{238}{286}In July 2001 {294}{359}a unique inscribed tablet of stone {364}{417}mysteriously appeared in Israel. {530}{580}It was an archaeological marvel {590}{672}that seemed to solve one of|the Bible's great riddles. {759}{830}Tested by some of Israel's top scientists, {868}{965}it revealed that in the heart|of Jerusalem, 3,000 years ago, {980}{1089}one of the legends of the ancient|world had really existed {1147}{1216}the magnificent temple of Solomon. {1293}{1329}But that was just the beginning, {1349}{1416}for there was another mystery|hidden within the stone {1430}{1533}one that would have shattering|consequences around the world. {1652}{1744}Tonight Horizon tells|the extraordinary story {1749}{1818}of "King Solomon's Tablet of Stone". {1895}{1988}KING SOLOMON'S|TABLET OF STONE| {2101}{2175}In Jerusalem during the summer of 2001 {2186}{2295}a secret meeting took place that|would shake the world of archaeology. {2520}{2649}The story starts when this very renowned|professor receives a mysterious phone call {2652}{2727}from a person by the name of Izak Tsu. {2836}{2905}He's asked to meet him with|another renowned professor. {2958}{3031}This person appears with a briefcase. {3159}{3197}He opens up the briefcase {3197}{3321}and very dramatically takes|out this beautiful black stone {3325}{3358}with an inscription on it. {3436}{3546}They look at the stone and it's beautiful,|it's important, they're amazed. {3662}{3744}The mysterious stranger was|a private investigator. {3807}{3862}And the inscription on his black stone {3873}{3904}was in ancient Hebrew. {3946}{4001}What it revealed was a wonder. {4219}{4349}For the inscription seemed to offer proof of|something long searched for but never found {4408}{4495}that nearly 3,000 years ago,|in the centre of Jerusalem, {4498}{4578}there really had existed|the place the Bible calls {4578}{4616}"The House of the Lord", {4665}{4727}the magnificent temple of Solomon. {4780}{4930}The biblical tradition tells that when|Solomon built the temple and dedicated it, {4935}{5063}the first thing he did was he brought|into the temple the Ark of the Covenant. {5096}{5168}The temple was built to house|the Ark of the Covenant {5184}{5239}the shrine containing the Ten Commandments {5250}{5309}the word of God written in stone. {5383}{5426}So the temple symbolised {5427}{5555}God's personal residence on earth|among his people in his chosen city. {5605}{5707}The Bible describes the Temple|of Solomon in awe-struck terms. {5846}{5965}The main room was panelled with|cedar and overlaid with fine gold. {6093}{6172}The King also ordered his workers|to make two winged cherubim {6178}{6210}and cover them with gold. {6414}{6467}According to the biblical story, {6467}{6597}the Temple in Jerusalem lasted from the|time of Solomon in the 10th century {6614}{6875}until it was destroyed in 586 BCE by the|armies of King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. {7035}{7122}And that has been the source|of the mystery ever since. {7253}{7304}For even though the Bible describes Solomon {7304}{7406}as the grandest of the Old Testament|kings with a mighty empire, {7433}{7552}no trace of him, his empire|or his temple has survived. {7766}{7848}The bible said Solomon's Temple|stood on the temple mount, {7854}{7886}in the heart of Jerusalem. {7992}{8094}Today one of Islam's holiest|mosques stands there. {8147}{8194}At its edge is the Western Wall, {8206}{8293}where Jews from around the world|come to offer their prayers. {8416}{8489}But this wall was never part|of the Temple of Solomon. {8508}{8596}It was actually built almost a|thousand years after Solomon. {8695}{8728}With this lack of evidence, {8741}{8835}some archaeologists began to|doubt much of the Solomon story. {8906}{8994}There are a few pottery shells from|the 10th century on the ground, {9008}{9077}a wall here and there maybe,|but nothing monumental. {9167}{9302}We are left with no archaeological|evidence for the great kingdom of Solomon. {9302}{9337}We are left only with the text, {9337}{9417}and the text was put in|writing relatively late. {9490}{9577}But all that was before|the discovery of the stone. {9757}{9868}A few months after the private investigator|revealed the stone in the Jerusalem hotel, {9885}{9966}he took it to one of the country's|leading scientific establishments {9978}{10028}the Geological Survey of Israel. {10133}{10217}Here, experts were asked to determine|the stone's authenticity {10224}{10285}on behalf of its anonymous owner. {10373}{10424}One of the first things scholars noticed {10434}{10469}was that the stone was black, {10478}{10575}like Israel's only other royal|inscription from the same period. {10639}{10694}Then they looked at the|wording of the inscription. {10835}{10907}This described detailed|building repairs to a temple {10918}{10963}carried out by a King Jehoash {10973}{11042}who had lived a century|after the time of Solomon, {11050}{11092}while his temple still stood. {11210}{11294}The bible describes similar repairs|to the Temple of Solomon, {11306}{11350}carried out by King Jehoash. {11418}{11478}The passage in Kings 2, chapter 12 {11486}{11582}begins by describing King Jehoash|raising money for the repairs. {11639}{11682}"Jehoash said to the priests, {11704}{11834}'All the money, current money brought into|the House of the Lord as a sacred donations, {11840}{11899}have it donated for|the repair of the House.'" {11987}{12098}Similarly, the inscription showed|Jehoash raising money for repairs. {12154}{12245}"I Jehoash son of Ahaziah|King of the land of Judah, {12270}{12370}when the vow of each person in the|land and in the desert was fulfilled {12374}{12445}to give silver of the|holy offerings aplenty." {12492}{12538}Then, when the money was raised, {12545}{12581}the Bible continues... {12624}{12716}"'They in turn shall strengthen|the damage in the house {12721}{12768}wherever damage may be found.'" {12851}{12884}And the stone said... {12902}{13021}"I repaired the construction|and I made the repairs {13030}{13097}in the temple and the walls all around." {13146}{13226}Professor Hurowitz was sure|the stone and the bible {13230}{13274}were describing the same events. {13397}{13487}I think that we're speaking about the|same Royal act of repairs in the temple {13525}{13622}and the language is also rather similar. {13643}{13713}So, according to both|the bible and the stone, {13723}{13841}King Jehoash first raised the funds and|then repaired the Temple of Solomon, {13854}{13906}one hundred years after it was built. {14045}{14150}But the scientists at the geological|survey still needed to be absolutely sure {14157}{14236}that the stone really could have|come from the Temple of Solomon. {14330}{14399}So the geologists subjected|it to rigorous tests. {14481}{14533}Using a scanning electron microscope, {14544}{14603}they set out to determine its authenticity. {14714}{14752}First they looked at the patina {14775}{14882}a thin surface layer that forms over|time on the outside of a rock or stone. {14928}{15024}If we see in this sample we|have a very thin brown layer, {15038}{15172}about 1mm thick, that covers the sample. {15231}{15267}The formation of a patina {15276}{15379}is caused by the interaction of|chemicals in air, water or soil, {15387}{15440}with minerals in the stone itself. {15502}{15568}In this one, we see the brown {15592}{15661}and we can see that it may|be thicker or thinner, {15670}{15732}but it covers all around and|goes all around the sample. {15813}{15854}A patina develops slowly {15864}{15924}and may take thousands of years to form. {15988}{16036}The geologists studying the stone {16044}{16125}found that the patina was continuous|across the front of the stone {16138}{16211}and crucially within the inscribed letters. {16335}{16439}This meant the inscription must have|been carved in the distant past. {16610}{16708}Next, the geologists analysed the|chemical make-up of the patina. {16766}{16837}They were looking for calcium|carbonate and other chemicals, {16845}{16927}which would tell them if it had|formed in the Jerusalem area. {17008}{17151}They found that the trace elements|like strontium, iron, magnesium, {17151}{17231}and other elements that are|in the calcium carbonate, {17235}{17413}they were exactly the same proportions|as in the patina in the Jerusalem area. {17459}{17546}The patina confirmed that the|stone came from Jerusalem {17555}{17628}and that the inscription|really was very old. {17684}{17770}The big question now was, how old? {17945}{18013}Although it was impossible|to date the stone itself, {18027}{18131}luckily within the patina there|were minute particles of charcoal {18139}{18199}and these could be carbon dated. {18395}{18435}The results were conclusive: {18455}{18517}they were 2,300 years old, {18532}{18623}so the carving beneath the|patina had to be even older. {18808}{18835}There was no doubt {18850}{18911}the stone came from the Jerusalem area, {18922}{18989}and the inscription was|thousands of years old. {19189}{19271}And there was one last discovery|that helped clinch the case {19277}{19324}that it came from the Temple of Solomon. {19356}{19467}The patina contained tiny flecks of gold {19583}{19661}just what you'd expect from a|stone that had been through a fire {19668}{19728}in a temple lined with gold. {19865}{19911}In January 2003 {19923}{19999}the Geological Survey officially|pronounced the stone {20007}{20028}to be genuine. {20213}{20342}Finally, the existence of Solomon's|magnificent Temple had been confirmed. {20394}{20442}And the implications were staggering. {20458}{20493}If the temple existed, {20506}{20578}the legend of King Solomon was true. {20629}{20755}And that meant an extraordinary section|of the bible could be verified as history. {20933}{20991}For millions of people of different faiths {21006}{21063}the authentification of the Stone Tablet {21073}{21146}was a fantastic affirmation of their belief. {21220}{21286}Here was a genuine archaeological find {21292}{21391}that correlated almost word for|word with a biblical episode {21393}{21459}that happened nearly 3,000 years ago. {21561}{21596}But for the stone itself, {21615}{21686}the next stage was to find a fitting home. {21798}{21843}And one place seemed ideal: {21864}{21923}the Israel Museum in Jerusalem. {22126}{22255}This remarkable museum is home to a|stunning collection of biblical antiquities. {22371}{22417}They have the Dead Sea Scrolls, {22432}{22509}the most important biblical|manuscripts in existence. {22644}{22728}They also have Israel's only|other royal inscription {22730}{22777}from close to the time of Solomon {22795}{22841}The 'House of David' Stele. {22888}{22974}This is the only reference|to Solomon's father, David {22980}{23027}that exists outside the bible. {23091}{23206}The Stone would be a fitting companion|for these priceless artefacts. {23269}{23345}We would of course be interested|in acquiring something if we felt {23345}{23405}that it would help to amplify the story {23408}{23456}which are museum is meant to tell, {23470}{23585}and our story is the story of biblical|archaeology in the ancient Holy Land, {23585}{23662}so if something were to|surface of great significance {23688}{23768}for the full telling of that story|we would be interested. {23835}{23879}With its authenticity confirmed {23896}{23964}the stone was offered for|sale to the Israel Museum. {23988}{24038}The price was rumoured to be high. {24140}{24196}There was a series of meetings|with the Israel Museum, {24210}{24291}initial negotiations going on|between the two parties, {24299}{24349}all sorts of sums are thrown around. {24417}{24524}It's difficult to know exactly|what the sum was at that point {24532}{24574}some people say three million, {24579}{24619}some people say four million, {24624}{24669}some people say ten million. {24713}{24797}But before the museum would|part with several million dollars, {24813}{24864}it wanted to know just one more thing {24884}{24957}where exactly had the stone been found? {25074}{25194}The Bible said that Solomon's temple had|been situated on Jerusalem's temple mount. {25216}{25300}So the stone must have|come from there originally. {25338}{25387}If an object is excavated {25393}{25569}then you have a much simpler|time verifying its authenticity {25570}{25649}because you are taking it|from its source of excavation. {25728}{25815}However, there are no official|excavations on the Temple Mount {25823}{25904}because it is home to one|of Islam's holiest shrines, {25904}{25936}the Dome of the Rock. {26035}{26131}The whole area is politically far|too sensitive for archaeology. {26290}{26446}Still, rumours said the stone had been found in|rubble left from recent illegal building projects {26454}{26506}being carried out on the Temple Mount. {26562}{26621}But James Snyder needed more than rumour. {26636}{26730}He wanted the full story of the|stone after it had been found. {26748}{26868}You want to be able to track the history of|the object from the time of its excavation, {26868}{26918}if it is possible to do so, {26928}{26995}through its history of ownership|until it comes to you. {27142}{27271}It was then that the saga of the|stone became very mysterious indeed. {27313}{27383}Just when the museum wanted|to do their own checks, {27392}{27461}both the private investigator|who had first revealed it {27482}{27507}and the stone {27530}{27551}disappeared. {27707}{27740}So Amir Ganor {27748}{27817}an investigator with the|Israeli Antiquities Authority {27823}{27847}was called in. {27921}{28051}For nine months he searched for the man who|had first taken the stone to the Jerusalem hotel. {28146}{28221}We travelled all over Israel from|the north to the south. {28419}{28477}That detective was a very wily person, {28511}{28549}he left us very few clues. {28638}{28710}In the end we found him|in an office in Ramat Gan {28730}{28819}and he told us that he'd|been hired by Oded Golan. {29022}{29110}Oded Golan is a businessman|and renowned collector, {29121}{29206}owner of Israel's largest private|collection of antiquities. {29355}{29422}He explained that he wasn't|the owner of the stone {29432}{29477}and that he didn't know where it was. {29610}{29665}He had just been involved as a middleman. {29799}{29948}Sometime during 1999 I was called|by a very reliable Palestinian dealer {29948}{30006}that I knew for many many years {30006}{30121}who ask me to assist him|in selling an inscription. {30150}{30188}It seemed to be very interesting {30213}{30383}and I was ready to assist him|only under one condition, {30385}{30493}that it will be offered only within Israel {30493}{30627}and to a museum in Israel after|they will authentisize it. {30686}{30757}Golan said that the owner hadn't|wanted to be identified, {30767}{30824}which was why he'd hired|a private detective. {30906}{30958}However, the owner had since died {30958}{30996}and his widow had the stone. {31064}{31131}But she was somewhere in|the occupied territories {31137}{31189}and Golan didn't know how to contact her. {31367}{31456}But Oded Golan did reveal one|vital piece of information {31478}{31525}where the stone had been discovered. {31595}{31747}It was found very near to the|Eastern Wall in the Muslim cemetery {31749}{31826}in Old Jerusalem outside the Temple Mount. {32001}{32042}It was stunning news. {32093}{32168}Here was confirmation that|the stone had been unearthed {32171}{32290}just yards from where the Bible said|that Solomon's Temple had once stood. {32543}{32644}But then, the story of the stone|took another remarkable turn. {32792}{32812}The reason {32828}{32891}another, ancient biblical artefact. {32946}{33023}Something called an ossuary or bone box. {33116}{33267}Jewish families once used ossuaries to store the|bones of the dead in caves and burial chambers. {33324}{33372}They were commonly used in Jerusalem, {33386}{33442}and can still be found in caves today. {33596}{33715}In 2002, one very special ossuary appeared. {33803}{33891}Inscribed on the side were the words 'James, {33893}{33919}Son of Joseph, {33966}{34007}Brother of Jesus'. {34140}{34270}It was heralded as the first physical|evidence of the existence of Jesus Christ {34285}{34344}and caused a worldwide sensation. {34437}{34511}It was displayed for the|general public in Canada {34520}{34564}in the Royal Ontario Museum, {34583}{34668}and the exhibit received|almost 100,000 visitors. {34721}{34743}And strangely, {34766}{34781}the owner {34795}{34824}was Oded Golan. {34942}{34984}Journalist Boaz Gaon {34990}{35080}found Golan's connection to both|the stone and the ossuary {35088}{35124}just too good to be true. {35198}{35317}As soon as we made the link we knew that|something is sort of very strange here {35317}{35476}because the same collector seemed to be linked|to these two incredibly dramatic artefacts. {35550}{35631}It either was an extremely|wonderful stroke of luck {35649}{35700}or something very suspicious. {35764}{35828}The Israeli authorities were also suspicious {35847}{35915}they raided Golan's|apartment and storehouses. {36007}{36051}There they found the ossuary {36057}{36085}perched on a toilet. {36158}{36245}And they also unearthed the elusive stone. {36471}{36524}With the artefacts now in their possession, {36535}{36610}the authorities set up a committee|of linguists and scientists, {36622}{36743}to determine once and for all the|authenticity of the ossuary and the stone. {36912}{37017}Victor Hurowitz, Israel's leading|expert on royal building inscriptions, {37024}{37088}was asked to examine|the writing on the stone. {37168}{37288}The language and therefore the style|of the inscription is Biblical Hebrew. {37302}{37393}It's eloquent, it's elegant, it's charming. {37445}{37477}I enjoy reading it. {37509}{37558}But as he examined it more closely {37573}{37629}he found something that|didn't quite make sense. {37653}{37704}It was all to do with the key phrase {37715}{37764}"I made repairs to the temple" {37780}{37803}or in Hebrew {37820}{37842}"bedek a baied". {37973}{38111}The main problem in this inscription|is this expression "bedek a baied". {38121}{38206}In one word, this is an anachronism. {38269}{38311}According to professor Hurowitz, {38325}{38429}"bedek a baied" had a different meaning|in the time of the Temple of Solomon {38436}{38473}to the meaning it has today. {38515}{38589}In modern Hebrew it means to repair, {38648}{38723}but in ancient Hebrew it|meant the exact opposite {38745}{38767}to damage. {38791}{38836}So its use in this inscription {38839}{38881}made no sense at all. {38912}{39013}"Bedek a baied", {39086}{39130}which means, if I translate, {39132}{39190}"I made damages to the temple". {39226}{39306}Now this in a Royal building inscription, {39314}{39398}where the king is taking|pride in what he's done {39404}{39506}in the temple repairs, to say|that he damaged the temple {39519}{39553}is absolutely ridiculous. {39588}{39652}Victor Hurowitz now had|real doubts that the stone {39652}{39715}had been inscribed in the|time of Solomon's Temple, {39726}{39773}almost 3,000 years ago. {39864}{39923}Unfortunately for the author, {39927}{40002}where it gets to the|main part of the inscription {40018}{40079}and says I made the "bedek a baied", {40121}{40214}he fouled up and he put in modern Hebrew. {40349}{40429}But not everyone agreed with|Hurowitz's interpretation. {40505}{40541}Professor Chaim Cohen {40551}{40604}is another expert in ancient Hebrew. {40714}{40829}He believes that there are so few texts|discovered from the time of Solomon {40848}{40967}that no one can be sure how the|language was used 3,000 years ago. {41037}{41092}It was simply the way the|stone had been found {41094}{41136}that made everyone suspicious. {41250}{41410}Had the inscription been found in|controlled archaeological excavations {41414}{41581}it would have prompted scholars|to say that now we must re-look {41587}{41805}at the way we've been seeing the|vocalization in our Hebrew bibles to date. {41879}{41918}Professor Cohen believes {41924}{42010}that if the stone had been found|in a formal archaeological dig, {42022}{42054}no one would have questioned it. {42129}{42181}They simply would have seen the inscription {42184}{42258}as clarifying the use of|ancient Hebrew words. {42338}{42362}Beyond that, {42370}{42456}he was convinced that the stone could|not have been the work of someone {42461}{42499}who made clumsy mistakes. {42574}{42609}If it is a forgery, {42615}{42698}then the forger must|have been a near genius {42710}{42885}as far as the level of sophistication|that we find in this inscription. {42923}{43002}The linguistic evidence was inconclusive. {43053}{43196}There was still no hard reason to doubt that|the stone had come from the Temple of Solomon. {43318}{43429}Everything now hung on the investigations|of the scientists on the committee. {43529}{43599}The focus of their attention was the patina {43616}{43675}the weathered layer on|the outside of the stone. {43774}{43798}It was this, {43807}{43917}especially the charcoal particles that|were dated to 2,300 years ago, {43933}{44032}that had convinced the scientists who|had carried out the original analysis. {44184}{44273}Elisabetta Boaretto was asked|to re-date those particles. {44356}{44456}The radiocarbon age was 2,250 {44475}{44513}plus/minus 40 years. {44513}{44581}This is a very nice precise age, {44599}{44823}and calibrated this corresponded to an interval|in time that goes from 200 BC, before Christ, {44834}{44890}to 390 BC. {44954}{45028}Her results seemed to confirm|the original research {45043}{45114}the charcoal in the patina was very old. {45236}{45358}But, it was theoretically possible for someone|to have to taken charcoal from another source {45364}{45403}and added it to the patina. {45508}{45533}For Dr Boaretto, {45544}{45608}the only way to be absolutely|sure of the stone {45617}{45702}was to look again at the patina in|which the charcoal was embedded. {45909}{45949}The man charged with this task {45955}{46030}was one of Israel's top|archaeological investigators. {46063}{46087}Yuval Goren {46094}{46179}is a professor of Archaeology|at Tel Aviv University {46184}{46212}and a geologist. {46419}{46493}He has a detailed knowledge|of both Biblical archaeology {46499}{46551}and the rocks of the Jerusalem area. {46655}{46732}He began by looking at the patina|on the back of the stone. {46845}{46877}An authentic patina {46877}{46950}would be firmly attached|to the underlying stone. {47005}{47059}This patina on the back of the stone {47070}{47231}is, actually it was very tightly|connected to the stone. {47231}{47376}We needed a little chisel and a hammer|to peel off small samples of the patina. {47399}{47456}This was clearly a natural patina. {47545}{47621}But then professor Goren examined|it under the microscope. {47665}{47726}He expected it to be made|of calcium carbonate, {47733}{47777}which is local to the Temple Mount. {47877}{47928}But what he saw was this {47986}{48049}a patina made only of silica. {48094}{48141}This could not have formed in Jerusalem. {48181}{48206}In other words {48212}{48258}the patina on the back of the stone {48265}{48320}could not have come from the Temple Mount. {48522}{48647}Puzzled, Professor Goren turned his attention|to the patina covering the inscription {48653}{48684}on the front of the stone. {48808}{48869}Here, he did find calcium carbonate, {48885}{48961}just as one would expect of a|patina formed in Jerusalem. {49102}{49148}But now there was a new mystery {49175}{49235}how could the patina on|the front of the stone {49246}{49294}be different from that on the back? {49438}{49483}The answer began to emerge {49490}{49546}as Professor Goren sampled the patina {49546}{49590}from within the carved letters. {49681}{49787}Strangely, it didn't seem to be bonded|to the stone in any natural way at all. {49941}{50012}The patina is very loosely|connected to the stone. {50053}{50224}Here we can see how it reacts to|me scraping it with a matchstick {50233}{50332}and you can see that it easily peels|off the letters as opposed again {50332}{50388}to the patina on the back side. {50453}{50536}And when he studied the patina|on the front of the stone in detail {50550}{50613}he found something else even stranger {50636}{50679}tiny marine fossils, {50688}{50714}called forams. {50781}{50866}Within the patina they are quite|common, here we can see one, {50883}{50954}and here we can see another two. {51088}{51203}These fossils could only be found if|the patina formed beneath the sea. {51228}{51299}And the Temple of Solomon|was nowhere near the sea. {51397}{51579}Of course one can't expect to find such|fossils of plankton, of marine organisms, {51586}{51682}in patina that is created|in the land environment. {51720}{51759}This was a complete mystery. {51779}{51872}It seemed impossible for a patina|from a temple built in Jerusalem {51883}{51939}to contain the fossils of sea creatures. {52081}{52148}Then came the most telling detail of all. {52219}{52269}When the letters are cleared, {52304}{52384}the inner part of the letter is exposed {52392}{52489}and as you can see here|it is very freshly cut, {52489}{52628}you can see even the little lines,|the little parallel lines of the chisel, {52629}{52761}or even maybe some drill,|some electric bit or drill {52770}{52817}with which the letters were engraved, {52821}{52908}which is of course very unusual|for ancient inscriptions. {52987}{53023}So he put it all together {53098}{53156}the inscription had been recently carved. {53241}{53289}There were two different patinas. {53359}{53428}And the one on the front|contained marine fossils {53438}{53501}impossible if it had formed in Jerusalem. {53581}{53695}He concluded the patina on the|front of the stone was artificial {53764}{53873}a mixture to which gold and iron age|charcoal had been added by hand. {53922}{54030}And therefore I believe that the stone, or|not the stone of course, but the inscription {54037}{54078}is not genuine. {54133}{54189}Alarmed by what he'd found with the stone, {54204}{54283}Professor Goren turned his|attention to the James Ossuary. {54428}{54479}Again he found a similar story {54583}{54623}a freshly cut inscription {54669}{54744}with an artificial patina|applied over the top. {54903}{54954}On the 18th of June 2003, {54974}{55042}the Israeli Authorities|delivered their conclusion. {55068}{55109}Good day to you, to all of us. {55152}{55276}The patina in the letters in both items is|a modern forgery covering the letters. {55359}{55466}The conclusion is that the two|inscriptions are modern inscriptions. {55478}{55620}This is a forgery, totally,|without any doubt about it. {55656}{55736}The two most important|biblical finds in a generation {55746}{55791}were proven to be fakes. {55832}{55931}There was no archaeological proof|for the existence of Jesus Christ. {55959}{56049}There was no evidence for the|existence of The Temple of Solomon. {56429}{56520}There was now outrage in|the world of Israeli archaeology. {56676}{56789}How had the forgers succeeded in|fooling some of the country's top scholars? {56982}{57033}How had they managed to pull it off? {57198}{57280}Yuval Goren, whose work had|helped expose the forgery, {57282}{57328}was determined to find the answers. {57377}{57481}Forgeries are a contamination of|science, of archaeology as a science. {57497}{57611}Science is being biased, history is being|biased, archaeology is being biased, {57640}{57767}and there is, the more|sources like that appeal, {57782}{57841}forged, fake sources like that appeal, {57849}{57911}of course science is more distorted. {57948}{58033}He began his investigations|with the black stone itself. {58142}{58209}His analysis showed the|stone was of a rock type {58214}{58262}that was not indigenous to Israel. {58338}{58385}He knew that for the inscription {58394}{58521}the forgers had needed and old black|rock already cut to a rectangular shape {58563}{58636}and he thought he'd worked|out how they had acquired it. {58789}{58887}Just up the coast from Tel Aviv|is an old crusader fortress. {58931}{59004}The stones in its walls have|already been cut to shape. {59034}{59072}Some of them are black. {59104}{59139}And many are not local {59172}{59209}the crusaders brought them here. {59269}{59404}Ships that used to come to this place were|loaded sometimes with ballast stones, {59404}{59439}to hold them balanced, {59448}{59497}and then they used to unload them, {59505}{59606}and so these stones were in|many cases reused for buildings. {59777}{59816}This stone is a dark stone, {59816}{59889}it's obviously not a|local stone to this area, {59896}{59933}which is already carved, {59933}{60090}it was probably carved to its rectangular shape|in order to place it as the dressing of this wall, {60099}{60217}and so somebody coming to such a|place could find dark stones like that, {60222}{60326}that are already made up to|a rectangular flat shape. {60382}{60426}Professor Goren was now certain: {60449}{60498}the stone used for the inscription {60503}{60591}must have come from this,|or a similar, Crusader Fort. {60748}{60775}But for the forgers {60786}{60849}getting hold of an old|stone of the right shape {60857}{60941}was just the first step in|making an inscribed tablet {60946}{60992}capable of fooling the experts. {61062}{61148}The team of forgers must have included|a scholar of ancient Hebrew, {61156}{61207}to write the elegant inscription. {61435}{61496}Then they would have needed|a master stone carver {61499}{61526}who could inscribe it. {61623}{61653}But above all else, {61659}{61701}the thing they had to get right, {61712}{61737}was the patina. {61869}{61908}Just how had it been possible {61914}{62007}to concoct a mixture that had|convinced Israel's top geologists {62017}{62105}that it was an ancient patina|from Jerusalem's Temple Mount? {62265}{62296}To solve this puzzle {62309}{62409}the investigating authorities brought|in geochemist Avner Ayalon. {62522}{62588}He dissolved samples of the patina in acid {62596}{62685}to produce a gas containing|different types of oxygen atoms {62691}{62718}called isotopes. {62814}{62894}Each isotope has its own|unique atomic weight {62911}{62966}and the quantity of each isotope in the gas {62974}{63039}can be determined using|a mass spectrometer. {63166}{63229}Measuring the ratio of|these different isotopes {63236}{63337}tells Doctor Ayalon the temperature|at which a patina has formed. {63449}{63489}His results were revealing. {63543}{63620}The patina on both the|inscription and the ossuary {63632}{63697}had formed at temperatures far too hot {63704}{63749}for them to have occurred naturally. {63802}{63908}The temperature which I calculated,|40 to 50 centigrade, {63911}{64043}for sure, it is much higher than natural|temperatures that prevailed in the Jerusalem area {64049}{64119}in the last 3,000 years. {64136}{64164}This high temperature {64174}{64276}gave Dr Ayalon a clue as to how|the patina had been formed. {64360}{64442}He believes the ingredients of the|patina must have been ground up, {64447}{64511}with hot water being added|to help them dissolve. {64608}{64694}Someone grinded calcium carbonate. {64778}{64883}You grind it and mix it with hot water. {64912}{64990}If you use hot water then you|get a much better cementation {64993}{65153}of the artificial patina which had|been cemented to the artefacts. {65225}{65292}One of the crucial ingredients was chalk. {65313}{65395}It was this that had provided the|calcium carbonate for the patina. {65422}{65495}It also explained why|forams had been found. {65511}{65563}They are very common fossils in chalk. {65717}{65819}The patina mix also included a little|bit of soil from the Jerusalem area, {65829}{65896}some gold and some iron age charcoal. {65933}{65976}These were masterly touches {65987}{66093}introduced by someone who knew exactly|what would convince the experts. {66316}{66361}In the summer of 2003, {66368}{66467}after the biggest archaeological|investigation in Israeli police history, {66481}{66534}Oded Golan was taken into custody. {66632}{66689}It was then that investigators realised {66699}{66793}they could be dealing with more|than just the stone and the ossuary. {66878}{66934}When police searched Golan's apartment {66951}{66989}they found a hidden workshop {66997}{67030}filled with tools {67042}{67088}and half made artefacts. {67229}{67283}There was this large dark stone {67294}{67382}very like the stone used for the|Temple of Solomon Inscription. {67503}{67540}Then there were these tools, {67589}{67618}including a drill {67670}{67696}and drill bits. {67788}{67838}And there were also boxes of soil {67844}{67893}that could be used in a fake patina. {68062}{68102}But what was most suspicious {68123}{68148}were the artefacts. {68197}{68258}Some were in the early|stages of preparation, {68274}{68333}like this casting for a bronze statue. {68420}{68461}And some appeared finished, {68515}{68551}like these royal seals, {68572}{68589}or bullae. {68680}{68838}What happened was that the Jehoash inscription|revealed this Pandora's box filled with antiques {68856}{68928}and artefacts that have been|sold to various museums {68928}{69026}and various collectors for various|very large sums of money {69026}{69076}during the past 10 or 15 years. {69171}{69232}The implications of this were immense. {69283}{69322}Collectors around the world {69329}{69385}have paid hundreds of thousands of dollars {69394}{69553}for supposedly ancient seals, painted|pottery shards and other artefacts {69560}{69621}that came through Oded Golan's associates. {69718}{69799}Dozens of these items have now|been examined by Professor Goren, {69827}{69898}and all have been revealed to be forgeries. {69996}{70097}Police now suspect that artefacts|made by the same team of forgers {70108}{70193}have found their way into leading|museums around the world. {70330}{70371}The interesting question is now, {70379}{70474}from the list of artefacts that are|currently shown in various museums {70474}{70560}in Israel, in London, in New York, in Paris, {70602}{70626}are they fake? {70640}{70677}Are they authentic? {70692}{70757}If Oded Golan was linked to any of them {70763}{70850}does that mean that they are forged? {70876}{70921}And this is going to be dramatic. {70937}{71063}Everything which came to the|market in the last 20 years or so, {71069}{71168}things which did not|come from an excavation, {71173}{71297}should probably be considered|a fake unless otherwise proven. {71389}{71452}It is a deeply shocking revelation. {71610}{71634}And beyond that, {71645}{71700}there is something even more disturbing. {71760}{71842}The forgers were playing on the|desire of millions of people {71847}{71910}to see the bible confirmed as history. {71970}{72044}It is an immensely cruel and|cynical thing to have done. {72181}{72261}And for those in search of Solomon|and his great temple, {72287}{72386}it means their goal is as far away as ever.