Excerpt from The Secret Scroll

      The window in Josh's hotel room faced the ancient wall of the Old City. He loved the location, close to the spiritual center of three great faiths. Josh had taken numerous trips to the Old City over the years, and every time he returned he felt he was home. This was the place of his ancestry and he just seemed to resonate differently here. Though he could barely wait to unwrap the jar, he still took a moment to gaze out on the city before beginning. There was so much magnificence here. And sadly, so much danger. There had never been more perilous times in the Middle East, and this city stood at the center of the conflict. It was a tragedy within a tragedy.

      He picked up his pack and carefully unraveled the t-shirt-covered cylinder. An electric thrill raced through his body. There was a reason why he found this jar. Now he would take the first step to discovering what that reason was.

      Under Israeli Law, all archaeological findings belonged to the state and were under the control of the Israel Antiquities Authority. Josh knew that he would have to turn the jar over to the IAA, and that once he did they could exclude him from taking part in his own discovery. He couldn't recall anything in the law that said when he had to give it up, though. In his estimate, the jar had already lay buried for millennia. The IAA could live without it for a few more days.

      He once again slipped on surgical gloves and began the first part of what he was certain would be a long and delicate process. The top of the jar had been closed tightly with sealing wax. Opening it would require the utmost care, as breaking the jar or damaging its contents even slightly would be an unforgivable sin. He pulled a small knife from his backpack and worked very slowly, dislodging the lid after several minutes.

      Inside Josh found a cylinder of wound linen cloth. He hesitated for a moment, and then carefully removed it from the jar. The linen was in such good condition that he began to question its authenticity. When archeologists discovered the Dead Sea scrolls, they found hundreds of fragments representing approximately 850 scrolls. In only ten cases had more than 50 percent of the original scroll survived. Only one, the Isaiah scroll, was complete. If this jar was more than two thousand years old, how, then, were the contents so perfectly preserved?

      Gingerly, Josh unwound the linen wrapping to reveal a scroll. The scientist in him was both dubious and thrilled at the possibilities...but once again, that feeling of tranquility overwhelmed him. How could he feel tranquil at a moment like this? When he discovered something in the field, his system burned with adrenaline. Now, though, he felt inexplicably peaceful.

      He unrolled the first section of the scroll and examined it closely. The words on the sheet were Aramaic, a mostly forgotten language once spoken in this region. Josh learned it while pursuing his doctorate in Biblical Archaeology. Tiny specks surrounded many of the letters on the sheet. They were the document's only obvious signs of aging.

      He turned on every light in the room, took out his magnifying glass, and began the slow, arduous task of translating. Though it would take him until morning to complete the first paragraphs, he took no notice of the time. The words he read held him so completely in thrall that he was certain he could have gone days without stopping.

      I am Yahoshua Ben Joseph. In the next two weeks, I will meet my fate. I write this scroll so you will know the truth of who I am and what I preach and believe. I am a prophet with visions of the future and I write this scroll to prevent my worst fear-that my teachings will be forgotten or, worse, that I will be misinterpreted and my message subverted by the teller of lies.

      I taught in parables, but even my closest companions had trouble understanding their true meaning. I write now in a way that the simplest of men and women may understand, yet will touch the hearts of even the brightest minds.

      I was born in Nazareth in Galilee during the last year of the reign of Herod the Great. My parents, Miriam and Joseph, were religious Jews who kept the Laws of Moses and the sanctity of the Torah. I grew up studying every word of that sacred document. As a child, I had dreams and visions that made me feel my life had a special purpose. I prayed every day, studied the Torah, meditated, and learned healing. My mission was to seek the path of helping others, particularly the poor, the hopeless, and the spiritually starved. My plan was to free my people from Roman occupation and to establish a heaven here on earth.

      Josh leaned back from the scroll and rubbed his eyes. When he looked out the window, he noticed sunlight streaming through. He stared back at the scroll. There was so much more to translate. So much more to discover. What he found already, however, was breathtaking.

      If he could believe what he read so far, the author was the man known today as Jesus Christ.

      Josh paced the small hotel room, barely able to comprehend what he'd just read. The document had to be a fraud. How else could you explain the condition of the scroll? If it wasn't a hoax, however, it was the most monumental archaeological find in history.