The Complete 8-Book Guardians Adventure Saga Read online

  Anak? Even the escaped, modern sons of the Canaanites were here, stealing his glory. Was this God’s punishment for his obsession with becoming famous in his field?

  Everything was going wrong. He hurried away and didn’t look back. He had one more chance and he wasn’t going to let it pass him by.

  Ben-Tzion ran as hard as he could and arrived at the Roman attack ramp just in time. The mysterious man was there, but seemed as if he were just about to leave. “Oh, you came. It is getting late,” he said. “We will leave early in the morning. Be prepared for somewhat of a journey. We shall head to the mountain at dawn. Mt. Nebo is our destination.”

  “Wait!” Ben-Tzion was surprised. “Mt. Nebo? That is significant to the biblical history of Moses!”

  “Yes. Very much so.” The man looked down the road. “Do you have a vehicle?”

  “I can get access to one.”

  “Good. Get it. And get a good night’s sleep.” The mysterious man smiled for the first time. “If you have faith, you will succeed.” With that, he turned away.

  Faith? Ben-Tzion was not sure what the robed man knew about faith. He had not taken him for a religious man.

  Suddenly, he remembered the woman he had seen earlier. Who is she? Why did she single me out?

  He inquired around the foot of Mt. Masada about her. “Did anyone see a beautiful, slender lady around here? With dark hair?”

  “Oh, yes,” said one old digger. “Beautiful dark-haired women are all over this place.”

  “I am not joking. I saw a woman here today, and her eyes were the color of a deep amethyst,” said Ben-Tzion. He turned to a man on the other side. “How about you? Did you see her?”

  “Yes, I saw such a woman,” said a fellow archaeologist. “I saw her ride the conveyance lift to the top of the mountain.”

  Ben-Tzion hurriedly caught the next ski tow going up. The seats going down rattled past him and he saw that the woman was returning to the bottom. As she passed him, with glee she held up a small section of mosaic tile—a repeating sea wave design. He recognized it. She had apparently chipped it off the floor of Herod’s room at the top of Masada.

  As an archaeologist, he was appalled at the theft and vandalism. Even so, he was jealous of her chutzpah—thumbing her nose at Herod, two thousand years later. Everyone was apparently getting a piece of Masada, except him.

  He would come back to this camp in a couple of days, if only to look for the woman again. And this time, he would find out what she wanted.

  Renting a jeep, he slept in the driver’s seat all night near the tents which housed the archaeological dig teams. He would leave at dawn with the man in the hooded robe.

  Chapter the Second

  AT DAWN, the two of them had driven away from the tents scattered over the Masada plateau. Now, the jeep stopped just short of the base of Mt. Nebo, a place where the jeep trail ended and walking would begin.

  Ben-Tzion exited the jeep wearing a thick fur-lined coat. The cool wind blew back the fur on the hood. His guide was still wearing nothing more than his desert-weight hooded robe.

  “Look up.” The robed man pointed up. “We must walk from here to there. Can you make it?”

  Ben-Tzion looked at the peak of the mountain. “I can climb that. It is a small enough mountain.” He grabbed a jacket. “The weather is colder here. Would you care for a coat, my mysterious friend?”

  “I need no extra covering.” The robed man proceeded to walk up a snaking dirt path.

  Wearing his backpack over his coat, Ben-Tzion followed closely behind. “It is rumored that the Ark of the Covenant is in one of these caves.”

  “The Ark is not here,” the man replied bluntly.

  Ben-Tzion’s heart hurt. Was there nothing left in all of Israel for him to discover? “Do you not have a name, sir?”

  “Why is my name so important now, when before it did not matter?”

  “It would be polite to tell me who you are.”

  Silence.

  “Just why are we here?” Ben-Tzion spoke again. “You know there has been a team of archaeologists working on the shrine found at the peak dedicated to Moses. If there is anything unusual here, they would have already found it.”

  The robed man stopped and turned to face Ben-Tzion. “Now you choose to question me? You follow me to the base of Mt. Nebo and the queries start? Do not seek to make me at fault for your doubt. You see the mountain now and are perhaps concerned that I am leading you into the wilderness without a plan. Faith is always the key if you want a treasure. When you believe, you will find what those who have been here all along could not find.”

  “Faith?”

  “Yes, faith. If you look with your physical eyes, you will be blind to the true treasure, just like the others.”

  “Others?” Ben-Tzion echoed. “What others?”

  “Answer me this before we continue: Where does this passage come from? ‘And Moses went up from the plains of Moab unto the mountain of Nebo, to the top of Pisgah.’”

  Ben-Tzion didn’t know there would be a quiz on this journey, but he didn’t want to be flippant about it and die for his trouble, apparently like “the others” who had likely come up here with this man and not returned. He was highly annoyed, and a little frightened, but he played along. “Is it from Deuteronomy?” he asked, as if he did not know the last book in the Torah of Moses forward and backward. Which he did. However, to him, it was called Devarim.

  “Deuteronomy! Correct!” The robed man looked Ben-Tzion in the eye.

  Ben-Tzion relaxed. Apparently, it was the correct answer that the man sought and he would be allowed to live.

  Then the robed man asked, “Is it then a coincidence that Yadin has found the Deuteronomy scrolls?”

  “Why, of course.” Ben-Tzion had a flash of realization. “That is how they are connected! Masada and Mt. Nebo connect because of Moses!”

  The robed man slapped his thigh. “Finally, someone who understands. Tell me this. Do you also have faith in God Almighty?”

  A small red flag went up in Ben-Tzion’s awareness. Jews rarely said God’s name aloud unless reading the Torah. Surely this tall man was odd in speech, as well as in dress and mannerisms. Without hesitation, Ben-Tzion replied, “Yes. Of course I have faith.” He added, “In God,” because when in Rome…

  “Good, because you will need God’s help.”

  Hmm, the stranger had done it again. Said God’s name.

  Silently, they moved forward. The climb got steeper, and Ben-Tzion was short of breath. He sat on a stump to rest for a few moments. The man who was leading him up here was going to let him live—he just hoped the climb up this mountain wouldn’t kill him.

  “When we get halfway up Mt. Nebo, we will leave the trail,” said the hooded man. He narrowed his glowing eyes. “I see you have weak lungs. You’ll need to take deep breaths to get enough oxygen.”

  Ben-Tzion agreed he could do that. He was committed to completing this mystery expedition. They walked for half an hour before the robed man stopped and pointed toward a small trail that branched off. “Go!”

  Ben-Tzion reluctantly took the lead. “How will I know what I’m looking for if I’m in front?”

  “You will find what you are looking for by not using your eyes.”

  “How so?” Ben-Tzion realized that the man was talking about faith. He continued even when the small path disappeared. The mountain got steeper. A few times, he stumbled over rocks and bushes, almost falling. He constantly looked back to see if the robed man was still with him. He was.

  Gasping for air, Ben-Tzion held onto the bushes for support as he planted his feet on solid rocks, one step at a time. He had to be careful as there were not many bushes to grab. When the slope became slippery, he looked for something firm to grasp to keep his balance.

  He finally stopped to rest.

  “Proceed,” insisted the robed man.

  Ben-Tzion’s patience had run out and he hoped he would not die for protesting, but he could not
go on without a rest. He said, “Are you insane? I will not proceed until I am breathing normally again. Do you see where we are? I have trusted you up until this point and now you want me to proceed without rest, when it will most assuredly mean my death? How am I supposed to—”

  “Silence!” The robed man had a smirk on his face. “We have arrived. Look in front of you, Israelite.”

  Ben-Tzion shuddered at the menacing way he had said that last word, but before him, he saw a smooth rock about ten feet tall that was completely vertical and smooth. It reminded him of a door. It had a thorn bush growing in the middle of it where the rock was smoothest. It meant something, but what?

  Curiously, Ben-Tzion looked back at the robed man to read his expression. His face was full of delighted anticipation. Clearly, it appeared that this rock door was what he had sought.

  “What good is a rock door with no handle—” Ben-Tzion stopped in mid-sentence as he saw the robed man now had a smile on his face for the second time. He understood, and said, “All of those questions I asked you. This is what it was about. You meant that if I used my natural eyes, I could see what was in front of me—the rock. But to see beyond the rock, I’d need faith.”

  “That is correct. Remember where you are, Eldad Ben-Tzion. Use your faith from now on. Your name tells who you are in your soul.”

  “Who is that?” Of course, he knew the meaning of his own name, but he wanted to humor the stranger who appeared to be more brawn than brains.

  “Eldad means ‘Beloved of God.’ Ben-Tzion means ‘Son of Zion.’ Your name reveals your destiny.” His deep voice seemed to resonate with prophecy and reassurance.

  The stranger’s words were now encouraging. Maybe he knew something after all.

  “Open the stone door!” ordered the man in the robe.

  “How?” Ben-Tzion asked in surprise.

  “Just do it.”

  He was perplexed for a few moments. Then, there was a slight breeze waving the thorn bush, which gave Ben-Tzion an idea. From the life of Moses…

  He took off his backpack and placed it on the ground in front of him. He rapidly dug through it until he found a few rags, a lighter and a bottle of alcohol from his first aid kit. He also had a small bottle of a local soft drink. He removed the bottle cap and drank all of the soda.

  The robed man remained silent and curious.

  With his back to the mountain wind, Ben-Tzion unscrewed the cap from the alcohol bottle and poured some in the empty glass soda bottle. He then drenched one of the rags in alcohol and stuffed it in the bottle’s opening, leaving a tail hanging out. He looked again at the robed man, who had not deviated from his position. He just stared.

  Ben-Tzion tried several times to light the alcohol-drenched rag without success. The breeze managed to snuff out each attempt. Finally, the wind stopped momentarily and the lighter quickly ignited the rag. It went up in flames quicker than he had anticipated.

  “Oy!”

  “What is that you have made?” the man asked.

  “A Molotov cocktail.”

  Before it could explode in his hands, he flung the bottle with the flaming rag at the bush in the rock. It landed almost in the middle of the bush as he had hoped, though the bottle did not break. He watched for several moments as the rag’s flames crept onto the dry bush and down into the hole. The bush erupted in a powerful blaze. He felt the heat from the fire as smoke billowed upward.

  He yelled, “It is working.”

  The robed man slowly nodded. “To what end?”

  “You’ll see.” Ben-Tzion smiled. “Is it fitting that we also have a burning bush on Mt. Nebo?”

  “That was near Mt. Sinai. And you are not Moses.”

  “It doesn’t matter.” Ben-Tzion gave the robed man a frustrated look. As the bush was consumed by the fire, the last burned stem finally fell with a slight tremor. The fire burning inside the hole caused the ground to vibrate. It was as if the stones themselves were moving after centuries of being dormant.

  Ben-Tzion’s eyes lit up as he watched a completely vertical, smooth rock wall become a horizontal platform. The platform moved, extending out about five feet and just a step away from the men.

  A dark cavern of sorts appeared inside of the mountain. A slight glimmer of light shone from way in the back.

  “I hope you have a flashlight,” said the robed man. He seemed unaffected by the sight of the platform.

  “Of course I do. I’m an archaeologist.” Ben-Tzion felt so excited that his eyes filled with tears. He knew that something special lay inside this cave. He replaced the bottle of alcohol carefully inside the first aid kit and put it back into his backpack. He then pulled out a flashlight.

  Ben-Tzion checked the stability of the platform by pressing down on it in several places with his foot. Relieved that the platform would hold his weight, he stepped onto it. He then turned on the flashlight and pointed it into the cave. The light revealed a path going deep into the cave toward the light, which he followed. The robed man followed closely.

  Once fully inside the cave, Ben-Tzion saw that he was in a large room with three smaller side rooms. “What do we do now?”

  The robed man said, “Proceed cautiously.”

  ***

  The cave had a dirt floor. Both men walked slowly while checking for traps and making sure that the floor would remain solid. The narrow passageway in front of them appeared to be endless.

  Ben-Tzion took the lead and shuddered as bats grazed the walls over their heads and snakes swarmed below. The path ended abruptly in a drop-off. Pointing the flashlight forward revealed that the floor sloped downward, like a slide. He turned and said, “Are you familiar with this?”

  The tall robed man looked down, shaking his head. “No! This is the first time I’ve seen this section.”

  Ben-Tzion clapped his hands and stomped his feet to scatter the snakes. As well, the bats wheeled off. He said, “No need to kill them.”

  The robed man laughed.

  Ben-Tzion knelt to shine the light as far downward as he could. The slope went down about ten feet before emptying into a chamber. If he was going down, he needed to hurry. The air was starting to get thick.

  Ben-Tzion looked at the robed man with concern. “Shall we continue? The further we go, the harder it will be to breathe.”

  “If you want to stop, you can turn around.”

  Ben-Tzion’s answer was stepping onto the platform and sliding down to the lower platform. His feet landed on solid rock with a layer of dust on top, which made him cough. The light at the end of the tunnel faded. Ben-Tzion carefully checked the entire floor for unexpected trap doors and saw none. Satisfied that it was solid, he called, “Come down. It’s safe.”

  The robed man slid down.

  Shining the flashlight around the circular room, Ben-Tzion felt excited when he saw three alcoves spaced evenly in the walls around this room. Each niche had a flat bottom that was rounded at the top and about four feet in diameter.

  The robed man appeared confused. “I don’t understand! There should be some drawings or paintings here, or at least ancient texts!”

  This was the first time that Ben-Tzion had seen the robed man upset, which now made him nervous, especially since the air was even more suffocating at this level.

  Ben-Tzion checked the first alcove, which was in deep shadow. It was about three feet deep, and there was a long thick piece of carved wood lying inside the flat surface. It appeared to be twisted and old and about three feet long, like a shepherd’s crook. This got Ben-Tzion’s attention. The robed man did not see it, so he decided that he would come back for it later.

  The next alcove was identical to the first one with the exception that there was an old piece of papyrus setting on the flat surface. Ben-Tzion examined it closely. There did not appear to be any writing on it, though it was quite dusty. The robed man wanted writings, so this would probably not interest him.

  “This is definitely an artifact,” said Ben-Tzion. “I can’t tell
for sure what the date is. I don’t have my proper equipment to evaluate it.”

  “That’s not what I’m looking for.” The robed man frowned and turned toward the third alcove. “It has to be in here.”

  Ben-Tzion asked, “What, exactly, do you think is in here?”

  “I’ll show you in a minute.” This alcove looked similar to the other two except this one had a small round stone on the flat surface. “Let me see your flashlight.”

  Ben-Tzion handed the flashlight to the man, who then shined the light into the third alcove, which caused it to quiver. He moved slowly toward it, and it began to vibrate more. The robed man beamed.

  Nothing seemed real. It was as if time stood still. Ben-Tzion got as close as he could to the stone without touching it. After looking it over, he reached into his backpack, removed a pair of latex gloves and put them on. He placed his forefinger of his right hand on the small stone and gently pressed down. The stone slowly started sinking down into the flat surface. As soon as it was flush with the surface, a clicking sound filled the air, as if it were locking into place.

  Ben-Tzion could not help but feel anxious. “What’s happening?”

  “This is it.” The man’s eyes were round with excitement. “You did it!”

  A slight tremor vibrated through the floor as the room slowly rotated around. The middle alcove was now where the slide was before, and the opening from the slide, now opened into another room—a rectangular room. The room was illuminated by four flaming torches, one set on each corner of the four walls.

  The walls were filled with old paintings—many paintings. Mostly scenes from the Bible; more specifically, they revealed the history of Moses. There was the parting of the Red Sea, Moses leading his people from Egypt, the plagues, the Burning Bush, and the Ten Commandments. All were represented in the wall paintings. The thing that most caught the eye of Ben-Tzion was that the entire room was filled with gold statues, pots of coins, treasure chests, weapons of all kinds, chalices, shields and jewelry. It was all untouched by thieves.