Stone of the Sahara: A Marshall Mane Archaeology Adventure

By Rock DiLisio

Egypt 1947 -

A young archaeologist stumbles across an unknown artifact in an ancient Egyptian temple. His initial analysis leads him to believe that it may have sinister and diabolical powers. The artifact, a stele, calls to the Lion god of war, and a recently defeated army faction has targeted the artifact as a means for redemption. He writes to his former professor and acclaimed archaeologist, Marshall Mane, for assistance and the adventure stretches from the land of the pharaohs, across the Mediterranean, to the sunny shores of Italy. Redemption is in the cards, but will it be Professor Marshall Mane who has the fortune of savoring it and preventing a third world war?

Ancient artifacts and an adventure in archaeology. Need more be said?

• Language: English
• Publisher: iUniverse
• Release date: May 19, 2009
• ISBN: 9781440135040

Rock DiLisio

Rock DiLisio’s other books in this archaeology adventure series include: Three Kings of Casablanca, Stone of the Sahara and Palace of the Pharaoh

Book preview

EDITOR: Erica M. Flasco

iUniverse, Inc.

New York Bloomington

Stone of the Sahara A Marshall Mane Archaeology Adventure

Copyright © 2009 by Rock DiLisio

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, names, incidents, organizations, and dialogue in this novel are either the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

iUniverse books may be ordered through booksellers or by contacting:

iUniverse

1663 Liberty Drive

Bloomington, IN 47403

www.iuniverse.com

1-800-Authors (1-800-288-4677)

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any Web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

ISBN: 978-1-4401-3503-3 (pbk)

ISBN: 978-1-4401-3504-0 (eBook)

Printed in the United States of America

iUniverse rev. date: 4/9/2009

Contents

CHAPTER ONE

CHAPTER TWO

CHAPTER THREE

CHAPTER FOUR

CHAPTER FIVE

CHAPTER SIX

CHAPTER SEVEN

CHAPTER EIGHT

CHAPTER NINE

CHAPTER TEN

The following information is provided to assist in comprehending the archaeological concepts covered in the story:

The Rosetta Stone

The Rosetta Stone is an ancient Egyptian artifact, which proved to be the key to deciphering hieroglyphic writing. The stone, which is made of granite or basalt (also known as granodiorite) is black, also said to be dark blue-pinkish-grey in color, approximately three-foot nine-inches high, two-foot four-inches wide and 11 inches thick, and weighs approximately 1,676 pounds.

The stone is an Egyptian Ptolemaic era stele with carved text in three different languages: Classical Greek, demotic (a cursive vernacular script developed in Egyptian history), and hieroglyphics (ancient Egyptian). In English, the script runs about 2,300 words.

The written scripts state the same passage in all three languages. Created in 196 BC, the stone is a decree passed by the general council of Egyptian priests under King Ptolemy V, giving instructions to erect statues in temples and describing the repeal of various taxes. It also praises the king during the ninth year of his reign. It is said to be the third of a three-stone series.

The stone was discovered by Napoleon and his French troops in 1799 at Rosetta (el-Rashid), a harbor on the Mediterranean coast in the Delta region of northern Egypt, 100 miles northwest of Cairo. The French found the stone imbedded in a wall, while digging the foundations for an extension to a fort. The ancient Egyptian hieroglyphic writing could not be translated at the time, and the stone provided an opportunity to decipher the language. Since one of the passages on the stone was written in Greek, a known language, and each passage stated the same premise, the translation process of hieroglyphs could finally begin.

The principles of hieroglyphic writing were deciphered in 1822 by British physicist and polymath, Thomas Young, who discovered that hieroglyphs correspond to sound (phonetic writing), and French scholar and Egyptologist, Jean-Francois Champollion, who used his knowledge of the Coptic Egyptian language to complete the translation process .

When Napoleon was defeated by the British, while he was in Egypt, the Rosetta Stone became property of the British, along with all other antiquities that the French discovered there. The stone has been on public display at the British Museum since 1802. In 2003, the Egyptian government asked the British to return the Rosetta Stone to Egypt.

Ark of the Covenant

The Ark of the Covenant is described in the Bible as a sacred container, wherein rested the tablets of stone, known as the Ten Commandments, and other sacred Israelite pieces. The chest is said to measures forty-five inches in length, twenty-seven inches in height, and twenty-seven inches in width. It is made of setim wood and overlaid inside and out with pure gold. The lid contains a gold rim and a mercy seat with two gold cherubim with linked wings (facing each other).

Carried in the Ark were the two tablets brought down from Mount Sinai by Moses, on which the Ten Commandments were inscribed by God. It also is said to include Aaron’s rod, a rod which budded shoots and blossoms as it was placed before the Ark when he was faced with a challenge of his tribal leadership, and a golden pot of Manna, a honey-like substance exuded from trees that miraculously provided food for the Israelites as they traveled through the wilderness. It is also speculated that the Ark carried the Philosopher’s Stone, a substance which transformed metals into gold and had other worldly powers.

The Bible states that the Ark was built at the command of God, in accord with Moses’ prophetic vision on Mount Sinai (Exodus 25:9-10). It is said that God communicated with Moses from between the two cherubim, situated on the Ark’s cover (Exodus 25:22). The Ark was God’s throne and a talisman so powerful that the Hebrews carried it with them into battle. It helped to part the Red Sea, and it was carried around the walls of Jericho for seven days, causing them to collapse.

Around 1050 B.C., the Philistines captured the Ark and placed it in the temple of Dagon. They returned the Ark to the Israelites when the statue of Dagon mysteriously became disfigured and the Philistines began to develop leprosy-like sores.

The Ark was carried with the Israelites for years as they traveled through the wilderness in search of a designated homeland. The Ark was kept in the Holy of Holies, the innermost Tabernacle, during their travels. King David brought the Ark to Jerusalem, where later, King Solomon built the first temple to house it.

In 586 B.C., Babylonian emperor Nebuchadnezzar II destroyed the first temple, but no mention of the Ark is made in the list of items removed. It is thought that the Ark had already been removed for safe-keeping. To this day, no one knows of its whereabouts.

Possible locations include, still buried beneath the former site of the temple, in a church in Axym, Ethiopia (not available for public viewing) or possibly near the Jordan River.

Philosopher’s Stone

The Philosopher’s Stone is a legendary substance, supposedly capable of turning inexpensive metals into gold. It is also known to be called the elixir of life, useful for rejuvenation, and possibly for achieving immortality. It has long been one of the most sought after items in western alchemy.

A substance more than an actual stone, it is sometimes described as a red powder which could remove the impurities of base metals and leave pure gold. It also was thought to cure illnesses, prolong life, and bring about spiritual revitalization.

The search for the substance formula continues.

Saint Anthony’s Chapel

Saint Anthony’s Chapel, referred to as St. Alexander’s in the novel, is located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and houses the largest collection of Catholic religious relics outside of the Vatican. It is said that as many as five-thousand relics are housed in the chapel, which was built in 1880 in Pittsburgh’s Troy Hill section. The chapel was constructed by Father Suibertus Mollinger who had a personal devotion to Saint Anthony of Padua (Italy).

The son of a wealthy family, Father Mollinger sent scouts throughout Europe to collect relics during political and religious turmoil in the 1880s. He brought them to Troy Hill and commissioned Pittsburgh North Side artisans to build impressive walnut cabinets to display the relics, many of which are housed in ornate gold reliquaries. There are also a few liturgical calendars serving as reliquaries — structures in the shape of churches, holding a