The Phoenician Code

by Karim El Koussa

  “No, they don’t,” he replied, after managing a grin. She smiled back.

  “Excuse me, Youmna,” said Zago, finally interested enough to share his thoughts with the team. “Might this secret chemical substance you’re talking about cause any sort of damage on the inscription currently on the Stone?”

  “On the contrary, Zago,” she assured him, her eyes on everyone present. “It will enhance it even more, and could well reveal the missing words of the inscription… You may note that I’m not using Mercury, but its spiritual form, and that is one of the secrets of Alchemy.”

  Although astonished by her answer, Zago nodded with a sense of great relief. In fact, they all seemed puzzled yet satisfied with the work to be done on the Stone.

  “Great!” she uttered. “Let’s get to work then!” she ended with much anticipation.

  Therefore, when there were no questions left, Youmna initiated her work on a small table located at the left-side corner of the tent. While busy preparing her secret formula, Maya was working on her task—a careful cleaning of the Stone.

  “How much time does it take?” Zago interrogated, keenly assisting Maya with the clean up.

  “What? The clean up, you mean?” Maya asked.

  “No, not that. I meant the effect of the Spirit of Mercury… that magical formula, the strange potion Youmna intends to use on the Stone?” he explained. In fact, Zago loved this sort of stuff. The word Magic played a certain charm in his unconscious mind.

  “Well it depends,” Youmna spoke, without looking back at them. “It really depends on many different things, but it usually takes two to three hours, sometimes more, from the time I put the substance on the Stone. You see?”

  “Yes,” he answered, and did.

  Silence reigned inside the tent…

  “Are you finished, Maya, or not yet?” she checked, as she approached them a few minutes later.

  “Yup, just about, dear!” Leaning over the table in the middle of the tent, Maya had just finished her job properly. She moved out to wash her hands, and invited the rest of the team for a quick tour around the Archaeological site. She definitely wanted to leave Youmna alone with her secret.

  “We’ll be back in half an hour, for lunch,” she said, loud enough for Youmna to hear.

  “Okay,” her reply was heard outside.

  The base camp was not far from the Archaeological shrine, known to most as the ‘Well of the King’, a spring from Neolithic times, and the only source of water for Byblos. Ahead of them, another Temple stood completely in ruins. They passed by it, as they read the sign that introduced it as the ‘Temple of Baalat Gebel’, the Lady of Gebel, which Phoenician artificers built, some time around the year 2800 BC.

  “The Lady of Gebel had been Astarte herself,” Paul said. “She surely represents the ancient prototype of the Virgin Lady of Christianity, with all her divine characteristics as intercessor and protector,” he explained.

  The walk amidst the ruins of the Temple continued through the Roman Colonnades almost attached to it. Very few pillars were still standing from the Roman period. Maya explained that these were the only remnants of a huge Roman construction, composed of Temples and civic buildings that were erected on this very spot.

  They proceeded west towards the Phoenician Royal tombs, dating back more than two thousand years BC. Sarcophagi made of white limestone were excavated from the ground, to be placed near the original site, where they had been found. The site contained nine Royal tombs, but only eight had been found there. The most important Sarcophagus of all was that of King Ahiram, one of the greatest Kings of Gebel. The Sarcophagus’ additional historical value was that it held significant Phoenician inscriptions. It had been guardedly moved to the Beirut National Museum, and is still one of its masterpieces even today.

  “The Sarcophagus of King Ahiram!” Paul muttered just loud enough for Maya to hear. He looked at her discreetly. She didn’t look back. Yet, they both remembered the words of the Padre, concerning the great riddle, his friend, the Architect, Hiram Melki had been working on, before he died. Was Hiram working on the Great Phoenician Temple, as well? he wondered.

  Jim was taking photographs on the walk from the base camp.

  A few meters ahead, to the south, they came to the Roman Theatre of Gebel, a splendid amphitheater overlooking the Mediterranean Sea to the west.

  “It was probably built at the beginning of the 3rd century AD,” Maya informed them. “The Romans, like the Greeks before them, were fascinated with the magnificent art of developing plays out of ordinary social and political life. They presented their richly mixed lives in a series of dramatic and tragic scenes,” she explained.

  Indeed, what a charming effect actors and actresses might have had in the minds of the audience of that time, as they performed on that lofty stage with a beautiful view of the sea, set as background. One could only imagine them acting at sunset, as the horizon intermingled with grey clouds behind them, or perhaps at night with the moon and stars, accompanied by the sound of waves on the shore, as an audio-visual background.

  They lingered there for a while.

  The watch in Paul’s hand marked 01:00 PM. Time to go back to the base camp for lunch, he thought. Once back, a few minutes later, Youmna was already sitting on a bamboo chair outside the tent, enjoying the mild October weather reigning all over the Lebanese coastal cities. She had just finished placing her secret alchemical formula on the Stone, and waiting now for the unknown to be revealed.

  The team of 5 assembled around the tent for a light meal, composed of salad and sandwiches. This gathering, however, created a new sense of intimacy between them and it was a bit strange, since they had not known each other for a long time. Afterwards, Jim took some great pictures, as a way of keeping a record of such good memories.

  What are we without memories, anyway? Jim thought.

  Time had passed by quickly. When Youmna glanced at her watch, it marked 02:40 PM. She stood up quickly and entered the tent to monitor the progressive effect of her secret substance over the Stone. Minutes later, she called them in, filled with anticipation. They hastened inside to find her standing by the table, wearing a strange kind of eyeglasses, and projecting an ultraviolet light all over the object.

  “Positive!” she screamed. “Come closer, and have a look.” Her voice sounded victorious.

  Paul was the first one to step in beside her. Indeed, the sketch of the Temple had surfaced, once again, after thousands of years, to the right side of the Taurus Constellation. He was looking at it through the special spectacles that Youmna provided. Paul just couldn’t believe what his eyes saw.

  “The Temple the Sacred Builders built, here in Gebel, was divided into three parts, as the sketch shows,” he conveyed, exhilarated. “The entrance walk from the circular basin, supported by 12 Taurus statues, towards the stairs and up, between The Pillars that lead to the anteroom, constituted part one. The second part contained the main hall, called The Saint. Finally, the last part held the ritual room, known as The Saint of Saints.”

  “This is just incredible!” Maya exclaimed with delight. Jim and Zago stood speechless, in view of the amazing description they had just heard.

  “The Temple had Seven Pillars, and that was the reason why it was called the Seven-Pillared Temple,” Youmna exclaimed conclusively.

  “Exactly,” Paul resumed. “There were two, standing majestically outside, flanking the entrance door, which led to the anteroom. Another two, smaller in size than the initial ones, stood at each side of a small altar, where incense was burned and that was in the main hall, just before the inner stairs, leading up to the door of the third section. And there, my friends, inside the Saint of Saints, another two, smaller than the previous ones, stood at either side of what looked like a Great Altar. It is clearly visible in this sketch. The seventh pillar appears to be standing just behind the Great Altar, and it looks like a statue of the God Al. Amazing!” he stated.

  The team fell into silence, whi
ch they obviously needed to assimilate the astonishing revelation that had been kept concealed underneath the ground for centuries, here in Gebel… here, on a single Stone found within the ruins of the Great Phoenician Temple.

  Could the Temple, so neatly depicted in the sketch, be the Temple they were excavating? Only time would tell.

  “A Great Temple, the Pillars, the Saint, the Saint of Saints!” Youmna muttered loudly enough for all of them to hear. “I mean, the whole setting is similar to that of the Old Testament and the story of the Temple of Solomon,” she thought aloud again. “Could that sketch be the original portrayal of the famous Temple, built by Hiram Abiff?” she asked.

  “Well, that could just be a miracle!” Jim interceded, inspired. “This sketch fits exactly with the description of the Old Testament! You’re absolutely right, Youmna.”

  Zago didn’t comment on hearing that. His mind was in confusion.

  Maya remained silent, thinking, yet still resolute, to undergo the mission the Padre had entrusted her with—along with Paul and Youmna—hidden from both Jim and Zago. Although Zago had been assisting Maya for many years, a man she trusted since college, she could not convey to him the reason why she was there, finding proof of the murder of the Architect, Hiram Melki.

  “This Temple must have been so great,” uttered Youmna, all of a sudden, looking once more at the Temple sketch imprinted on the Stone. “Who was the real Hiram Abiff?” she inquired. “He must have been a genius.”

  “He was a genius!” Paul rejoined, too low for anyone else to hear him.

  However, within the considerable thoughts that cropped up, one, or rather, a stream of them seemed to have haunted him. It was showing in his face. A weird idea had sneaked into his brain. Paul focused harder, trying to recall the sketch in his memory.

  Could it be?! he thought.

  Like King Solomon, the wise man of the Hebrews—claimed in the Old Testament to have admired the great work of the Phoenician Architect, done on the Temple of Yahweh—Paul was at that very moment, admiring the beauty of the Temple depicted on the Stone.

  Then, a scene from the past transpired in his mind:

  After crossing the two pillars, guarding the door of the Temple in Jerusalem, the Hebrew priest would enter the second room, the Holy Place, to burn the incense. And, as a matter of protection, only the High Priest would be allowed in the third chamber, the Holy of Holies, to pay homage to the God, dwelling outside and inside the altar.

  It was not, though, an ordinary altar, said the Old Testament, but one that held the Ark of the Covenant.

  It contained the promise that the Hebrew God vowed to the first spiritual leader of the Hebrew people, Moses, a promise that guaranteed a full commitment on God’s part, to live with his people, his chosen people, despite all difficulties.

  The other part of this covenant, or present-day agreement, so to speak, demanded full responsibility from the Jewish people, to accept him, YHWH, as their God—the only true God of all the gods—to worship him without doubt, and abide by his commands.

  Yet, any breach would cause them death and great abandonment!

  “A breach to an agreement with God?!” Paul murmured, and wondered about that.

  “So… who was the real Hiram Abiff, Paul?” Youmna asked with insistency, bringing him back to the present.

  “Oh… well, with the few Phoenician historical documents at hand,” Paul rejoined, in introspection, “we can, in some way, confirm the information conveyed to us by one of the great ancient Phoenician historians, known as Sanchoniaton. He has related the existence of a great Temple in the city of Sur. A Temple known as the Temple of Baal-Melkart, built by the Architect, Hiram Abiff, at the time of King Hiram of Tyre, who was a great King, some time between the years 971 and 939 BC.”

  “Aha, I see…” Youmna said. “So, what’s the relation with King Solomon then?” she asked in all seriousness.

  “None!” the Historian answered at once, before he added, “The great Greek Historian, Herodotus—known as the ‘Father of History’, who lived between 485 and 425 or 414 BC—affirmed having seen the whole Temple of Baal-Melkart, at Sur. Even Alexander the Great, who deemed himself the son of the incarnated God Heracles (Hercules), also known as Melkart, had desired to visit it.”

  “In fact, history faithfully presented the Temple in Sur, but not at all the Temple of Solomon—mentioned only in the Old Testament. I have often asked myself if the Temple of Solomon could be nothing more than an exact replica of the Temple of Baal-Melkart, and always answered myself: It is.” He looked at Youmna. She was a bit bewildered. “Yet, the Old Testament and the records of one of the most enigmatic secret societies in the world, Freemasonry, have both related a mythical connection to Hiram, the Architect, and Solomon, the King,” he concluded.

  “I’m all ears!” Youmna uttered smiling radiantly, inviting Paul to narrate that story.

  He took a deep, long breath before he said, “Let’s go for a walk…”

  .15.

  The Architect, Hiram Abiff

  Almost three thousand years ago

  Frankly though, nothing other than remembering narrations, from what he deemed as books of poetry and myth, encumbered Paul in drab this Wednesday afternoon. Yet letters, alchemically organized together, constantly shuffled through his mind: King Ahiram, King Hiram, Hiram Abiff, Phoenician artisans, King Solomon, Old Testament, Freemasonry.

  For a few meters they strolled peacefully to the south, guided their eyes to the charming Roman amphitheater of Gebel, looking over the Mediterranean Sea, reposing silently to the west. He then remembered well the story he wanted to narrate.

  According to the Old Testament, the Temple of Solomon was built due to a brotherly request, made by King Solomon to Hiram, King of Tyre. Since the Hebrew people were only nomads, and used to worship their national god, YHWH inside a movable tent, the idea of a Temple to house their god fascinated them a great deal.

  The Old Testament narrates how the Tyrian King appointed one of the best Architects in the court, Hiram Abiff, to do the job that was accomplished many years later.

  Yet, some later documents revealed that Hiram Abiff, the Architect, had requested the assistance of skillful Phoenician artisans and scientists from the city of Gebel, to help him in the construction of the Temple of Solomon.

  In Freemasonry, the most reputed theory—concerning the Initiation of this secret organization—mentions major Masonic ties, originating with the construction of the Temple of Solomon. Therefore, the key elements in this theory are King Hiram of Tyre, King Solomon of Jerusalem, and Hiram Abiff, the Architect. The story narrates that Hiram Abiff had coordinated the artisans of the Temple into three degrees. Each level had assumed particular duties and missions in the construction of that great edifice. Each degree had retained its own secrets.

  The third degree—the highest, the Master degree—refers to Hiram Abiff, the Master Architect of the Temple. Strangely though, and contrary to the Old Testament story, freemasonic historians have declared that before completing the building of the Temple, three brothers of the society had killed Hiram inside the Temple, because of his previous refusal to entrust them with the secrets of Mastership.

  The story in Paul’s mind continued to restructure itself before uttering it into the ears of Youmna.

  His body disappeared, lost like the word of the Master... King Solomon sent nine brothers on a mission to search inside the Temple and throughout the entire surrounding area. After many days and nights of exhausting exploration, the brothers found the body of Hiram, buried in the ground. Miraculously, a tree of acacia had blossomed from that soil, and enveloped his decaying body.

  The brothers immediately reported to Solomon the sad news. Solomon grieved the loss of his friend and brother. There was no Master to reside over the Temple! he realized. True enough, for the Temple was not yet completed, and hence, needed not only a Master Architect, but a religious Master, as well! he figured. In silence and total secrecy, Solomon decl
ared himself the new Master of the Temple!

  “The death of Hiram Abiff… the death of the Architect, Hiram Melki…” Youmna muttered to herself.

  The story also mentioned, with little consideration to its importance, the legend of the Queen of Sheba and King Solomon. Apparently, the royal couple produced a son to whom Solomon gave the Ark of the Covenant to protect!

  Paul’s memory didn’t betray him at all. It seemed to have recollected even more additional fascinating parts of the story.

  Sheba was most probably a place located in Yemen. Balkhis, the Queen, came to visit the King of Jerusalem at the time the Temple was almost completed. Solomon fell in love with her, and assumed she would love him in return, for he was the King of a big nation. ‘It would be a perfect match between Royalties,’ Solomon reasoned in his legendary wisdom.

  Solomon, the wise, was not only charmed by her Arabic, Yemeni beauty, but by her rich monarchy, as well, that promised an increase of power for him, and wealth for his kingdom. ‘A perfect alliance between two kingdoms,’ he concluded. Balkhis, on the other hand, mesmerized by the power that emanated from the Temple, fell in love with it. She requested to meet the man who had designed and built it, wishing for a similar one back in Yemen. Hiram Abiff, that enigmatic person, mentioned in the Old Testament, had the honor of meeting the Queen in the palace of the King. The moment she laid eyes on him, a strange rush of energy quaked her being, and she could not resist falling in love with him. She was not at all interested in Solomon, neither in his kingdom, nor in his alleged wisdom. Everything she dreamt of and searched for in a man—wisdom and power—she finally found in Hiram. He was elegantly standing in front of her, holding the Tau in his hand.