feared for their lives. Christ said his goodbyes to them when they sailed, before going back to the monastery to write this scroll. Then he intended to leave to teach in northern India.”

“Wow!... so even back then what started off good and just turned to something less than benign either for more power or because of not accepting something their leader intended to benefit everyone. Since then it's been the same story with every group that ever sprung from its predecessor. All you have to do is look at the disputes that made different groups arise. Talk about out and out arrogance.

If these people truly believed they were following the plan by God, to do God's work, how could they assume they knew better than God how to do it? Sheer arrogance and mindless deeming of self importance. It's a wonder God just doesn't turn His back on everyone. Are we really worth it?” David rattled on without taking a breath.

“Are you through? I can see why the Vatican would like to get hold of this and probably lobotomize us in the process. Their whole reason for existence would become moot,” Grace told her partner.

“It delegitimizes them and every other group springing from them. How do you separate the bullshit on top of the bullshit? David expanded.

“How can you find a bugging device if there's one in your place?” Grace asked David while she was looking out the window at something.

“I have no idea other than to just look for it,” Bartholomew told her as he stood to look out at she was watching.

“Our friend is still out there, parked inconspicuously, or so he thinks. It looks like he he has...” but Grace stopped as she spoke and pointed at her ear indicating she saw him with an ear piece.

Her accomplice led her into the bathroom and ran the water in the tub and the sink, then he flushed the toilet to stifle their talking.

“It's too late to keep them from knowing what we know. The only thing now to do is pretend we're unaware of them and maybe use it to our advantage... feeding them info we want them to know,” David told her.

“I want to know for sure we're bugged and where they are... don't you?” she asked him.

So they proceeded to look quietly trying to carry on a normal conversation meanwhile.

There wasn't anything in the land line there but the phone wasn't used much anyway. The cell phones were used. Grace discovered two bugs though... one in the lamp by the bed and the other in a lamp by the sofa near the desk where they worked.

“Come one let's go for a walk,” David told her so they could talk freely.

They both gathered everything they were working on and packed their back packs. They were out the door and walking up the street in Old Jerusalem. The streets were probably the very ones that were built originally. Most likely the very ones the authors of the newly discovered scrolls had walked once.

“I'm getting more and more concerned about the scroll. Maybe we shouldn't even have the original,” David shared with Grace.

“Maybe we can take it to the embassy,” she suggested.

“I don't think so. The same people could be involved. I don't think it'll be any safer there. What do you think about hiding it back in one of the caves where no one's working?” David asked thinking that was a good solution but didn't want to be just a wishful thinker.

“Actually, that sounds like a really good idea. No one can see us go into any of the caves either, except one of our own people, and we can do that before anyone gets there,” she replied. “They'd have a hard time searching all the caves not knowing where to look.”

“Tell you what... let's not wait. I know someone in town that will lend me their car. We'll drive there and exchange cars where this guy can't see. We'll drive out to the digs and hide the scrolls, come back switch cars, and no one will be the wiser. No one will be out there tonight so this should be easy,” David told her the plan.

They left with everything they had as the tail jumped back into his car. David didn't even take a chance of calling ahead to where they were going in case the car was bugged or somehow the cell phone was compromised. They got into downtown Jerusalem, to his friend's place who was a merchant. The family lived upstairs while their business was at ground level.

“Benjamin, how are you?” David said to his friend as he opened the door to let them into his place which was closed because of the Sabbath. There wasn't enough business to stay open.

“I'm fine. How are you... and your friend?” Ben asked cordially.

“Benjamin this is a colleague of mine, Grace Carson... Grace, say hello to a good friend... Benjamin Schindler. Ben, we need to ask a favor, in the name of history and all that's holy. I need to leave our car and borrow yours for a couple of hours, if that's alright?” he asked the merchant.

“Of course it's alright. By your salutation I assume you want it kept mum,” Ben surmised.

“Don't say anything to anyone. We are being followed, so if some guy comes in here and asks where we are, tell him we're upstairs getting a massage or something, I don't care. We'll leave the car out front with the keys and go out the back,” David told him.

“Here are the keys. The car is where it always is. You will stay for dinner when you come back?” his friend asked.

“I can't ask Estelle to go out of her way ,” David told him.

“Nonsense... you know how she cooks. There will be plenty,” he assured them both.

“This was all a ploy to get a meal from Estelle... I just want to let you know,” David kidded as he walked out of the room and Ben slapped his back.

“Whatever you're doing be careful and I expect to see you back here in two hours,” Ben told them as he led them out the back door. There was a beige Range Rover sitting there waiting to be driven away clandestinely from the tail they left out front of the store.

David continued down the alley, avoiding getting back out on the street just in case they were spotted.

When they got back to the lab there was one car parked in front of the building.

“I see Franz... very conscientious of him,” Grace remarked as they pulled next to him.

“I hope he's working... for us,” David told her as an afterthought. “I have my suspicions about him... just a gut thing.”

“Let's go in quietly then,” Grace suggested. Going in, they made sure the door didn't slam shut like it normally did.

“Well, he's not at his work station. I'm checking my office... I always lock my door and it's open,” David told Grace as he walked quietly towards his workplace.

David watched at the doorway while Franz was busily going through David's file cabinet. His desk drawers were out slightly so he knew they had already been gone through. Both David and Grace stood there a few minutes watching while he was completely oblivious to their presence.

“”I'm impressed he's working so hard on his day off,” Grace finally commented sending Franz almost through the roof. He closed the file drawer then as he turned to face his audience.

“Yeah... but what is he working at? … more like rummaging than translation,” David accused. “You know you are not to be in here unless I am?”

“I wanted to double check something and see what interpretation you had on a couple of words that conflict,” Franz told him trying to quickly cover his ass.

“It couldn't wait until tomorrow morning? I keep my door locked all the time. You had to pick it to get in here,” David told him, walking into the room to look around.

“It was open. You must have forgotten to lock...” Franz began another defense.

“I didn't forget anything. I locked this as I was leaving,” David informed him.

“And I watched him lock the door before we went our for drinks,” Grace added.

Franz had that caught look of a hand in the cookie jar as he ran for the door. Grace deftly put out her foot and tripped the man. He fell, hitting his head on one of the stools. It took a few minutes for both scientists to get him to regain consciousness. He continued to lay there as he shook it off and addressed them both as he looked.

“Alright, you caught me,” Franz conceded.

“Caught you doing what?” Grace asked, taking command.

“Looking around,” he nebulously replied, buying time for a good answer.

“Looking around for what?” David chimed in getting pissed.

“I wanted to see how far you had gotten with the Jesus scroll,” he finally told them.

“Who put you up to it? Who's paying you?” Grace asked emphatically.

Franz just sat there holding himself up by his arms, looking ahead blankly.

“You might as well tell us. I can call the police and have you arrested for breaking and entering,” David warned.

“I have a key like everyone else for the front door,” he replied smugly.

“But not to my office, you don't,” David told him as he pulled his phone from his pocket.

“Antoine DuBois... wanted me to keep him apprised on what you found and how far along in the translation you are. David had automatically turned his phone on to record hoping to get some kind of confession recorded.

“Antoine DeBois? The Cardinal?” David asked, surprised, but not surprised. Seeing the Church involved wasn't surprising, but at such a high level was a surprise. This was beyond an idle glance from Rome. It probably meant this required the personal oversee by DuBois and something he was assigned to, by only one person... further up the line.

David continued watching their prisoner's face. He was telling the truth. No need at this point, not to.

“Tell me... what should we do about you? David asked, deciding to let the captive suggest something mutually beneficial. If he fired him or called the police on his earlier threat, they'd be a standstill or maybe worse. He didn't want to suggest anything like a deal at this point thinking it would be too easy for this guy to take it and run... of course, he might anyway.

“They don't know you caught me. Maybe we don't say anything and I just tell them what you want me to,” he suggested.

“How long do you think that will last? They obviously have some idea of what the truth is and what's in these documents. If we fabricate too much they'll know they're being bull shit,” Grace asked him.

“It may buy some time to do whatever you're planning. I assume you are planning something?' he asked.

“I'll ask the questions. You're not in any position too, David warned.

The man just sat there and finally got up while Grace watched him. She never really liked Franz. He seemed secretive and always interested in what everyone else was doing. Now she understood why.

“OK, if I go for this arrangement, but I call the shots. You do nothing without my permission. Give me your key to the front door,” David demanded, "You don't come in here without someone else being here. Understood?”

“”Yes,” Franz answered like a whipped dog, handing his key back to his boss.

“Go on... get out of here,” David told him.

“Maybe we should have turned him in,” Grace thought.

“Why? It wouldn't get us anywhere. They'd either come trooping in here or just get someone else like him here to watch over us,” David told her.

“I wonder if the guy following us and Franz are aware of each other?” she asked her partner.

“Don't worry about it. Just don't admit to Franz we know about the other guy. Come on, Franz is gone. Let's head for the cave.

Twenty minutes later the scroll reentered its entombment, its location masked from anyone looking for something.

“I feel funny just walking away from it, though it's probably safer than the office safe,” Grace confided to David.

“I know... I fell completely responsible for it now,” he told her as they left to return to Benjamin's place for dinner.

“The guy that was following you is still out front. He hasn't made a move,” Benjamin told the couple as they walked in the back door. “I've kept an eye on him. Did you get done what you needed to?”

“Yes, we did. Sorry we're a little later than I expected but something came up,” Davis informed his friend.

“Come one upstairs. Estelle is getting ready to put dinner out... I hope you're both hungry.

It was getting late and both archaeologists had go head back to David's place. They each carried copies of what they working on and the only thing Grace needed to do was throw her things into David's washing machine for clean clothes come Monday morning.

“Can I borrow one of your shirts to wear while my things get clean,” Grace asked.

She set the dial while her boss flipped to the news. There he was, Antoine DuBois in town visiting. What was he visiting? David's neck tingle went off. Were they going to get a visit from this guy while he was here? David wondered as Grace walked into the room, drawn by the broadcast.

“Odd timing. Do you think he'll show up at work?” she asked David.

“That's anyone's guess. At least we're ready for a visitation if he's thinking about surprising us,” David remarked as Grace sat down in front of him. "You look a lot better in that shirt than I do.”

“Thank you,” she answered, the look in her face and her mood suddenly changing. David notice it but said nothing.

“I'm going to get a cold beer from the fridge. Can I get you one?” he asked as he went into the refrigerator.

“Sure,” she answered. As David brought one back and handed it to her he thought he caught an alluring movement on her part. His shirt didn't exactly cover everything she may or may not have been trying to hide, and when she sat back in the chair and crossed her legs, it did less so.

They sat and drank for a while watching the television before she spoke.

“You know if you wanted to start something with me tonight I'd be open for it,” she told him, as she opened her legs almost imperceptibly.

“It would be just physical. I'd be lying to you otherwise,” David told her but he was lying now.

Maybe it was just a self protective thing he was doing but he had felt something the first week he was working with her. He refused to let anything personal get in the way of work and this would have been a little too close. Now, after all this time, it seemed a little late under the circumstances to start something. He shoved his feelings under the archaeologist's carpet refusing to give into them. He didn't need the sex... he liked her companionship and being with her this weekend confused matters. Besides, if she were looking for something more serious and long term he'd have to tell her he couldn't have kids. He was overseas with his parents when he caught the mumps. At eighteen, he was later pronounced sterile without any hope of having children.

“I've seen how you watch me. I've like being around you all this time. I've had other lucrative offers to work for other groups but I' ve always said no. I prefer being with you. If you just want to keep it physical, I'm OK with that,” she said, as she got up and went over to where David was sitting.

He watched knowing she was planning on taking it to the next step, beyond just a working relationship. The timing was bad but then maybe it's something that could be said at any time or place. She took his face and planted it against her stomach, holding it there. She was warm and soft. That first bit of intimacy always is the most exciting, knowing where it's leading but not certain of how to get there with protocols.

The morning was different... that Sunday. A lot of things were happening and last night could complicate things but at the moment it felt right.

David made coffee while Grace pulled her clothes from the dryer, complaining they were still damp. There loaded them back in for another cycle.

Sunday they spent it lazily. Here and there, they reviewed the scroll and their translations. Davis inspected the scroll front and back and closer to see if anything was missed. It was done.

Grace challenged David to a game of Scrabble she found peeking out from under the couch.

“This game is as old as the hills. Where did you get it?” Grace laughed inspecting the box closely.

“I found it in a junk shop in Jerusalem a couple of years ago. I always liked playing it as a kid, so I got it, even though I haven't played it with anyone here,” he told her.

They went to bed early to get up early for work going through and entire pot of coffee between the two of them. Grace was feeling good about herself and so was David. Neither had been laid in quite some time.

Entering the office, Franz was there with the others and wished them a good morning. They no sooner sat down to have their Monday meeting when the front door flew open. In the lead was Cardinal Antoine DuBois, a couple of priests and people dressed in dark suits. There were two military people as well... one was an officer. It looked like as little entourage of enforcers ready to knock heads.

“Everyone... you attention please! I am Cardinal Antoine DuBois. I am here in the interest of historical and national security to take whatever you are working on at the moment, all copies and any related transcripts with me. You are not to discuss any of this with anyone,” he informed the room.

“You're a little late for that your excellency,” remarked David. “The findings were of such importance and interest we've posted copies of the scrolls and any research in regards to them, translations... on line to probably a couple of million people with instructions to pass the information on for input,” David told the men present as he watched the church official getting angrier by the second. It looked like he was going to have a coronary.

“You what?” is all he could blunder.

“I'm sorry , excellency but if it was of such importance to keep quiet and you said something before now, I would have gladly kept things quiet. Under the circumstances and the fact we don't work for you we had no reason to do otherwise,” the last statement made it worse as the man went storming out of the room.

“No more... men we have clean up to do... as fast as possible,” he yelled after them as they followed in single file like lemmings to the sea.

“You lied,” Grace accused David after everyone left and he went back to his office.

“About what?” he asked her.

“About posting all the information and copies of the scrolls on the Net,” she clarified.

“No I didn't. I followed your advice. After our session last night I couldn't sleep. Something told me to do it so I did. Everything's out there on the Net... news media, both foreign and domestic, Time Magazine, National Geographic... you name it they have it now,” David shared triumphantly.

“My hero! What timing. They can't possibly get everything taken down,” she told him. “I think you pretty much screwed them.

An hour later though the Cardinal returned with a new team of people requesting all originals and copies.

“You are not our employer,” David alerted him again.

“Men... you know what to do,” the Cardinal pronounced as he waved the men on into the office where they began ransacking everything looking for what they wanted.

As they gathered copies and the two other scrolls they alerted the Cardinal.

“I assume there are more copies than this. I want them. You also have two other scrolls from what I understand. I want them, and I want them by the end of today... by five o'clock...I am staying at the Hilton. Bring them there or you will never work in your field again,” he told them, and stormed back out, taking the little with him he had.

“He actually threatened to destroy our careers after something like this is made public,” Grace questioned.

“No, he told us we'd never work in our field again... that might mean we're dead,” he advised her.

“No... do you really think he'd go that far?” she asked him.

“There have been plenty of rumors in the past about Vatican Secret Service and Nights Templars being found floating down the Tiber. The Templars have supposedly had things for years on the Vatican. It probably is related to what we have,” said David.

“What do we do?” Grace asked him.

“Hell if I know. I'll let you know by the end of the day,” he told her.

The morning drug on, no one was really in the mood to work. Things had been taken but there were copies that David had made so they could continue but it wasn't the same. The excitement was gone, knowing there was someone trying to keep the truth from getting publicized. Their work was worthless. At eleven, David announced a long lunch and led Grace out of the building. He put her into his vehicle and drove off to the bar they first went to.

“Hey... second time in a week,” cried Totes when he saw the two of them enter the bar. “Two beers?”

As they sat they noticed a man in the far corner, alone. He sat there drinking his beer and watching them. David didn't feel intimidated by him but did feel intimidated by their tail walking into the bar. Grace was getting reasonably mad as he took a seat near them to listen. Before David could stop her she said something to him.

“Don't you have anything better to do than chase after us and try to stop us from telling the truth?” she asked the man belligerently.

“Are you talking to me, lady?” the man answered, overacting his innocence.

“I'm looking at you and moving my mouth, you'd have to be stupid not to realize I'm talking to you,” she replied.

“Are you calling me stupid, lady?” the man asked standing aggressively but as he did the man in the far corner stood and walked to the tail. He placed his hand over the man's forehead and squeezed. The man in his hand began writhing in pain and squirming to be released. In moments, he quieted down while the man from the corner released his grip. They watched as their tail appeared disoriented and lost. He looked at all of them as if he had forgotten where he was and backed out of the place, confused.

“Thank you,” David said wondering what just happened. “Why don't you join us since you're by yourself.”

“Thank you. My name is Jabariyah,” the man introduced himself holding out his hand in greeting. It was then, David noticed the man had hair beyond his waist, tied in a single braid down his back.

“I'm David Bartholomew and this is my associate, Grace Carson,” he exchanged intros.

He looked at them a moment and then answered, smiling.

“I think you are more than working together,” he answered.

“Does it show?” Grace asked half laughing as she did.

“I think it was ordained, so it's a forgone conclusion,” he responded confusing her and making David a little uncomfortable.

“It's been a bad morning with work and all...” David began to fill the man in.

“Everything happens for a reason... there are no coincidences. Sometimes there isn't always a clear understanding,” Jabariyah told them.

“Let's not get too New Age with us... that time has passed,” David joked.

Totes brought more beer to the table and the conversation continued.

“What happened before anyway... when you grabbed that man's head? Grace asked their guest.

“It's just an old trick,” he said without explaining anything.

“Kind of like Spock's mind thing?” she asked.

“Sort of. He was getting belligerent and I thought it was time to step in. He's working for the wrong people... or he was,” the man replied.

“He was?” David inquired.

“He doesn't remember anything anymore, so he's of no use to those wanting to silence you,” Jabariyah told them.

“How do you know what's going on?” asked David now becoming suspicious of this man, thinking maybe his coming to their rescue was all put up.

“I know more than you might imagine. Your timing in finding the scrolls is extremely important. They are meant for the world to see though many will not look,” he told both of them.

“We have a Cardinal breathing down our necks. He's made certain threats and we may not even matter by the end of the day,” David shared with the man.

“You matter... very much. Don't respond to that man. He is in the wrong pocket. I will take care of the Cardinal. I can't interfere with what you are doing directly but indirectly I can be a bur in his side,” the long haired man responded.

David was undecided about the man that seemed to know what was going on, yet he wasn't particularly frightened of him. He spoke in nebulous thoughts like some old prophet in the scripts. Nothing definitive but in phrases that could be interpreted in various ways.

“I see you have questions. Before I go I want to give you something. When you interpret it you will understand. It is as old as the ones you just finished but it's been in my possession from the beginning. It isn't a history... it is a prophecy. Guard this with your lives because your lives depend on it,” he said as he pulled a scroll from a bag he carried at his side and placed it on the table.

It was different from the others, being in perfect shape, showing no sign of age other than the yellowed lambskin it was written on... instead of copper, it was encased in gold. A minor fortune lay on the table in front of them and would easily get them killed if the wrong person saw it. They both watched as the man thanked them for their companionship and left.

“With him from the beginning? That would make him two thousand years old!” Grace commented to David who just winced.

“Well let's leave and go home to interpret this scroll. My interest is peaked. I'll just call back to the office and call it a day. I hope our friend takes care of the Cardinal for us. I don't want him smashing through my front door,” he told her as he stood to pay the bill.

They arrived at David's home a little while later without their regular tail. He was noticeably absent.

“Do you think he really had his memory wiped clean?” Grace asked her partner.

David just shrugged not venturing a guess at anything or what was going on beyond certain people wanting to quiet them and get the items they had from them.

They unrolled the scroll. It was true... it was in pristine condition. It was never buried in some cave somewhere or hidden in the basement of some cathedral withstanding the disintegration of time or the neglect of it. It had been kept carefully and protected.

“This is beautiful. According to the header, this was laid down by the hand of Yeoshua ben Yeoseph as well, but at the end of his life right before he died at eighty-two, in northern India. It says here he was turning it over to one of the messengers for safe keeping... Jabariyah,” David interpreted.

“Am I wrong to interpret the word 'messenger' as angel?” Grace asked.

“That's not wrong,” he answered her. In Biblical past, messengers were angels but they didn't have wings as they depict today. They looked like ordinary men but were chosen as emissaries to carry information to help and enlighten mankind. Sometimes they carried more than information, and carried out divine sentences that required superhuman retribution of a magnitude to fit the offense,” he told her.

“I hope this isn't Apocalyptic,” Grace asserted.

“It looks like another lineage listed,” her partner interpreted. “This is going to be really easy. This is in such good condition, you can read right from it like you were reading a library book.”

“It doesn't look like an Adam to Christ lineage,” Grace commented.

“It's not... this one extends from Christ into the future! Look there's the first generation through his daughter Tamara,” he exclaimed. There are other commentaries, and some warnings about the followers of the devil, being descendants of the fallen ones. The paths they have taken are intentional and not accidental. This is interesting:

'I tried to teach that man can be better than what he is. Regardless of his past or who his ancestors are, he can change, and he can change the path whose beginning was not of his doing. Thus, he has within him the ability to transcend the future that might have been intended for him. '

The man was teaching altering the DNA... like four generations of abusive families and someone suddenly calling a stop to it but refusing to abuse their children,” David outlined

They both interpreted the list of names as they went on... generation after generation.

“Here we go again as in the other scroll. He speaks of coming again, not of a virgin birth but of unfathered birth... I know he's talking about a clone but where would the donor cell come from? There are certainly no live cells from two thousand years ago around,” the archaeologist reasoned.

“I read somewhere one time that the animal kingdom, and human women under the right conditions can clone themselves biologically without fertilization... something like one out of ten thousand. The problem though, the child born is a woman,” she explained.

“Therein would be the miracle... instead of a woman... a man,” David went on advancing the scroll.

Up through the ages they went. In around the twelfth century surnames began to be used so it became somewhat easier to follow. Now there were family names they could recognize where the path was leading.

It was seven o'clock and they had been working non-stop for several hours. David suggested going out to eat. Graced accepted the invitation and donned her pack without a second invite.

David threw his on and they left.

“I guess Jabariyah took care of things. It's a couple of hours after our deadline and the sky isn't falling,” he indicated. “Do you think we're in the clear?”

“I hope so,” Grace answered but about that time a car sped out onto the street behind them.

It was an old , heavy junker-type car and it sped up on them in an intimidating fashion. David watched as the old, dark Buick dived at his bumper. Finally it made contact making both the driver and passenger careen forward in their seats.

“Guess I spoke too soon. I think it's that military officer in there with another soldier.

He watched as they came at them again. He was going to take Grace to eat at the bar but now he didn't want to stop. It would be too much of an enticement for their pursuers to get them. David sped up at the next intersection to try to gain some distance when he saw a speeding car come into the intersection, barely missing them but striking the following car. They t-boned him and it sent both men pursuing them, through their front windshield.

“Ha! Did you see that? It was Jabariyah in that car. Thank you Jabariyah!” David proclaimed.

Grace turned around and watched as they sped out of sight. People were already gathering as she watched their rescuer just walk off down a side street. She knew he had to be someone special to walk away from an impact like that, most likely leaving two men dead from head and or spinal injuries.

They got to the bar and had an uneventful dinner. At least Jabariyah had their backs. Somehow he knew to be there at the right time and place and he wasn't following them. Then he thought about it... the definition of a miracle. Jabariyah was their very own miracle worker.

“I want to go to bed when we get back,” Grace announced after three beers.

“It's a little early yet to go to sleep” her partner replied looking at his watch. He love watches and it was the only jewelry form he wore, even though it might have looked archaic. At least he could see the time. Looking at his phone in any bright light whatsoever, it couldn't be read.

“I don't mean to go to sleep,” she corrected him.

“Let's go then,” David suggested, and they left. The cars were still there, pushed off to the side out of the way as they went back through the intersection where the accident occurred.

Two hours later, David poured coffee for the both of them. They both decided they wanted to finish the short scroll before going to sleep because they wouldn't be able to.

“It's easy to see it's going to name the parents of the Messiah of the Second Coming and who the new Christ will be. Should we just skip ahead?” David suggested.

“Not on your life. I want to get every last tidbit before the unveiling,” she told him.

As they got towards the end five hours later, and David unrolled the last portion, he covered the scroll over so neither could read ahead. If it was going to be an unveiling than so be it. There was however, a small envelop jammed into the end of the scroll. It was addressed to Grace Carson. David pulled it out.

“Odd, there's a letter to you here. Jabariyah must have put it there for when we got to the end,” he said handing it to her.

She took it an looked at her name on the front. It looked like ancient printing done in quill. Her curiosity get the best of her and she ripped the envelope open.

She quietly read, interpreting it as she went. It was written in ancient Hebrew.

“It says as protectors of the scrolls we should descend into the desert of Egypt where there will be those to protect us... a small town by the name of Nephar,” she translated. “Why would be need to go there?”

“That's all it says... go to the town of Nephar?” David asked her.

When they started looking at the scroll again, it had changed form, they way it was written. The printing was done in a very precise way and it was more of the teachings of Jesus. The family tree stopped and the surnames with it, around the late 1600s.

“OK... this doesn't bring us up to present times like I though it would. This is all teachings and sayings... a lot of metaphorical works, but no names,” he told his compatriot.

“Anything unusual? I mean anything out of place or, I don't know what I want to say.... wait a minute. It's in Bible Code just like the Old Testament. Look, there are messages in the writing here. Backwards, up and down, diagonally... there are sensible inscriptions there,” she announced.

“I see it. Thank you Grace. It makes sense now,” here's a family name Bacon... early seventeen hundreds. This was done to safeguard the descendants in the last few generations. Once someone had the family names and let's say great grandparents, they could track it down to the present to the Messiah and his return.

Daniel continued writing down the names of each generation into the twentieth century.

“OK this is...” Danial began, but Grace finished his sentence.

“Wanda and Stanford Carson... that was my grandparents names. But that couldn't be,” she expressed her disbelief in what she saw. Their children... was her father's name there?

“They had three male sons... Robert, Claire and Glenn,” David translated.

Oh God, Grace's head was swimming now.

“My father's name was Robert... then there was Uncle Glenn and Uncle Claire,” she revealed. “That's my mother's name... Silvia.”

David looked at her knowing this was beyond coincidence. Jabariyah even confided there were no coincidences. She had that stunned look, where nothing could be said.

“They had one boy and one girl... Grace and Johnathon Carson. Grace you're going to be carrying...” David translated.