The Sword of Moses Read Online Free PDF Page A

the cherubim as Christian angels—like on greetings cards and in church windows. But, of course, according to the legend, the Hebrews built the Ark in the desert on their return from a hundred years of slavery in Egypt. So it would be logical for the Ark to have Egyptian influences—especially because, many experts believe, the ancient Hebrews didn’t have their own artistic style.”
    Ava put the laser pointer down, not really sure what they wanted her to say.
    “Legend?” Prince asked. Unless Ava was misreading it, there was a note of surprise in her voice. “You said the Exodus, when the Hebrews wandered in the desert and built the Ark, was a legend?”
    Ava nodded. She knew this was a sensitive topic for many people. “The truth is,” she answered, “no one knows for sure. The vast majority of events in the Bible are uncorroborated by independent texts or archaeological evidence. Scholars are divided on whether the adventures of the ancient Hebrews chronicled in the Bible ever really happened—whether figures like Abraham, Moses, David, or Solomon ever existed in the way they’re described, or at all. Even King Solomon’s Temple isn’t universally accepted, as no evidence of it has ever been found.”
    “The Bible stories never happened?” Hunter asked, unable to mask his curiosity.
    “Not necessarily,” Ava replied. “For instance, each story may contain an embedded trace element of an ancient historical event, but over time it has been so interwoven and embroidered with the heroic and the supernatural that it’s no longer recognizable. It’s not an uncommon process. You see the same with the Norse myths, the adventures of Greek and Roman heroes and demigods, the Indian
Mahabharata
, and even folk stories like the tales of King Arthur and his knights of the round table.”
    Hunter raised an eyebrow. “Well, Dr Curzon, you don’t disappoint. You clearly call it as you see it.” He eyed her carefully. “I like that.”
    “But surely the Ark of the Covenant existed?” Prince pressed her.
    Ava hesitated. There was a knack to finding the right balance with every audience. In her experience, discussing the Bible in the context of scholarship and science often proved a flammable mix.
    “For those who believe in the Bible—” she began, but was cut short by Hunter.
    “It’s okay,” he interrupted, “just give it to us straight.”
    Ava nodded. “The Ark is attested many times in the Bible. In my view it, or something very like it, almost certainly existed. But we cannot be confident how, when, or where it was created, or what its purpose was.”
    All of the people around the table were listening intently. Prince was making detailed notes.
    “What did it do?” Hunter asked, tapping his fingers thoughtfully on the table. “I mean, what was it for?”
    “Again, we only have the Bible for guidance,” Ava answered. “The Book of Exodus says the Hebrews used the Ark as a strongbox to carry the stones engraved with the Ten Commandments. They also put in it a pot of manna, the miraculous food that fell from the heavens as they crossed the desert. Another part of the Bible says that it also contained the ceremonial staff of Moses’s brother, Aaron, the first high priest.” Ava paused. “It was essentially their tribal treasure chest, a coffer containing key symbols of their cultural identity.”
    “That’s it?” Ferguson asked. “Then why was it was so sacred, if it was just a decorated carrying case?”
    Ava nodded. “There’s more. The lid was called the Mercy Seat. Yahweh, the Hebrews’ God, told them he would meet with them there, above the lid, between the wings of the cherubim, in order to give them instructions. That’s why it was thought to possess divine power, and why the Hebrews carried it into battle with them,” Ava paused. “As a divine object, access to it was strictly controlled. According to the Bible, on one occasion Yahweh killed fifty thousand and seventy people just