Karem nodded. “Again, this is what the Scriptures say, though we never spent a great deal of time and energy on the subject. Most of our teachers and rabbis brush over those parts of the texts, claiming they are unimportant.”
Tommy listened carefully before interjecting. “Wait a minute. I thought that using divination was forbidden in Jewish and Christian religions. Aren’t there several texts that talk about that?”
“Yes,” Karem gave another nod. “We do not condone divination, necromancy, cleromancy, or astrology. Those things are forbidden. But to the ancient Hebrews, divination was the way they sought answers from Yahweh. They occasionally used cleromancy, or lot casting, as well. Only the high priest was permitted to engage those kinds of techniques, and they typically were done prior to a sacrifice, like in the image you see here.” He pointed a finger at the print.
Sean spoke up again. “You said that they used these objects to seek answers from Yahweh. What kind of answers? I mean, how did it work?”
Karem took a deep breath and sighed then shrugged. “No one knows for certain. There are many accounts of using the Hoshen with the sacred stones to seek answers to questions. Some histories indicate that the stones were placed on top of the breastplate. When they were positioned correctly, the priest could ask questions, and the Urim or the Thummim would move to a specific jewel.”
“Wait,” Tommy stopped him. “You mean, like on a Ouija board?”
“Most certainly not,” Karem sounded defensive for a second. “Those things are strictly forbidden, and related to contacting the forces of darkness. It would be considered necromancy.”
“I meant no offense,” Tommy sounded apologetic, “but what I meant was, on a Ouija board, people say the thing moves on its own. You’re saying these stones move by themselves?”
“That was one account, yes. However, the priest did not have to be touching them for the stones to move.”
Sean had another question. “You said the stones moved to a specific jewel. From what I understand, each jewel represented a tribe of Israel. That would make me think that the questions typically revolved around answers they sought for the tribes? And I thought the priest had to be wearing the thing. If that is the case, how did they move without him holding them?”
“Typically yes, that would have been the case. In most instances, the high priest needed to know who a scapegoat was, who had done something wrong, or who should receive what reward after a battle. Of course, the moving stones is only one method that was recorded. The priest would have to put the breastplate down on a table to perform the ritual in that manner. The details, however, are extremely sketchy.”
The two Americans gave a look that urged him to continue.
“Fine. The other method they used caused the stones to light up. That’s why this artist’s rendering shows a halo of light around the hand holding the darker stone. According to the records, the light effect was more frequently referred to when the priest was asking yes or no questions. If the answer was no, one stone would light up. If it was yes, the other would illuminate. There were also instances where it was said that the other stones on the Hoshen would light up during certain inquisitions. Other than that, there is nothing else I know about the relics.”
A quiet calm fell over the room once more. Sean and Tommy mulled over the information Karem had given them. It seemed like he was talking about some kind of magic, though the two Americans knew better than to insinuate that. Growing up in a Christian church, both of them had heard all kinds of stories from the Bible. Miracles and unexplainable events were commonplace. Now, the possibility of finding two of the objects that seemed to revolve around something miraculous sent goose bumps across their skin.
Two more questions still needed answering, though.
“So,” Sean spoke first, “the question is, who wants these things badly enough that they would kidnap an archaeologist to find them? And second, what do they want with the relics?”
Karem answered him. “Nehem must have been looking for these artifacts to preserve their historical value. I do not see why he would do otherwise. However, in the wrong hands, the Hoshen and the sacred stones could be a powerful force.”
Sean and Tommy paid close attention to what he was saying, both minds racing with horrific scenarios even as Karem explained. “If someone, say a terrorist organization or insurgent group, were able to get their hands on those objects, assuming they do what the Scriptures say, it could spell doom for millions of people. They could find the answers to questions about military positions, stock market information, technology, and who knows what else. Use your imaginations. They would be able to effectively shut down global commerce. Armies would be rendered ineffective. Computer viruses would run rampant through the web. It would be worldwide chaos.”
Those were some of the scenarios Sean was considering, even as Karem was speaking. “That’s assuming these things actually do what the texts say they do. Right?”
“Correct.” Karem answered quickly, but something in his voice told the other two that he wasn’t confident in his response.
“We’ve dealt with future-telling devices before,” Tommy attempted to lighten the mood. “It didn’t work out so well for the bad guys.” In his head, he recalled the events in Greece.
“Look, we’re missing the point,” Sean tried to guide them back on track. “Whether the Hoshen and those two rocks actually do what the Bible says they do doesn’t matter at this point. We need to find whoever took Nehem and get him safely home. If we happen to recover a couple of priceless Israeli treasures along the way, great. But we need to focus on finding Nehem.”
Karem and Tommy nodded their agreement. “Where do we start?” Tommy asked. “We don’t exactly have a lot of leads.”
“Sure we do,” Sean corrected. “We know where to look for the breastplate.” He leaned down and picked up the print. “Call the pilot, and tell him to make a flight plan for Indonesia.”
Tommy didn’t wait to be told twice. He reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone. A few seconds later, he was conversing with their pilot who was waiting around in Tel Aviv, probably at an Internet cafe. It only took a minute to relay the information. When he was done, Tommy looked at the other two. “We’re good to go. Need to get back to the airport. He said the plane will be ready within the next two hours.”
Sean folded the print and put it in his back pocket. Tommy took the two sheets of paper with the symbols and the translations and folded them carefully, putting them inside one of his cargo pockets.
The men turned to leave, but a noise stopped them in their tracks. Across the room, the doorknob was jiggling. It was slight, barely noticeable, but it was definitely moving back and forth.
Someone was trying to get in. And they were trapped.
11
For one second, all three men inside the apartment froze. They turned their heads, looking to one another for an answer. Tommy shrugged as Sean glanced at him. Sean, however, wasn’t a man of indecision. He acted quickly, his thoughts in perfect sync with his actions.
He motioned for Tommy to come to the door with him. His friend shook his head and mouthed the word No. Sean pointed at the side of the door closest to the hinges, instructing him to stay behind the opening once the intruders came through. That way, he could attack from behind.
With a clearer understanding of his role, Tommy nodded and tiptoed over to the other side of the entrance. Sean pulled the gun out of his ankle holster and pressed his back against the wall. Karem still stood by the desk, uncertain of what he was supposed to do.