1 00:00:02,042 --> 00:00:03,500 WILLIAM SHATNER: An indestructible cloak 2 00:00:03,667 --> 00:00:06,542 imprinted with a divine image. 3 00:00:06,708 --> 00:00:09,042 Small fragments of wood 4 00:00:09,208 --> 00:00:12,042 believed to possess sacred energy. 5 00:00:12,208 --> 00:00:14,583 And an ancient Egyptian staff 6 00:00:14,792 --> 00:00:18,708 imbued with the power of God. 7 00:00:18,875 --> 00:00:22,292 Throughout the world, there are objects in museums, 8 00:00:22,458 --> 00:00:24,833 churches and private collections 9 00:00:24,958 --> 00:00:27,000 that are said to come from biblical times 10 00:00:27,125 --> 00:00:30,458 and the saints and martyrs whose lives 11 00:00:30,625 --> 00:00:31,958 were devoted to God. 12 00:00:32,167 --> 00:00:34,625 Many believe that these priceless items 13 00:00:34,750 --> 00:00:36,125 not only prove that the stories 14 00:00:36,250 --> 00:00:38,750 from the Old and New Testaments are true 15 00:00:38,917 --> 00:00:42,208 but that the artifacts also 16 00:00:42,375 --> 00:00:45,250 have the power to perform miracles. 17 00:00:47,250 --> 00:00:49,792 Could the objects we know as biblical relics 18 00:00:49,958 --> 00:00:51,917 really be authentic? 19 00:00:52,083 --> 00:00:54,250 And might they actually possess divine energy? 20 00:00:54,375 --> 00:00:58,917 Well, that is what we'll try and find out. 21 00:00:59,083 --> 00:01:01,208 ♪ ♪ 22 00:01:18,583 --> 00:01:22,333 While tending his flock of goats in the rocky hills 23 00:01:22,417 --> 00:01:24,333 just northwest of the Dead Sea, 24 00:01:24,500 --> 00:01:27,958 Bedouin shepherd Muhammed ed-Dib 25 00:01:28,125 --> 00:01:32,042 spies the entrance to a long-forgotten cave. 26 00:01:34,708 --> 00:01:38,083 Inside, he finds an assortment of dusty clay jars 27 00:01:38,250 --> 00:01:42,292 containing fragments of parchment and papyrus 28 00:01:42,500 --> 00:01:46,833 with writing in Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek. 29 00:01:47,000 --> 00:01:49,833 They are the ancient Jewish manuscripts 30 00:01:49,917 --> 00:01:53,708 we now call the Dead Sea Scrolls. 31 00:01:53,875 --> 00:01:58,167 ROBERT CARGILL: The Dead Sea Scrolls are the oldest copies 32 00:01:58,333 --> 00:02:01,125 of the Hebrew Bible that we have 33 00:02:01,292 --> 00:02:03,750 by a thousand years. 34 00:02:03,958 --> 00:02:05,500 Prior to their discovery, 35 00:02:05,625 --> 00:02:07,958 the oldest copies of the Bible that we had 36 00:02:08,125 --> 00:02:11,583 were from about 1100 AD. 37 00:02:12,750 --> 00:02:15,875 So, these scrolls were arguably 38 00:02:16,042 --> 00:02:18,708 the greatest discovery of the 20th century. 39 00:02:20,917 --> 00:02:23,542 SHATNER: Over the course of the ten-year excavation project, 40 00:02:23,708 --> 00:02:27,667 archeologists recovered more than 15,000 scroll fragments 41 00:02:27,833 --> 00:02:30,583 from 12 separate caves. 42 00:02:30,750 --> 00:02:34,792 And as scholars painstakingly pieced the writings together, 43 00:02:34,917 --> 00:02:36,375 what they deciphered 44 00:02:36,542 --> 00:02:40,333 was a lost history of biblical proportions. 45 00:02:41,542 --> 00:02:43,042 AMIR HUSSAIN: The Dead Sea Scrolls are really fascinating 46 00:02:43,208 --> 00:02:45,042 because some of them are books that didn't make it 47 00:02:45,208 --> 00:02:46,625 into the Bible, 48 00:02:46,792 --> 00:02:48,500 like the Book of Tobit, the Book of Jubilees, 49 00:02:48,625 --> 00:02:49,792 the Book of Enoch. 50 00:02:51,042 --> 00:02:52,375 So, this is a brand-new set 51 00:02:52,542 --> 00:02:55,000 of other information about the Bible. 52 00:02:56,083 --> 00:02:58,375 CARGILL: The Dead Sea Scrolls fundamentally changed the way 53 00:02:58,542 --> 00:03:01,667 we read the Bible because it shows us 54 00:03:01,833 --> 00:03:04,875 that there was another group of sectarian Jews 55 00:03:05,042 --> 00:03:07,500 who had books in their Bible 56 00:03:07,667 --> 00:03:10,833 that didn't end up making it into the Hebrew Bible. 57 00:03:11,000 --> 00:03:12,708 And so now we ask the questions: 58 00:03:12,875 --> 00:03:17,583 Well, why do these guys believe something that's so different? 59 00:03:17,708 --> 00:03:21,333 And so, we probably have just as many new questions 60 00:03:21,542 --> 00:03:24,500 now that we've discovered them than we had before. 61 00:03:25,708 --> 00:03:28,000 SHATNER: The creation of the biblical canons, 62 00:03:28,167 --> 00:03:31,125 along with their carefully chosen hiding places, 63 00:03:31,292 --> 00:03:33,500 seems like a clear indication 64 00:03:33,708 --> 00:03:37,167 that these manuscripts were considered very important, 65 00:03:37,292 --> 00:03:39,167 at least for as long as time 66 00:03:39,375 --> 00:03:41,750 and the fragile parchment would allow. 67 00:03:41,875 --> 00:03:46,542 But perhaps the most intriguing discovery in the Qumran desert 68 00:03:46,708 --> 00:03:49,667 was an extraordinarily well-preserved scroll 69 00:03:49,833 --> 00:03:53,167 created to endure the test of time, 70 00:03:53,292 --> 00:03:55,458 because this document 71 00:03:55,625 --> 00:03:59,250 was intentionally made of copper. 72 00:04:00,708 --> 00:04:04,167 The Copper Scroll is one of the Dead Sea Scrolls, 73 00:04:04,375 --> 00:04:06,250 but it's unlike all the others. 74 00:04:06,417 --> 00:04:10,167 It was actually discovered in what's called Cave Three, 75 00:04:10,375 --> 00:04:12,333 the third cave around Qumran. 76 00:04:12,542 --> 00:04:16,458 This scroll is entirely written 77 00:04:16,625 --> 00:04:20,208 on a sheet of copper alloy. 78 00:04:20,333 --> 00:04:22,667 It's about eight and a half feet long. 79 00:04:22,875 --> 00:04:26,875 And it had been rolled up after it was engraved in antiquity 80 00:04:27,042 --> 00:04:28,875 and set into the caves. 81 00:04:30,083 --> 00:04:32,667 So this is really an astonishing find. 82 00:04:32,833 --> 00:04:36,292 Obviously, there was a lot of thought into making 83 00:04:36,458 --> 00:04:38,708 this particular scroll out of copper. 84 00:04:38,875 --> 00:04:40,917 They wanted something that could go through 85 00:04:41,125 --> 00:04:46,000 all kinds of catastrophes and still be able to convey 86 00:04:46,208 --> 00:04:47,917 the information that it has inside it. 87 00:04:49,542 --> 00:04:51,500 SHATNER: When it was first discovered, the Copper Scroll 88 00:04:51,708 --> 00:04:55,375 was sealed shut by thousands of years of corrosion, 89 00:04:55,542 --> 00:04:57,875 preventing scholars from unraveling 90 00:04:58,042 --> 00:04:59,875 the secrets it held inside. 91 00:05:00,042 --> 00:05:02,375 But in 1955, 92 00:05:02,542 --> 00:05:04,917 English archaeologist John Allegro 93 00:05:05,042 --> 00:05:07,833 and engineers at the University of Manchester 94 00:05:08,000 --> 00:05:11,750 were able to carefully cut the scroll into sections 95 00:05:11,875 --> 00:05:16,167 and reveal its ancient Hebrew inscriptions. 96 00:05:16,375 --> 00:05:18,125 What Allegro discovered 97 00:05:18,292 --> 00:05:20,208 was nothing short of astonishing. 98 00:05:20,417 --> 00:05:24,833 His translations revealed that the Copper Scroll 99 00:05:25,000 --> 00:05:27,542 is actually a treasure map. 100 00:05:29,125 --> 00:05:32,583 CARGILL: The Copper Scroll is an inventory of treasure, 101 00:05:32,750 --> 00:05:38,292 63 locations of a massive amount of treasure. 102 00:05:39,292 --> 00:05:44,333 We're talking like $300 billion 103 00:05:44,458 --> 00:05:46,292 worth of treasure in today's money. 104 00:05:48,000 --> 00:05:53,625 ROY FISHER: The Copper Scroll is a list of locations 105 00:05:53,792 --> 00:05:59,542 where one can expect to find all sorts of riches. 106 00:06:00,625 --> 00:06:04,250 Gold, coins, artifacts. 107 00:06:04,417 --> 00:06:07,000 So, many people have viewed it 108 00:06:07,208 --> 00:06:10,167 as kind of an ancient treasure map. 109 00:06:10,292 --> 00:06:13,458 Unfortunately, we've not found 110 00:06:13,542 --> 00:06:16,417 any treasure associated with the Copper Scroll 111 00:06:16,542 --> 00:06:20,208 because a lot of the vocabulary is strange 112 00:06:20,375 --> 00:06:24,625 and the geographical places are unknown to us. 113 00:06:25,875 --> 00:06:27,833 SHATNER: Instead of ancient scripture, 114 00:06:28,042 --> 00:06:31,875 the Copper Scroll lists 63 different treasure locations 115 00:06:32,042 --> 00:06:33,625 in the Judean Desert. 116 00:06:33,792 --> 00:06:36,750 But as with any great treasure hunt, 117 00:06:36,917 --> 00:06:38,333 there's a hook. 118 00:06:38,542 --> 00:06:40,250 The locations listed on the scroll 119 00:06:40,458 --> 00:06:42,625 either no longer exist, 120 00:06:42,708 --> 00:06:45,500 are completely unknown to scholars 121 00:06:45,667 --> 00:06:49,375 or just too vague to figure out. 122 00:06:50,750 --> 00:06:53,417 CARGILL: This is the big mystery about the Copper Scroll. 123 00:06:53,583 --> 00:06:56,250 It's very nondescript. It'll give a location, 124 00:06:56,417 --> 00:06:58,417 and then it'll tell you how far down to dig. 125 00:06:58,583 --> 00:07:02,500 For instance, it'll say something like... 126 00:07:12,167 --> 00:07:14,167 And it does this 63 times. 127 00:07:14,333 --> 00:07:19,042 So, the question is: Where is this place? 128 00:07:19,208 --> 00:07:21,500 But we just don't know. 129 00:07:22,708 --> 00:07:26,333 SHATNER: Could the Copper Scroll lead to a massive fortune 130 00:07:26,500 --> 00:07:29,417 buried throughout the Judean Desert? 131 00:07:29,583 --> 00:07:31,375 It's an incredible notion. 132 00:07:31,542 --> 00:07:33,500 But if it is true, 133 00:07:33,625 --> 00:07:35,958 then where did this treasure come from? 134 00:07:37,208 --> 00:07:41,000 When you look at the treasure inventory in the Copper Scroll, 135 00:07:41,208 --> 00:07:45,000 and it describes like 160 tons of gold and silver, 136 00:07:45,208 --> 00:07:47,125 you have to be thinking about, well, who would have 137 00:07:47,292 --> 00:07:50,500 160 tons of gold and silver? 138 00:07:50,625 --> 00:07:53,667 The only place that would have that is Solomon's Temple. 139 00:07:53,792 --> 00:07:55,292 And so the idea is that: 140 00:07:55,417 --> 00:07:58,708 Is this a list of the treasure of the temple? 141 00:07:58,875 --> 00:08:02,292 Because the temple, of course, has gold and silver. 142 00:08:02,500 --> 00:08:04,167 What about the things in the temple? 143 00:08:04,375 --> 00:08:05,500 Including the most sacred object, 144 00:08:05,708 --> 00:08:07,625 the Ark of the Covenant. 145 00:08:07,792 --> 00:08:09,583 Is potentially the Ark of the Covenant 146 00:08:09,708 --> 00:08:12,417 one of the things that is hidden 147 00:08:12,542 --> 00:08:14,667 in this, uh, location of treasures? 148 00:08:16,875 --> 00:08:19,083 SHATNER: According to the Hebrew Bible, 149 00:08:19,250 --> 00:08:20,750 the sacred chest said to hold 150 00:08:20,958 --> 00:08:23,167 the Ten Commandments' stone tablets 151 00:08:23,292 --> 00:08:25,708 was once kept in a secret chamber 152 00:08:25,917 --> 00:08:28,917 beneath King Solomon's Temple in Jerusalem. 153 00:08:29,958 --> 00:08:33,292 But at some point, the Ark disappeared, 154 00:08:33,417 --> 00:08:36,708 and nobody has seen it for thousands of years. 155 00:08:36,875 --> 00:08:41,625 Could the Copper Scrolls reveal its hidden location? 156 00:08:42,542 --> 00:08:45,792 The idea that the Copper Scroll 157 00:08:45,958 --> 00:08:50,375 could lead us to, say, the Ark of the Covenant 158 00:08:50,542 --> 00:08:54,708 is a tantalizing, maybe even a seductive idea. 159 00:08:55,958 --> 00:09:00,417 The Ark of God is probably the most powerful relic 160 00:09:00,583 --> 00:09:02,750 in ancient Israel. 161 00:09:02,958 --> 00:09:07,125 And it's reported to have tremendous power. 162 00:09:08,125 --> 00:09:10,208 I guess if somebody finds treasure, 163 00:09:10,333 --> 00:09:12,208 then the mystery will be solved. 164 00:09:12,375 --> 00:09:17,625 But until then, it's still in that mysterious realm. 165 00:09:17,792 --> 00:09:19,958 Is the Ark of the Covenant 166 00:09:20,125 --> 00:09:23,167 hidden somewhere in the Judean wilderness? 167 00:09:23,375 --> 00:09:24,292 We don't know. 168 00:09:25,333 --> 00:09:27,208 SHATNER: If the Copper Scroll really does lead 169 00:09:27,417 --> 00:09:31,000 to the Ark of the Covenant, what happens if it's found? 170 00:09:31,208 --> 00:09:33,542 How will believers react? 171 00:09:34,833 --> 00:09:37,542 Perhaps the answer can be found by examining another relic, 172 00:09:37,708 --> 00:09:39,667 in Mexico City, 173 00:09:39,833 --> 00:09:45,000 a cloak imbued with divine power by the Virgin Mary 174 00:09:45,208 --> 00:09:49,625 that is believed to be indestructible. 175 00:09:56,625 --> 00:09:59,708 SHATNER: In a busy plaza just north of downtown 176 00:09:59,875 --> 00:10:03,625 sits the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe. 177 00:10:04,542 --> 00:10:06,625 Every day, thousands of worshippers 178 00:10:06,792 --> 00:10:11,667 crowd inside to pray and to show their devotion 179 00:10:11,792 --> 00:10:14,208 to a beautifully illustrated garment 180 00:10:14,417 --> 00:10:17,000 that hangs above the church altar. 181 00:10:17,208 --> 00:10:19,792 It's a miraculous cloak 182 00:10:19,958 --> 00:10:25,167 known as the Tilma of Guadalupe. 183 00:10:26,833 --> 00:10:29,583 LEWIS: The Tilma of Guadalupe shows the image 184 00:10:29,750 --> 00:10:31,792 of a beautiful woman 185 00:10:32,000 --> 00:10:36,167 with her head inclined downwards and her eyes half-closed. 186 00:10:36,292 --> 00:10:40,542 And she is wearing a gorgeous blue flowing dress. 187 00:10:40,750 --> 00:10:43,208 It's all sort of celestial imagery of 188 00:10:43,375 --> 00:10:45,667 gold and stars and, kind of, rays 189 00:10:45,792 --> 00:10:47,958 shooting off of her. It's very, very beautiful. 190 00:10:48,917 --> 00:10:50,625 SHATNER: Like the Shroud of Turin, 191 00:10:50,750 --> 00:10:54,167 the burial cloth laid over Jesus after the crucifixion, 192 00:10:54,375 --> 00:10:56,667 this cloak is an object 193 00:10:56,833 --> 00:10:59,833 revered by Christians around the world. 194 00:11:00,875 --> 00:11:02,667 In fact, every year, more than 20 million people 195 00:11:02,875 --> 00:11:06,833 arrive to worship the Tilma of Guadalupe. 196 00:11:07,000 --> 00:11:09,875 This astonishing figure makes it the single 197 00:11:10,042 --> 00:11:13,583 most popular holy relic in the Catholic faith, 198 00:11:13,750 --> 00:11:16,167 which naturally begs the question: 199 00:11:16,333 --> 00:11:19,375 Just what is it about the tilma 200 00:11:19,542 --> 00:11:23,000 that makes it so important to believers? 201 00:11:24,042 --> 00:11:27,542 LEWIS: The Tilma of Guadalupe is a sacred image 202 00:11:27,708 --> 00:11:29,917 that is thought to be miraculously produced. 203 00:11:30,917 --> 00:11:33,125 The image originates from 204 00:11:33,333 --> 00:11:35,917 a series of apparitions of the Virgin Mary 205 00:11:36,083 --> 00:11:37,958 that appeared to a Mexican peasant 206 00:11:38,125 --> 00:11:42,042 by the name of Juan Diego in 1531. 207 00:11:42,208 --> 00:11:47,542 So, the story is Juan Diego is hurrying off 208 00:11:47,708 --> 00:11:49,500 to see his friend Juan Bernardino, 209 00:11:49,625 --> 00:11:51,792 who's very, very ill. 210 00:11:52,000 --> 00:11:55,333 As he's going off to see Juan Bernardino, 211 00:11:55,542 --> 00:11:57,333 he has an apparition. 212 00:11:58,375 --> 00:12:02,167 And the Virgin tells him to go to a certain hill 213 00:12:02,333 --> 00:12:04,500 and to pick the roses there. 214 00:12:05,542 --> 00:12:07,667 This is a strange thing. It's actually in December. 215 00:12:07,833 --> 00:12:10,625 There are not really roses around. 216 00:12:10,792 --> 00:12:14,125 But he goes, and there's a beautiful field of roses, 217 00:12:14,250 --> 00:12:17,042 and these roses aren't even native to Mexico. 218 00:12:17,250 --> 00:12:20,125 And he gathers them up in his cloak 219 00:12:20,333 --> 00:12:22,667 and goes and he talks to the archbishop 220 00:12:22,792 --> 00:12:24,333 about this apparition. 221 00:12:24,500 --> 00:12:27,667 He opens up his cloak and all the roses fall out, 222 00:12:27,875 --> 00:12:31,333 and what's left is this beautiful image 223 00:12:31,500 --> 00:12:33,792 of the Virgin of Guadalupe. 224 00:12:35,208 --> 00:12:37,458 SHATNER: Is it possible that the image of the Virgin Mary 225 00:12:37,625 --> 00:12:39,500 on the Tilma of Guadalupe 226 00:12:39,708 --> 00:12:41,958 was miraculously imprinted on the cloak 227 00:12:42,042 --> 00:12:43,500 of a Mexican peasant? 228 00:12:45,667 --> 00:12:48,042 And could it possess divine healing power, 229 00:12:48,208 --> 00:12:51,875 curing everything from cancer to infertility to paralysis, 230 00:12:52,000 --> 00:12:56,167 as millions of devoted followers believe it does? 231 00:12:57,333 --> 00:13:01,833 Part of the mystery around this is the fact that this cloak, 232 00:13:02,000 --> 00:13:05,542 which is made of cactus fibers 233 00:13:05,667 --> 00:13:08,792 and is now almost 500 years old, 234 00:13:09,000 --> 00:13:12,042 remains in remarkable condition. 235 00:13:12,208 --> 00:13:15,042 And we have numerous accounts of people 236 00:13:15,208 --> 00:13:19,208 who attest to its power to transform their life, 237 00:13:19,333 --> 00:13:23,167 to bring prosperity, to heal from sicknesses. 238 00:13:24,292 --> 00:13:27,667 HUSSAIN: There are literally thousands of people 239 00:13:27,833 --> 00:13:29,958 that are coming off the bus on their knees, 240 00:13:30,083 --> 00:13:32,500 and they're walking on their knees 241 00:13:32,708 --> 00:13:35,083 to get into the cathedral. 242 00:13:35,250 --> 00:13:38,042 Because if you're there to petition 243 00:13:38,208 --> 00:13:41,750 Our Lady 'cause you're sick, 'cause your child is sick, 244 00:13:41,917 --> 00:13:43,208 'cause you want a blessing 245 00:13:43,375 --> 00:13:44,833 for your daughter who's getting married, 246 00:13:45,042 --> 00:13:47,417 because you want your son to get a job, 247 00:13:47,542 --> 00:13:51,208 you don't come standing in a position of arrogance. 248 00:13:51,375 --> 00:13:54,792 You come on your knees in a position of humility. 249 00:14:19,542 --> 00:14:22,625 SHATNER: Could the Tilma of Guadalupe actually have the power 250 00:14:22,792 --> 00:14:25,083 to bestow people with miraculous blessings? 251 00:14:25,250 --> 00:14:27,167 Perhaps. 252 00:14:27,333 --> 00:14:30,417 But what may be even more remarkable 253 00:14:30,542 --> 00:14:35,458 is that the tilma appears to be indestructible. 254 00:14:38,208 --> 00:14:41,583 HUSSAIN: In November of 1921, 255 00:14:41,750 --> 00:14:44,250 you had a disgruntled man who put a bomb 256 00:14:44,417 --> 00:14:48,875 in a vase of flowers very close to the tilma, 257 00:14:49,042 --> 00:14:50,917 to the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe. 258 00:14:51,042 --> 00:14:53,000 He wanted to blow up the church. 259 00:14:58,042 --> 00:15:01,500 When this bomb goes off in 1921, 260 00:15:01,667 --> 00:15:03,375 it causes destruction. 261 00:15:04,625 --> 00:15:06,833 It damaged the altar. 262 00:15:07,000 --> 00:15:09,917 It bends a crucifix. 263 00:15:10,083 --> 00:15:14,833 It blows out windows in neighboring homes. 264 00:15:15,042 --> 00:15:18,500 But it doesn't damage a cloth object. 265 00:15:18,667 --> 00:15:21,083 For the devout, this is a sign 266 00:15:21,250 --> 00:15:23,625 that this is something very special. 267 00:15:23,792 --> 00:15:26,250 This is something that will be protected. 268 00:15:28,708 --> 00:15:31,500 SHATNER: How can one explain the otherworldly attributes 269 00:15:31,708 --> 00:15:33,167 of the Tilma of Guadalupe? 270 00:15:34,667 --> 00:15:37,167 Even scientists are bewildered by the durability 271 00:15:37,292 --> 00:15:40,167 and the detail of the sacred garment, 272 00:15:40,333 --> 00:15:44,333 because when viewed in the infrared spectrum, 273 00:15:44,542 --> 00:15:47,375 the painting of the Virgin Mary imprinted on the cloak 274 00:15:47,542 --> 00:15:49,958 does not appear to show any brushstrokes. 275 00:15:50,167 --> 00:15:52,792 And even more baffling 276 00:15:52,958 --> 00:15:55,792 is the discovery of a hidden image 277 00:15:55,958 --> 00:16:00,458 inside the Virgin Mary's eyes. 278 00:16:04,750 --> 00:16:07,750 Using cutting-edge computer software, 279 00:16:07,917 --> 00:16:10,125 Dr. José Tonsmann 280 00:16:10,208 --> 00:16:13,500 enlarges a photograph of the Virgin Mary's eyes 281 00:16:13,625 --> 00:16:15,667 more than 2,500 times, 282 00:16:15,875 --> 00:16:19,417 revealing a microscopic image 283 00:16:19,625 --> 00:16:22,042 reflected in her pupils. 284 00:16:23,167 --> 00:16:25,583 People have claimed that they can see 285 00:16:25,708 --> 00:16:29,167 reflections of Juan Diego 286 00:16:29,375 --> 00:16:33,333 in the eyes of the Virgin 287 00:16:33,542 --> 00:16:35,458 on the cloak. 288 00:16:35,583 --> 00:16:38,875 And so, the idea is that, 289 00:16:39,083 --> 00:16:41,167 not only is this an image 290 00:16:41,333 --> 00:16:45,042 but it's almost like a photographic image 291 00:16:45,208 --> 00:16:47,167 of the Virgin Mary 292 00:16:47,333 --> 00:16:51,333 that has been imprinted upon this cloak, 293 00:16:51,500 --> 00:16:56,792 such that whatever she was seeing when she appeared 294 00:16:56,958 --> 00:16:59,625 was actually captured in the image. 295 00:17:00,625 --> 00:17:03,750 It's a very mysterious, very interesting claim. 296 00:17:04,875 --> 00:17:07,917 SHATNER: Is the hidden image inside the Virgin Mary's pupils 297 00:17:08,083 --> 00:17:10,250 a reflection of what she was seeing 298 00:17:10,375 --> 00:17:13,000 the moment her likeness was imprinted on the tilma? 299 00:17:13,208 --> 00:17:16,000 It's a fascinating notion. 300 00:17:16,208 --> 00:17:19,125 And for the faithful, it's yet further evidence 301 00:17:19,250 --> 00:17:22,625 of the tilma's divine origins. 302 00:17:52,792 --> 00:17:54,625 Whether the Tilma of Guadalupe 303 00:17:54,792 --> 00:17:58,708 is imbued with the power of the Virgin Mary or not, 304 00:17:58,875 --> 00:18:02,292 there's no denying it is a truly remarkable artifact. 305 00:18:03,708 --> 00:18:05,833 But as revered as it is, 306 00:18:06,042 --> 00:18:08,500 there are other extraordinary objects 307 00:18:08,708 --> 00:18:11,542 said to possess the almighty power of God, 308 00:18:11,708 --> 00:18:14,375 like the Staff of Moses 309 00:18:14,542 --> 00:18:18,208 that was used to part the Red Sea. 310 00:18:27,000 --> 00:18:28,792 SHATNER: Among the gilded daggers 311 00:18:28,917 --> 00:18:30,333 and precious jewels on display here, 312 00:18:30,500 --> 00:18:31,958 there are a number of objects 313 00:18:32,125 --> 00:18:34,833 that allegedly date to biblical times. 314 00:18:35,875 --> 00:18:39,208 These include a sword supposedly used by King David 315 00:18:39,375 --> 00:18:41,375 to kill the giant Goliath, 316 00:18:41,542 --> 00:18:44,708 hairs from the beard of the Prophet Muhammad, 317 00:18:44,875 --> 00:18:48,167 and a wooden rod 318 00:18:48,333 --> 00:18:50,500 which is claimed to be the actual 319 00:18:50,667 --> 00:18:53,667 Staff of Moses. 320 00:18:53,833 --> 00:18:56,833 LEWIS: This palace used to be 321 00:18:57,042 --> 00:18:59,042 the residence of an Ottoman sultan. 322 00:18:59,208 --> 00:19:03,167 And he was given many precious gifts over the years, 323 00:19:03,375 --> 00:19:05,167 and one of the things that evidently he was given 324 00:19:05,333 --> 00:19:07,708 was the Staff of Moses. 325 00:19:07,875 --> 00:19:12,000 The Staff of Moses is mentioned in association with Moses 326 00:19:12,208 --> 00:19:14,375 in the Book of Exodus. 327 00:19:14,542 --> 00:19:17,458 And the first time that we hear about it, 328 00:19:17,625 --> 00:19:20,375 it seems to just be a walking stick. 329 00:19:20,542 --> 00:19:24,292 But as time goes by in the story of Exodus, 330 00:19:24,458 --> 00:19:27,667 it really seems kind of like a magic wand. 331 00:19:28,625 --> 00:19:31,667 SHATNER: Could the wooden rod on display in the Topkapi Museum 332 00:19:31,833 --> 00:19:34,792 be the actual Staff of Moses? 333 00:19:35,000 --> 00:19:36,500 As incredible as it sounds, 334 00:19:36,708 --> 00:19:41,375 many people believe the answer is yes. 335 00:19:41,542 --> 00:19:43,542 Which makes the claim even more extraordinary 336 00:19:43,708 --> 00:19:46,333 because, according to biblical tradition, 337 00:19:46,458 --> 00:19:50,542 the Staff of Moses was imbued with miraculous powers. 338 00:19:52,000 --> 00:19:56,750 The Staff of Moses first is used in Exodus chapter seven, 339 00:19:56,875 --> 00:20:00,208 when Moses confronts Pharaoh about letting the Israelites go. 340 00:20:00,417 --> 00:20:04,958 He casts down his staff. It turns into a serpent. 341 00:20:05,167 --> 00:20:06,833 (snake hisses) 342 00:20:07,042 --> 00:20:11,833 The second instance it's used is when we have the ten plagues. 343 00:20:12,000 --> 00:20:14,333 And in the first of these plagues, 344 00:20:14,458 --> 00:20:19,042 Moses uses the tip of his staff dipped into the Nile 345 00:20:19,208 --> 00:20:23,667 and turns the Nile into a red color like blood. 346 00:20:27,250 --> 00:20:28,750 SHATNER: But perhaps the most awesome display 347 00:20:28,875 --> 00:20:33,500 of the staff's divine force occurs in Exodus 14, 348 00:20:33,667 --> 00:20:36,958 when Moses raises the rod above his head 349 00:20:37,125 --> 00:20:39,458 and parts the Red Sea. 350 00:20:40,875 --> 00:20:43,333 HUSSAIN: In the Exodus narrative, the Israelites 351 00:20:43,542 --> 00:20:44,958 are there at the Red Sea. 352 00:20:45,125 --> 00:20:47,042 They're being chased by the Egyptians, 353 00:20:47,250 --> 00:20:50,333 and God basically says, "Moses, take your staff, 354 00:20:50,500 --> 00:20:53,458 hold it over the waters, and the waters will part." 355 00:20:54,542 --> 00:20:57,333 And the minute that the Israelites start walking, 356 00:20:57,500 --> 00:20:59,333 the waters of the Red Sea part. 357 00:20:59,458 --> 00:21:02,333 The minute the Egyptians come after them, 358 00:21:02,417 --> 00:21:05,000 the waters of the Red Sea collapse upon them. 359 00:21:05,167 --> 00:21:06,917 -(clamoring) -(horse neighs) 360 00:21:09,458 --> 00:21:11,917 SHATNER: Is it possible that the unassuming wooden rod 361 00:21:12,083 --> 00:21:14,458 displayed in the Topkapi Museum 362 00:21:14,667 --> 00:21:18,125 is the same staff that Moses used to free the Israelites? 363 00:21:18,292 --> 00:21:20,833 It may come as no surprise 364 00:21:20,958 --> 00:21:24,958 that many experts doubt its authenticity. 365 00:21:26,375 --> 00:21:28,458 It is simply not possible 366 00:21:28,625 --> 00:21:31,917 to follow the provenance of the Staff of Moses. 367 00:21:32,125 --> 00:21:37,125 And the staff that is in the museum in Istanbul, 368 00:21:37,250 --> 00:21:41,167 there's just no way, there's just no way 369 00:21:41,292 --> 00:21:44,458 of authenticating this as the Staff of Moses. 370 00:21:44,625 --> 00:21:48,500 All we have is legend and tradition. 371 00:21:49,542 --> 00:21:52,708 LEWIS: One real mystery is that we don't know 372 00:21:52,875 --> 00:21:57,292 what happens to the staff after the end of Moses. 373 00:21:57,500 --> 00:22:01,917 One story is that it gets passed down 374 00:22:02,083 --> 00:22:03,542 through the Davidic line. 375 00:22:04,417 --> 00:22:06,250 King David has the staff. 376 00:22:06,375 --> 00:22:08,375 He uses it as a scepter. 377 00:22:08,542 --> 00:22:11,708 At that point, we kind of lose sight of it. 378 00:22:11,875 --> 00:22:14,542 SHATNER: If it's true that the mystical artifact 379 00:22:14,708 --> 00:22:18,000 disappeared from history, then what happened to it? 380 00:22:20,208 --> 00:22:24,042 Author and relic hunter Graham Phillips has a theory. 381 00:22:24,208 --> 00:22:27,083 He's been researching the Staff of Moses for decades, 382 00:22:27,250 --> 00:22:29,417 and according to his research, 383 00:22:29,583 --> 00:22:33,667 there's a wooden rod in the Birmingham Museum in England 384 00:22:33,875 --> 00:22:36,750 that was said to be found in the ancient tomb 385 00:22:36,917 --> 00:22:40,833 where Moses was supposedly laid to rest. 386 00:22:41,875 --> 00:22:46,625 We're told that Moses was buried at a place called Petra. 387 00:22:47,708 --> 00:22:51,833 So, somewhere in Petra, in this valley, 388 00:22:52,000 --> 00:22:55,333 there's something there called the Snake Monument, 389 00:22:55,500 --> 00:22:59,667 and it dates from the right time, from Moses' period. 390 00:22:59,833 --> 00:23:03,500 And in the middle of the 19th century, 391 00:23:03,708 --> 00:23:06,167 a couple of archeologists went there, 392 00:23:06,292 --> 00:23:08,500 excavated a cave beneath it 393 00:23:08,667 --> 00:23:13,375 and believed that they had found the tomb of Moses. 394 00:23:14,708 --> 00:23:16,500 The problem was, there was no body in it. 395 00:23:16,708 --> 00:23:18,500 It had been robbed at some point, 396 00:23:18,708 --> 00:23:24,167 but there was, all covered in dust and debris, a staff. 397 00:23:25,333 --> 00:23:28,375 Eventually, this staff ended up 398 00:23:28,542 --> 00:23:31,958 in the Birmingham Museum. 399 00:23:32,083 --> 00:23:35,417 And there, in this glass case, was this staff 400 00:23:35,542 --> 00:23:38,292 exactly as described by these guys who'd found it. 401 00:23:38,458 --> 00:23:42,000 Dark-colored, about four feet long 402 00:23:42,125 --> 00:23:45,333 with Egyptian hieroglyphics in white on them. 403 00:23:45,458 --> 00:23:47,042 I couldn't believe it. 404 00:23:48,375 --> 00:23:50,167 SHATNER: According to the Bible, 405 00:23:50,375 --> 00:23:52,375 before Moses became a Hebrew leader, 406 00:23:52,542 --> 00:23:55,042 he was a prince of Egypt. 407 00:23:55,208 --> 00:23:58,500 And the hieroglyphics on the Birmingham Museum staff 408 00:23:58,625 --> 00:24:01,667 says it belonged to a member of the royal Egyptian court 409 00:24:01,875 --> 00:24:04,333 named Tuthmosis. 410 00:24:04,542 --> 00:24:08,333 A name that bears an undeniable similarity 411 00:24:08,500 --> 00:24:12,125 to the legendary prophet Moses. 412 00:24:14,208 --> 00:24:18,667 PHILLIPS: It says, in Egyptian hieroglyphics on this staff, 413 00:24:18,792 --> 00:24:22,000 "This belongs to Tuthmosis." 414 00:24:22,208 --> 00:24:24,667 So, you've got a person whose name 415 00:24:24,875 --> 00:24:29,583 could've been Moses, who had been a prince in Egypt. 416 00:24:29,750 --> 00:24:33,750 I mean, if that's not Moses' staff, I don't know what is. 417 00:24:36,250 --> 00:24:38,750 Could the legendary Staff of Moses 418 00:24:38,917 --> 00:24:41,375 really still exist and be displayed 419 00:24:41,583 --> 00:24:44,958 in a museum in Istanbul or in England? 420 00:24:45,917 --> 00:24:47,708 It's an extraordinary possibility. 421 00:24:47,833 --> 00:24:50,792 But perhaps even more compelling 422 00:24:50,875 --> 00:24:54,833 is a small piece of wood held in safekeeping at the Vatican, 423 00:24:55,042 --> 00:24:58,333 which, according to Christian tradition, 424 00:24:58,458 --> 00:25:01,125 was once part of the True Cross. 425 00:25:09,167 --> 00:25:12,417 SHATNER: On May 6th, 2023, 426 00:25:12,583 --> 00:25:16,458 the Prince of Wales was crowned King Charles III 427 00:25:16,583 --> 00:25:19,583 in a coronation ceremony that honored 428 00:25:19,792 --> 00:25:23,667 both the secular and the spiritual role of the monarch. 429 00:25:24,708 --> 00:25:26,667 Included in the coronation that day 430 00:25:26,792 --> 00:25:28,458 was a very special object 431 00:25:28,625 --> 00:25:30,958 commissioned specifically for the ceremony 432 00:25:31,125 --> 00:25:34,167 called the Cross of Wales. 433 00:25:34,375 --> 00:25:36,417 What makes this cross so special 434 00:25:36,583 --> 00:25:41,375 is that it contains two tiny slivers of wood 435 00:25:41,542 --> 00:25:46,042 that are believed to be part of the True Cross. 436 00:25:46,208 --> 00:25:50,625 The True Cross refers to pieces of the cross 437 00:25:50,792 --> 00:25:52,292 on which Jesus was crucified. 438 00:25:53,583 --> 00:25:57,167 So, the idea is that this is not just any old cross. 439 00:25:57,333 --> 00:26:00,167 And you can imagine the importance of this, uh, relic 440 00:26:00,333 --> 00:26:03,792 because we have very few relics associated with Jesus. 441 00:26:05,042 --> 00:26:08,167 LEWIS: The True Cross is very important to Christian believers 442 00:26:08,333 --> 00:26:14,000 because it directly had contact with Jesus's body. 443 00:26:15,125 --> 00:26:19,625 Jesus suffered on that cross. Jesus bled on that cross. 444 00:26:19,792 --> 00:26:23,583 And believers feel that, if they can be in the presence 445 00:26:23,708 --> 00:26:26,500 of that cross, be in the presence of that wood, 446 00:26:26,625 --> 00:26:30,500 that they can feel themselves connected back 447 00:26:30,667 --> 00:26:32,375 to Jesus Christ himself. 448 00:26:33,542 --> 00:26:36,250 SHATNER: For the past 2,000 years, the surviving artifacts 449 00:26:36,375 --> 00:26:37,833 from Jesus's crucifixion 450 00:26:37,958 --> 00:26:40,875 have been deeply revered by believers. 451 00:26:41,917 --> 00:26:45,000 Relics such as the bloodstained cloth, 452 00:26:45,125 --> 00:26:48,208 known as the Sudarium, that was draped over Christ's head 453 00:26:48,417 --> 00:26:51,917 or the Shroud of Turin, which covered Jesus's body 454 00:26:52,042 --> 00:26:53,583 after his death, 455 00:26:53,750 --> 00:26:55,333 are some of the most sacred objects 456 00:26:55,542 --> 00:26:57,042 in the Christian religion, 457 00:26:57,208 --> 00:27:02,167 and they are said to be blessed with incredible power. 458 00:27:03,208 --> 00:27:06,667 HUSSAIN: With Jesus relics especially, the idea is that they contain 459 00:27:06,875 --> 00:27:10,083 a power, a sacredness, a-a holiness. 460 00:27:10,250 --> 00:27:13,250 Sometimes, the object itself has great power. 461 00:27:13,417 --> 00:27:15,500 For example, the Shroud of Turin 462 00:27:15,667 --> 00:27:18,167 is literally the burial cloth of Jesus. 463 00:27:18,333 --> 00:27:20,125 It has touched Jesus. 464 00:27:20,250 --> 00:27:23,167 Jesus has been resurrected, and he leaves the cloth behind. 465 00:27:23,333 --> 00:27:26,375 So there's a power associated with this. 466 00:27:26,542 --> 00:27:27,917 There are often occurrences, 467 00:27:28,042 --> 00:27:31,125 miraculous healings that come from this. 468 00:27:31,292 --> 00:27:33,917 So, you can see the importance of that for Christians. 469 00:27:34,958 --> 00:27:38,333 And so, what more important relic than the True Cross, 470 00:27:38,500 --> 00:27:42,042 a piece of the cross on which Jesus was crucified? 471 00:27:43,625 --> 00:27:45,708 SHATNER: Today, slivers of the True Cross 472 00:27:45,875 --> 00:27:48,000 are present in churches all around the world, 473 00:27:48,167 --> 00:27:50,708 where they are revered by hundreds 474 00:27:50,875 --> 00:27:52,500 of millions of worshippers. 475 00:27:52,667 --> 00:27:56,583 But how do we know that these tiny splinters 476 00:27:56,708 --> 00:27:58,583 were actually once part of the cross 477 00:27:58,750 --> 00:28:00,750 upon which Jesus was crucified? 478 00:28:01,667 --> 00:28:03,250 The Romans crucified 479 00:28:03,417 --> 00:28:06,333 tens of thousands of people over a long period of time. 480 00:28:07,583 --> 00:28:09,708 Now, the Bible never mentions anywhere 481 00:28:09,875 --> 00:28:12,375 what happens to the cross after Jesus's crucifixion. 482 00:28:12,542 --> 00:28:15,833 It talks about how his body was taken down from the cross 483 00:28:16,000 --> 00:28:17,833 by Joseph of Arimathea, 484 00:28:18,000 --> 00:28:20,125 but it doesn't say anything about what happens 485 00:28:20,292 --> 00:28:22,167 to the cross itself. 486 00:28:22,375 --> 00:28:23,708 In Christian tradition, 487 00:28:23,875 --> 00:28:28,542 the True Cross is discovered by Helena, 488 00:28:28,667 --> 00:28:33,000 the mother of the Emperor Constantine. 489 00:28:33,208 --> 00:28:37,292 Helena was a convert to Christianity. 490 00:28:37,417 --> 00:28:39,583 And in the early fourth century, 491 00:28:39,750 --> 00:28:43,333 she embarks on a pilgrimage in Jerusalem 492 00:28:43,458 --> 00:28:46,167 to walk the steps of Jesus 493 00:28:46,375 --> 00:28:49,833 to visit the site of his crucifixion. 494 00:28:49,958 --> 00:28:53,083 She's taken to what we now know 495 00:28:53,250 --> 00:28:55,958 as the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. 496 00:28:56,125 --> 00:28:59,833 And while there, she seeks out and discovers 497 00:29:00,000 --> 00:29:03,333 three crosses in an area 498 00:29:03,500 --> 00:29:07,875 that is close by the tomb where Jesus was buried. 499 00:29:08,042 --> 00:29:12,417 Question is: Which one is the True Cross? 500 00:29:13,750 --> 00:29:15,750 We have a fascinating story 501 00:29:15,917 --> 00:29:19,208 of how she actually came to find out 502 00:29:19,375 --> 00:29:21,417 which was the True Cross. 503 00:29:23,292 --> 00:29:27,167 What Helena decided to do was take this woman, 504 00:29:27,333 --> 00:29:30,375 this poor old woman who was near death, 505 00:29:30,542 --> 00:29:31,792 and they brought her out, 506 00:29:31,958 --> 00:29:34,750 and they laid her on one of these crosses, 507 00:29:34,917 --> 00:29:37,042 and she let out a groan and she was in agony. 508 00:29:37,208 --> 00:29:39,417 And they said, "Well, it's not that one." 509 00:29:39,583 --> 00:29:41,500 And so, they took her and they put her on the next cross, 510 00:29:41,708 --> 00:29:44,750 and she was screaming and hollering and just near death. 511 00:29:44,917 --> 00:29:46,792 She goes, "Not that one." 512 00:29:46,958 --> 00:29:48,667 And they put her on the third cross, 513 00:29:48,875 --> 00:29:51,000 and she was instantly healed. 514 00:29:51,208 --> 00:29:53,250 And she got up and started walking around, and they said, 515 00:29:53,417 --> 00:29:56,375 "Well, clearly, this is the cross of Christ." 516 00:29:57,458 --> 00:30:02,917 And from that point on, that became the cross of Christ. 517 00:30:04,167 --> 00:30:05,667 SHATNER: According to the story, 518 00:30:05,875 --> 00:30:08,958 Helena had a piece carved off the True Cross, 519 00:30:09,083 --> 00:30:12,417 which she took to Constantinople for safekeeping. 520 00:30:12,583 --> 00:30:14,167 Over the next few centuries, 521 00:30:14,333 --> 00:30:16,333 this relic was further whittled down 522 00:30:16,500 --> 00:30:20,625 by churches seeking to obtain slivers as relics of their own. 523 00:30:20,792 --> 00:30:23,000 But for the faithful, 524 00:30:23,125 --> 00:30:27,000 each one of these tiny pieces of the True Cross 525 00:30:27,208 --> 00:30:31,833 possess the full divine power of the original. 526 00:30:33,042 --> 00:30:35,333 LEWIS: The interesting thing about biblical relics 527 00:30:35,542 --> 00:30:40,083 is that no matter how many times you divide up a biblical relic, 528 00:30:40,250 --> 00:30:43,458 it maintains the same kind of miraculous power. 529 00:30:43,625 --> 00:30:45,292 Every piece of the True Cross 530 00:30:45,458 --> 00:30:47,500 has equal power to the entire cross. 531 00:30:47,667 --> 00:30:51,083 HUSSAIN: This has become the main symbol now for Christianity. 532 00:30:51,208 --> 00:30:54,750 So, to have a piece literally of the cross 533 00:30:54,917 --> 00:30:58,667 on which Jesus is crucified is priceless. 534 00:30:58,833 --> 00:31:01,125 It's incalculable, the value of this. 535 00:31:03,333 --> 00:31:05,333 It's understandable why the True Cross 536 00:31:05,542 --> 00:31:08,875 is one of the most revered holy relics on Earth, 537 00:31:09,042 --> 00:31:11,458 but that's not the only artifact believed 538 00:31:11,625 --> 00:31:13,167 to have survived the crucifixion. 539 00:31:13,333 --> 00:31:17,500 Pieces of the crown of thorns that once adorned 540 00:31:17,583 --> 00:31:21,125 the head of Christ can also be found around the world, 541 00:31:21,292 --> 00:31:25,625 including one on display in an Italian Cathedral that, 542 00:31:25,792 --> 00:31:29,000 to this day, still appears to bleed. 543 00:31:38,208 --> 00:31:39,833 SHATNER: The world watches in horror 544 00:31:40,000 --> 00:31:41,833 as a massive fire rips through 545 00:31:41,958 --> 00:31:44,292 the historic Cathedral of Notre-Dame. 546 00:31:45,625 --> 00:31:48,833 As the blaze rages on for the next 15 hours, 547 00:31:49,042 --> 00:31:52,250 experts fear that many of the priceless holy relics 548 00:31:52,417 --> 00:31:56,167 kept within the cathedral will be consumed by the flames. 549 00:31:57,792 --> 00:31:59,833 Including one of the most sacred 550 00:32:00,000 --> 00:32:03,500 in the entire Christian religion, the holy crown, 551 00:32:03,667 --> 00:32:09,292 or as it is more commonly known, the crown of thorns. 552 00:32:10,375 --> 00:32:13,208 LEWIS: The crown of thorns is an important biblical relic 553 00:32:13,375 --> 00:32:17,042 in the story of Jesus's Passion, his crucifixion. 554 00:32:17,208 --> 00:32:20,208 At one point, when he's about to be put on the cross, 555 00:32:20,375 --> 00:32:22,458 the Roman soldiers are mocking him, 556 00:32:22,583 --> 00:32:25,750 and one of the soldiers takes a thorny vine 557 00:32:25,875 --> 00:32:28,833 and twists it into a crown, 558 00:32:28,958 --> 00:32:32,708 and they force that down on Jesus's head. 559 00:32:33,792 --> 00:32:37,208 MULLINS: The crown of thorns is described in the Bible 560 00:32:37,375 --> 00:32:42,167 as a circlet of thorny branches that 561 00:32:42,333 --> 00:32:45,000 probably came from what's called the jujube, 562 00:32:45,208 --> 00:32:48,417 also known as the Christ thorn tree 563 00:32:48,583 --> 00:32:51,833 because it's a tree that puts out very long thorns 564 00:32:52,042 --> 00:32:55,958 on branches that can be woven into a crown, 565 00:32:56,083 --> 00:32:59,792 so it would've caused excruciating pain, 566 00:32:59,958 --> 00:33:02,875 and would've also resulted 567 00:33:03,042 --> 00:33:06,042 in a lot of blood on Jesus's face. 568 00:33:07,750 --> 00:33:12,458 SHATNER: Despite the devastation caused by the Notre-Dame fire of 2019, 569 00:33:12,583 --> 00:33:17,625 miraculously, the holy crown was saved from destruction. 570 00:33:18,667 --> 00:33:21,417 And as images of the sacred relic began to circulate, 571 00:33:21,542 --> 00:33:24,958 many were surprised to learn that the crown of thorns 572 00:33:25,167 --> 00:33:29,083 no longer held any of its piercing barbs. 573 00:33:29,250 --> 00:33:31,375 LEWIS: The thing about the crown of thorns is that 574 00:33:31,542 --> 00:33:33,750 these thorns could be snapped off 575 00:33:33,958 --> 00:33:36,333 and given away as different sorts of relics 576 00:33:36,542 --> 00:33:38,292 to different places. 577 00:33:38,458 --> 00:33:39,833 And these were kind of dispatched. 578 00:33:40,000 --> 00:33:41,792 They were sent all over Christendom. 579 00:33:43,375 --> 00:33:46,208 FISHER: Anything that touches 580 00:33:46,375 --> 00:33:51,542 a holy person has the potential to also become a relic. 581 00:33:52,583 --> 00:33:55,458 And so, something like the thorns, 582 00:33:55,625 --> 00:33:59,333 which would've actually pierced the flesh of Jesus, 583 00:33:59,500 --> 00:34:02,750 that had been covered in the blood of Jesus, 584 00:34:02,917 --> 00:34:05,375 it's hard to imagine a relic 585 00:34:05,542 --> 00:34:07,500 more powerful than something like this. 586 00:34:07,667 --> 00:34:11,167 PHILLIPS: It is believed that these relics 587 00:34:11,292 --> 00:34:13,208 had amazing power, 588 00:34:13,333 --> 00:34:15,000 that they could heal people of sickness. 589 00:34:15,167 --> 00:34:17,167 By being close to them, 590 00:34:17,292 --> 00:34:20,208 you could be imbued with spiritual powers. 591 00:34:20,375 --> 00:34:23,708 So, in other words, they had divine properties. 592 00:34:25,292 --> 00:34:27,042 SHATNER: While scholars debate the number of thorns 593 00:34:27,208 --> 00:34:29,208 that were originally on the holy crown, 594 00:34:29,375 --> 00:34:32,708 today, there are dozens of churches all around the world 595 00:34:32,833 --> 00:34:36,917 that claim to possess one of these sacred relics. 596 00:34:37,083 --> 00:34:39,667 And among them is a thorn that appears to be 597 00:34:39,833 --> 00:34:43,417 nothing short of miraculous. 598 00:34:44,500 --> 00:34:47,333 HUSSAIN: There's a church in Italy, in Andria, 599 00:34:47,417 --> 00:34:51,500 that has a thorn from the crown of thorns. 600 00:34:51,667 --> 00:34:56,250 And on March 25th, 2016, 601 00:34:56,417 --> 00:35:01,250 in this church in Andria, the thorn begins to bleed. 602 00:35:02,500 --> 00:35:05,833 LEWIS: The church maintains that it is an authentic relic, 603 00:35:05,958 --> 00:35:10,000 and they claim that, every time that Good Friday 604 00:35:10,208 --> 00:35:12,542 falls on a March 25th, 605 00:35:12,708 --> 00:35:16,667 the thorn itself bleeds. 606 00:35:16,833 --> 00:35:19,375 And this has been widely seen 607 00:35:19,542 --> 00:35:22,125 and was shown around as a great miracle. 608 00:35:24,542 --> 00:35:26,333 SHATNER: What could explain the miraculous powers 609 00:35:26,458 --> 00:35:29,667 of the bleeding thorn at Andria Cathedral? 610 00:35:29,875 --> 00:35:33,333 Its mere existence is an undeniable confirmation 611 00:35:33,542 --> 00:35:35,333 of the mysteries of faith. 612 00:35:36,542 --> 00:35:40,042 CARGILL: The Christian faith had its central figure, Jesus, 613 00:35:40,208 --> 00:35:41,500 ascend into heaven. 614 00:35:41,708 --> 00:35:46,875 There are no remains of Jesus from his tomb. 615 00:35:47,042 --> 00:35:49,625 And so, if you could say, 616 00:35:49,792 --> 00:35:52,625 "I believe in him, but how do I prove this faith?" 617 00:35:52,792 --> 00:35:57,833 Well, here, these are the thorns of this crown of thorns, 618 00:35:58,000 --> 00:36:01,917 and then that gives a little tangibility to that faith. 619 00:36:03,167 --> 00:36:07,000 SHATNER: But not all relics are so easily accepted as authentic. 620 00:36:07,208 --> 00:36:09,208 Like an ancient limestone box 621 00:36:09,375 --> 00:36:11,833 that is claimed to have once held the remains 622 00:36:12,000 --> 00:36:15,833 of the brother of Jesus Christ. 623 00:36:25,625 --> 00:36:29,083 SHATNER: On the third floor of the Royal Ontario Museum, 624 00:36:29,208 --> 00:36:32,292 a remarkable artifact is put on display. 625 00:36:33,250 --> 00:36:35,333 At the time, patrons don't know 626 00:36:35,542 --> 00:36:37,375 this humble object will soon become 627 00:36:37,583 --> 00:36:42,000 one of the most controversial holy relics in history. 628 00:36:42,167 --> 00:36:47,208 It is an empty limestone box dating to the first century AD, 629 00:36:47,375 --> 00:36:51,333 known as the James Ossuary. 630 00:36:53,417 --> 00:36:56,542 JAMES TABOR: Ossuary literally means "bone box." 631 00:36:56,708 --> 00:37:00,500 So, in Judaism, in the time of Jesus particularly, 632 00:37:00,625 --> 00:37:04,958 ossuaries were very common for Jewish burial. 633 00:37:05,125 --> 00:37:08,667 CRAIG EVANS: The Jewish practice was, when a person died, 634 00:37:08,833 --> 00:37:10,250 the skeletal remains would be gathered up 635 00:37:10,417 --> 00:37:13,500 and placed in a niche or in an ossuary. 636 00:37:14,417 --> 00:37:17,125 And there were thousands of these made. 637 00:37:17,292 --> 00:37:19,292 But what was valuable about these ossuaries 638 00:37:19,500 --> 00:37:22,625 is people's names would be written on them. 639 00:37:25,833 --> 00:37:28,250 SHATNER: In the case of the James Ossuary, 640 00:37:28,417 --> 00:37:30,333 the name of the person whose bones it holds 641 00:37:30,500 --> 00:37:32,500 is inscribed in Aramaic. 642 00:37:32,625 --> 00:37:34,500 Which, when translated to English, 643 00:37:34,708 --> 00:37:36,500 reveals something astonishing. 644 00:37:44,750 --> 00:37:47,333 The story of the James Ossuary itself 645 00:37:47,500 --> 00:37:50,917 first came to attention in 2002 646 00:37:51,083 --> 00:37:53,583 when an Israeli antiquities dealer 647 00:37:53,750 --> 00:37:58,083 by the name of Oded Golan announced its discovery. 648 00:37:58,208 --> 00:38:01,000 Now, he claimed to have bought it 649 00:38:01,208 --> 00:38:04,667 on the antiquities market in the 1970s. 650 00:38:04,833 --> 00:38:08,375 And most certainly, this ossuary would attract 651 00:38:08,542 --> 00:38:11,458 worldwide attention and fame 652 00:38:11,625 --> 00:38:15,208 and perhaps even fortune, uh, for its discoverer. 653 00:38:16,250 --> 00:38:18,292 HUSSAIN: If you're a Christian, if you know the Bible, 654 00:38:18,458 --> 00:38:21,667 you know that James is one of the key figures 655 00:38:21,875 --> 00:38:23,625 in early Christianity. 656 00:38:23,750 --> 00:38:26,292 James the Just, as-as he's known within the church, 657 00:38:26,458 --> 00:38:28,208 the brother of Jesus. 658 00:38:28,375 --> 00:38:30,708 And so, if this ossuary 659 00:38:30,875 --> 00:38:34,500 literally is the bone box of James, 660 00:38:34,708 --> 00:38:37,167 then you've got direct archeological evidence 661 00:38:37,333 --> 00:38:39,292 for Jesus. 662 00:38:39,458 --> 00:38:42,292 Now, of course, there's controversy around this. 663 00:38:43,792 --> 00:38:46,292 SHATNER: Of the thousands of bone boxes recovered 664 00:38:46,500 --> 00:38:49,667 from the time of Jesus, could the James Ossuary 665 00:38:49,792 --> 00:38:52,417 have once held the remains of his actual brother? 666 00:38:52,583 --> 00:38:54,375 It's an extraordinary notion. 667 00:38:54,542 --> 00:38:59,333 So extraordinary, in fact, that not everyone was convinced 668 00:38:59,458 --> 00:39:02,458 of the James Ossuary's authenticity. 669 00:39:03,542 --> 00:39:05,542 In a case that would become known as 670 00:39:05,708 --> 00:39:07,750 the forgery trial of the century, 671 00:39:07,917 --> 00:39:11,000 the Israeli government charged Oded Golan 672 00:39:11,167 --> 00:39:14,708 in December of 2004 with 44 counts 673 00:39:14,875 --> 00:39:18,750 of fraud related to the James Ossuary. 674 00:39:20,125 --> 00:39:23,375 The trial lasted seven years. 675 00:39:23,583 --> 00:39:26,792 There was hundreds of thousands of pages of testimony, 676 00:39:26,958 --> 00:39:30,333 and one of the main pieces of evidence 677 00:39:30,458 --> 00:39:32,875 was the patina in the letters. 678 00:39:33,875 --> 00:39:38,167 Patina is this sort of surface coating 679 00:39:38,292 --> 00:39:40,458 that gets on stone, 680 00:39:40,583 --> 00:39:44,333 and when it was examined microscopically 681 00:39:44,500 --> 00:39:47,167 by several very major authorities, 682 00:39:47,375 --> 00:39:50,167 they found these fossilized microbes. 683 00:39:50,292 --> 00:39:53,292 And so, there was original patina 684 00:39:53,458 --> 00:39:58,083 on the surface and inside the inscription. 685 00:39:58,208 --> 00:40:00,000 That can't be forged. 686 00:40:01,042 --> 00:40:05,542 When the verdict came through, the judge ruled 687 00:40:05,708 --> 00:40:10,625 there's no evidence that Oded Golan forged it. 688 00:40:13,208 --> 00:40:15,375 SHATNER: To date, the James Ossuary 689 00:40:15,542 --> 00:40:18,417 is one of the few relics associated with Jesus 690 00:40:18,583 --> 00:40:21,000 that has been tested both scientifically 691 00:40:21,208 --> 00:40:22,583 and in a court of law. 692 00:40:22,750 --> 00:40:25,042 And if the James Ossuary is authentic, 693 00:40:25,208 --> 00:40:27,042 as many now believe, 694 00:40:27,208 --> 00:40:29,125 it would be one of the most valuable 695 00:40:29,292 --> 00:40:31,958 biblical artifacts ever discovered. 696 00:40:33,917 --> 00:40:38,125 But like so many other objects, we may never know the truth. 697 00:40:38,292 --> 00:40:42,542 CARGILL: Remember that people of faith are using these objects 698 00:40:42,750 --> 00:40:45,958 as a means by which to connect to the divine. 699 00:40:46,125 --> 00:40:50,750 And then the question is: Is there a credible provenance 700 00:40:50,875 --> 00:40:54,167 of all of these articles, all of these objects, these relics? 701 00:40:54,292 --> 00:40:56,833 And therein lies the mystery. 702 00:40:57,042 --> 00:40:59,500 HUSSAIN: The Bible is not meant to be a history book. 703 00:40:59,625 --> 00:41:02,125 It's a mythological book. 704 00:41:02,292 --> 00:41:05,333 But today, we've got 3D imaging. 705 00:41:05,500 --> 00:41:07,500 We've got artificial intelligence. 706 00:41:07,708 --> 00:41:09,958 We've got all kinds of spectrographical analysis. 707 00:41:10,125 --> 00:41:12,625 And there's certain things that we can point to and say, 708 00:41:12,792 --> 00:41:14,583 "Oh, we actually have historical evidence. 709 00:41:14,708 --> 00:41:19,125 This actually is a miraculous object." 710 00:41:21,708 --> 00:41:24,125 It's intriguing to think that artifacts 711 00:41:24,292 --> 00:41:27,667 from more than 2,000 years ago might still be uncovered 712 00:41:27,875 --> 00:41:30,500 and added to the collection of revered objects 713 00:41:30,667 --> 00:41:32,750 we know as holy relics. 714 00:41:32,875 --> 00:41:35,667 Regardless if one thinks they are real or not, 715 00:41:35,792 --> 00:41:39,167 these artifacts hold both historical importance 716 00:41:39,375 --> 00:41:42,542 and profound spiritual connection 717 00:41:42,708 --> 00:41:44,458 for those who believe. 718 00:41:44,583 --> 00:41:46,667 And in any case, 719 00:41:46,875 --> 00:41:49,833 whether they are charged with divine energy 720 00:41:50,042 --> 00:41:52,833 or operate on the power of faith itself, 721 00:41:53,000 --> 00:41:57,417 the mystery of ancient biblical relics 722 00:41:57,583 --> 00:42:01,208 remains unexplained. 723 00:42:01,333 --> 00:42:03,792 CAPTIONING PROVIDED BY A+E NETWORKS