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8003 Fort Hunt Road, Alexandria, VA 22308 |
George Hyatt (703) 765-5308 Gail Neyland (972) 874-1034 George Karalekas (212) 288-7440 Lisa Bemel (310) 822-7462 David P. Griffin (800) 301-0885 Rod Rodriguez (972) 942-3121 Mark Stocker (610) 432-4040 |
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Vendyl Jones
and the
Ark of the Covenant
"In the desolations which are in the valley of Achor, under the hill that must be
climbed, hidden under the east side, forty stones deep is a silver chest and with it the
vestments of the High Priest, all the gold and silver with the Great Tabernacle and all
of it's Treasures"
And so the story begins from a 2,000 year old document found at Qumran Israel in 1952. This mysterious Hebrew text is scribed on a roll of almost pure copper.
The so-called Copper Scroll is unique among the myriad scrolls found in this ancient cave complex on the shores of the Dead Sea. This scroll is the only one ever uncovered made of such material and it is the only one that lists a staggering cache of Holy relics hidden since the destruction of Israel's first Temple. Among these is the fabled Ark of the Covenant hidden away before Jerusalem fell to the conquering sword of Babylon’s King Nebuchadnezzar. According to the Scroll these things were buried in the "Cave of the Column," near the River of the Dome.
For years, scholars doubted the authenticity of the Copper Scroll. One man, a colorful, iconoclastic scholar from Texas, believed the words of this ancient treasure list. He is Vendyl Jones.
Vendyl Jones
As a boy growing up in the dusty wilds of west Texas, Vendyl's imagination was fired by tales of Biblical heroes and holy warriors from the Old Testament. His thirst for knowledge first led him into studies of Theology and the archaeology of Israel. Dissatisfied with second-hand renderings of the Hebrew writings, Professor Jones enrolled in a yeshiva and learned the language of the Patriarchs along side elementary age students.
His need for more first hand knowledge led him to Israel in 1967, just in time for the outbreak of the Six Day War. During the battle, Professor Jones volunteered to be a forward spotter for the Israeli forces. He failed, however, to inform his superiors that he was color-blind. This unusual visual aberration allowed Professor Jones to see, with startling clarity, the enemy camouflage. That feat won Vendyl valued friends in Israel and a small write-up in Time Magazine.
With that dramatic arrival in Israel, Vendyl began a twenty year search for the Treasures
of the Copper Scroll. Heartbreak and triumph followed Vendyl at every step......his oldest
Son's near death due to renal failure resulted in a miracle. To aid his son's recovery,
Vendyl offered one of his own kidneys. Doctors proceeded with the transplant operation
and discovered that Professor Jones was born with four kidneys! Back to work at the dig
site in Qumran, Vendyl soon lost a wife to cancer.
Vendyl's quest was rewarded in 1988 when his teams uncovered a small clay vial containing anointing oil. This oil was one of the items listed on the Copper Scroll. That find is now on display at Israel's National Museum.
The Blue Aura
On that same dig, Vendyl and his team stumbled upon the mysterious "blue aura"
mentioned in the Copper Scroll. After discovering a shaft in the Cave roof, the explorers
saw that the opening cast a beautiful blue light on the floor of the cave. This eventually led
them to uncover over 600 kilos of Temple Incense which still retained a faint aroma, after
thousands of years. The incense, called Qetoret, was another item listed in the Copper
Scroll.
Last year, Vendyl headed two excavation teams: one continued at the Cave site,
employing Ground Penetrating Radar....the other team utilized Satellite Remote Sensing
on the plains, east of Jericho. The satellite data led to the discovery of an ancient wall
from the time of Joshua.
Vendyl and his volunteers will converge on the Cave of the Column complex. Armed with the new information gleaned from the GPR survey, Vendyl expects to find the seven chambers containing the enormous storehouse of Israel’s Temple Treasures.
The Cave of the Column The Temple IncenseAnointing Oil
This is a tale of one man' s quest. A quest that has led him from the dusty plains of Texas to the arid shores of the Dead Sea. A life filled with triumph, heartbreak and unwavering faith in the words of a holy book. Vendyl Jones has made worldwide headlines with his work. He has been featured on CNN, ABC and CBS. His discoveries have been recounted in Time, Omni and National Geographic.
Program Concept
"Vendyl Jones and the Ark of the Covenant" is a historical documentary that offers television audiences an adventure of Biblical proportion. A story told in visual splendor against the striking backdrop of Israel’s rugged mountain passes and hidden caves, infested with poisonous snakes and scorpions. The four one hour specials will cover the professor’s quest of over forty year to unfold the mysteries of the Judaic/Christian world.
This true-life drama is given new urgency because of Vendyl's latest findings based on Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) surveys of the Cave site. He now believes that this is the dig that will uncover these long-hidden treasures from Israel's past:
- the Ashes of the Red Heifer
- the Vestments of the High Priest (with it's Jeweled Breastplate)
- the Tabernacle and the Ark of the Covenant
These artifacts are all that remain in The Cave of the Column according to the Copper Scrolls of Qumran.
New York |
Washington, DC |
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(212) 288-7440 |
(703) 765-5308 |
(310) 822-7462 | |||
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(972) 942-3121 |
(800) 301-0885 |
(610) 432-4040 | ||
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Chicago/Phoenix |
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(602) 284-4032 |
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George W. Hyatt, Executive Producer
8003 Fort Hunt Road, Alexandria, VA 22308