“What about the unholy ground?” Carmen asked. “Where is it?”
“The answer might surprise you. It’s a place we know today as the Golan Heights, the region encompassing Israel’s border with Syria and Lebanon. In ancient times, it was referred to as Bashan. Mount Hermon lies in that region, and it’s always been associated with evil.” Roger nodded at Amanda. “Your friend mentioned the fallen angels earlier. The sixth chapter of Genesis says these fallen ones — who some call the Watchers — came down to earth and procreated with women, producing giant offspring known as the Nephilim.”
Zane knew the story well. On a recent Delphi operation in Brazil, the team had discovered evidence some of the Nephilim might have dispersed as far away as South America. Amanda had told them the theoretical diaspora took place after Joshua drove them from the land.
Amanda seemed to know where Roger was going. “The Book of Enoch fills in more detail. It tells us when the Watchers first fell, they descended upon Mount Hermon.”
“Bravo.” Roger gestured toward her with his pipe. “Not only is she a Bible scholar, but she knows her apocryphal works.”
Amanda reddened. “I’m not a scholar, just a Christian who likes to read the Bible.”
“So Mount Hermon is associated with evil because of the Nephilim?” Carmen asked.
“The sin of the fallen angels was the event that seemed to trigger a kind of spiritual darkness that has reigned ever since. For example, the Nephilim giants were there even after the flood. Remember I said the region was once known as Bashan? The king of Bashan was a man named Og. Strangely, he was also a Nephilim, probably part of a second incursion. He was so large his bed was said to be somewhere around thirteen or fourteen feet long. God told Moses to conquer the land and slay the hybrid beings. Og was killed during one of the battles.
“But even after the Nephilim were killed or dispersed, Mount Hermon became a place known for occult practices, idol worship, and the dark arts. In fact, there were more temples built at Mount Hermon than any other part of the Near East, and most of those were built by cults.”
“It almost sounds like it became the capital of Satan’s kingdom,” Carmen said.
“In some sense, that’s true. But later, something very interesting took place there,” Roger said. “Someone representing the forces of good would enter that territory with bold aggression. He would stand at the very foot of Mount Hermon and announce that Satan’s kingdom would one day be brought to an end.”
“Who was that?” Carmen asked.
Roger beamed. “Jesus Christ.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
“Jesus Christ went to Mount Hermon to challenge Satan?” Carmen asked.
Before answering, Roger picked up his pipe and tapped it against the inside of an ashtray. He filled a third bowl. “Well, he wasn’t technically on the slopes of Hermon, but he was in the shadow of Hermon, and it was no coincidence he chose that location.”
Roger sat back in his chair. “In the sixteenth chapter of Matthew, it says Jesus went to Caesarea Philippi. If you look at it on a map, you’ll see it’s squarely in the middle of ancient Bashan, the place I referred to before.”
“Why don’t I just read it?” Amanda pulled up the passage on her phone.
“Please do.”
Roger lit his pipe as Amanda cleared her throat and began reading:
When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?”
They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”
“But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?”
Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”
Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven. And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock, I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. I will—
“Stop there.” Roger held up a hand. “Notice the last part of the last verse: ‘and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.’ Can his use of those words truly be a coincidence? Think about it. He spoke of the gates of hell with Mount Hermon towering in the background.
“Now ask yourself this. Who was his audience? Was it just the disciples assembled in front of him? Of course not. I think the whole event was calculated. This was a battle cry against all the forces of darkness who called Mount Hermon their home. He was telling them his death, burial, and resurrection would bring about their spiritual destruction.”
“I thought it was interesting he referred to the gates of Hades,” Carmen noted.
“Precisely!” Roger seemed pleased she comprehended his point. “He could’ve simply said Hades, but instead, he chose his words carefully.”
Zane frowned. “I think I’m with you so far. Jesus may have been indicating the very gates of hell are somewhere near Caesarea Philippi. So where, exactly?”
“That’s a good question,” Roger said. “There is an oral tradition among Jewish sages and mystics, as well as a few cults, which indicates Mount Hermon holds the entrance to the underworld, a deep chasm that descends to the very center of the earth. These same traditions claim the Watchers — the fallen angels — constructed underground temples at the entrance. Supposedly, they were the forerunners to the temples that would later be built outside on the mountain’s slope.”
“And the key?” Zane asked.
“The legends say the Watchers knew they were going to be punished by God, so they sealed off the gate and forged a key. It is said that no one can pass through the gate unless they have that key. Some even believe only those committed to the powers of darkness can use it.”
“So how did this key make its way to the National Museum of Iraq?” Zane asked.
Roger puffed on his pipe for a few seconds. “The Iraq we know today has only been around for about a hundred years. Do you know what nation occupied that real estate in ancient times?”
“Babylon,” Amanda answered for him.
“Correct. And like Bashan, Babylon was also a place known for occult practices and dark arts. There is no way of knowing for sure, but the thinking is somehow it came into the hands of King Nebuchadnezzar during one of the raids on Israel. At this point, who knows?
“All we know for sure is that, in the nineties, word got out that Saddam had shown the key to a number of visiting foreign dignitaries. During some of the galas, he would take some of the drunken guests on a tour of the museum’s vaults, showing them treasures that would never be shown to the public.”
“Why didn’t word get out?” Amanda asked.
“I’m sure it did in some circles,” Roger answered. “But most thought it was some stunt fabricated by a dictator trying to impress his guests.”
Silence fell over the group. Roger puffed on his pipe while the others remained lost in their thoughts.
Zane’s mind had already transitioned to another topic. “Some group now has the key. Do you have any idea who they might be?”
“At first, I had no idea who it might be. But as I shared a few things with you tonight, a name entered my thoughts. It’s an organization that has been around for a long time. Some say they’ve been around in some way, shape, or form for several millennia.”
“What’s the name?” Zane asked impatiently.
“They’re known as the Order of Baal,” Roger answered.