The Aleppo Code (The Jerusalem Prophecies) Read Online Free PDF

of Jeremiah’s Grotto here in Jerusalem—”
    “And on the sarcophagus I found in Jeremiah’s tomb in Ireland,” reminded Brandon McDonough.
    “Right,” said Rizzo, “and in Jeremiah’s tomb. Think about this. We know Abiathar sent two messages to Meborak in Egypt—that the Third Temple of God had been constructed and hidden under Temple Mount and that the biblical Tent of Meeting was concealed by the prophet Jeremiah in a cave in the Negev Desert. Abiathar knew he would need one of these two objects to restore ritual sacrifice for the Jewish people, return the presence of God into the Temple, and reestablish Israel as the Chosen People. But, in order to complete the circle from ritual sacrifice to the presence of God, Abiathar needed more than just the Temple or the Tent. He needed power … the power of God. Either the mercy seat, the symbol of God’s presence in the Holy of Holies; or the Ark of the Covenant; or, more importantly, the power that radiated from the Ark, the power that went before Israel into battle, the power that conquered the Promised Land.
    “The story written in the margins of the book of Jeremiah was Abiathar’s third message: where to find the power.
    “The Ark of the Covenant was not powerful in itself. What was inside the Ark provided the power … the shepherd’s staff … the most powerful weapon in the history of the world.” He looked across the room to the sofa. “Rabbi, I think you better take it from here.”

    Bohannon was tired and frustrated, his body sore from the damage inflicted during the chase to save Annie and Kallie from their kidnappers. He wanted answers, not a long-winded lecture. But Rizzo’s mention of the world’s most powerful weapon grabbed his attention. Fineman wouldn’t let it go.
    The rabbi spun a tale of the codex, a book written in the tenth century that contained the most accurate compilation of the Tanakh, the twenty-four holy books of the Hebrew Bible. It was captured by the Crusaders, ransomed by Jews in Egypt, hidden for centuries in a cave under the main synagogue in Aleppo, Syria, and returned to Israel 850 years later, in 1958. But, by then, only half remained intact.
    While the book’s history was interesting, it was the story in the margins of the book of Jeremiah that brought Bohannon fully alert.
    Fineman was staring through a darkened window, gazing absently into the Jerusalem night. “Did you know it was Aaron’s staff specifically that brought forth six of the ten plagues against Egypt?” He turned from the window and crossed the room to a bookcase, speaking as he searched the shelves. “Moses or Aaron stretched out their hand and used the staff to call down the plagues of blood, frogs, gnats, hail, locusts, and darkness.
    “It was Aaron’s staff that Moses waved over the Red Sea to part the waters and lead Israel to safety, the staff that called down fire from heaven to destroy the rebellious Hebrews as Israel wandered in the desert for forty years.”
    Fineman removed an old book from the shelves, carried the book across the room and laid it in Bohannon’s hands. “In rabbinical literature, particularly in this Haggadic Modification, it is taught that this staff has been handed down from generation to generation throughout the biblical history of man. That it passed through the hands of Shem, Enoch, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Ancient Jewish authors claim that Joshua used the staff to part the waters of the Jordan River and to hit the walls of Jericho before they came crashing down; that David used it to slay Goliath; that Solomon used it as his scepter when he sat on the throne of Israel; and that when Messiah comes—when the Temple is rebuilt and sacrifice returns to the Temple—Messiah will receive Aaron’s staff as his scepter of authority.”
    “The Temple?” said Bohannon. “We’re back to the Temple?”
    “Getting pretty interested now?” asked Rizzo, patting Bohannon on his good arm.
    There was a glimmer of