Previous Challenge Entry (Level 4 – Masters)
Topic: ANCIENT (06/04/20)
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TITLE: Treasure Beyond Words | Previous Challenge Entry
By Graham Insley
06/10/20 -
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All the signs were good. This was it, the find of the century. And with it of course came fame and fortune. Not insignificant, true. But not the main thing either. The wealth they were about to show to the world… the splendour and breath-taking affluence of a long-forgotten culture. The skills of its artisans, the history, the…
He quickly gathered both his thoughts and his keys, headed out of his bedroom door and down the stairs. Ignoring the communal dining room, he entered the early morning light and drove to the dig. His stomach couldn’t handle breakfast and he was eager to get going. It was difficult to keep his mind on driving, but he reached his destination without incident.
He was the first on site this morning. Not surprising, he had not been able to sleep and having to wait for the first hint of dawn had been unbearable. Julie, his assistant, should be here soon and they could get that door open. As the lead archaeologist, he had made the rule that no one person could enter the excavation site alone. Easier to control theft that way, but this morning that rule worked against him. He drummed his fingers on the steering wheel as he kept glancing down the street for approaching headlights. Eventually his torment ended, he was pulling Julie’s car door open even before she turned the engine off.
“I thought you would never get here. Come on, let’s go.”
“Hang on, let me at least catch my breath.” Used to the professor’s impatience, Julie was not about to be rushed beyond reason. “Just slow down and we’ll still get there.”
“The main storehouse of Constantine the Great. How can you not be excited? Today we make history. Come on, let’s go.”
“I’m as thrilled as you are, just not as impatient.”
Tutankhamun’s tomb was racing through Robert’s thoughts. Gold statues, full size chariots and rooms full of treasure had been unearthed there. It had taken more than ten years to catalogue all the findings and the name of Howard Carter was now legend. Surely, he was about to enter the history books as one of world’s greatest archaeologists. And who knows, maybe even more wealth would be uncovered here.
Together they passed the security check and headed for the sealed door. Taking crowbars, ropes and pulleys in hand they set to work. Two hours later they stood in a small entrance room and stared in amazement. All over the walls were stone engravings of everyday life. Each one depicted someone helping someone else. A rich man helping a beggar to his feet, a man helping to feed a sick, feeble body lying on a cot, someone helping a blind man walk through the village streets and many more similar portrayals. But not a single jewel, no gold ornaments… and no treasure in sight.
“Well, not exactly as anticipated, but it is only the entrance. Let us go on.” The professor was a little disappointed, but still eager to enter the main room.
When they entered the main room, their eyes flew wide open and filled with disbelief. It was bare. Stone cold empty… literally. The temperature of the room was almost freezing and the walls were all giant stone, meticulously and tightly laid in place. Bare, plain granite blocks. Except for one thing. Hebrew letters were carved into one wall. Robert translated the letters for Julie. It read:
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