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〃Look how small the summit is；〃 Ochs drily observed。 〃No room for two more crosses of the thieves； would you say？ And steep。 Have you seen the section drawing by Gibson and Taylor？ It's overhanging on the back side。 Maybe a climber like you could get up the sides with a cross on your back。 But a man who's just been whipped half to death？ They say a fully assembled cross would have weighed 200 pounds。 Even if it was only the crosspiece Jesus was carrying； it still would have meant a good fifty pounds or more。〃
Ochs went on。 〃The Gospels said nothing about Jesus being crucified on a hill； only at atopos or place。 According to Jerome；golgotha was a mon term for crucifixion sites。 The skull referred to the unburied remains。 It's no wonder scholars have e to dismiss the site。 I did； too。〃
〃We don't have time for this；〃 said Nathan Lee。 He looked around for something portable and precious； but it was all knickknacks to his eye。 He couldn't imagine what Ochs wanted here。
〃One thing is certain；〃 Ochs rambled on。 〃Wherever Golgotha was； it must have served for thousands of other executions over the years。 Varus crucified 2000 in the year 4B 。C。E。 Florus crucified almost twice that many at the start of the First Jewish Revolt。 A few years later； Titus was crucifying 500 people per day。 It adds up。 But have you ever asked yourself； with all those dead men； where are the remains？ Wouldn't some of those skulls and bones have survived？ In all our excavations around Jerusalem； we've found only one skeleton that had been crucified。〃
Nathan Lee knew the skeleton。。。by name。 Yehochanan had been a male； five…foot five…inches tall； twenty…five years old。 Possibly he'd been a rebel。 Possibly his little daughter had been killed before his eyes as he hung on his cross。 At any rate； her bones had been found mixed with his。 A spike driven sideways through his heel bone had stuck； and they had buried Yehochanan with the nail at a tomb just north of the city。
For a moment； despite himself； Nathan Lee felt pulled in。 〃The bones were removed when the Old City walls were expanded；〃 he said。 〃According tohalakhic law； carcasses； graves and tanneries couldn't remain within fifty cubits of the town。〃
〃That's conventional wisdom；〃 said Ochs。 〃But the Jews weren't in charge of the city's expansion； remember？ It was the Romans calling the shots。 They didn't give a damn about Hebrew regulations。〃
〃Then the bones turned to dust。 I don't know。 They're gone。 What does it matter？〃
〃My man；〃 tutted Ochs。
The pieces fell together。 〃There are remains？〃
〃Under our very feet。〃
〃But I would have heard about it。〃
〃They were only discovered a month ago；〃 said Ochs。 〃A team with the Studium Biblicum Franciscanum。 Vatican people。 You know how secretive they are。〃
〃How did you find out then？〃
Ochs rubbed his fingers and thumb。 〃Filthy lucre。 I know you think you're above everyone else； Nathan Lee。 But even you have your price。〃
Nathan Lee flushed。 Ochs led the way down a set of stone stairs through a chapel region； then further on to a barred gate with a U…shaped； titanium bike lock。 〃The Cave of the Invention of the Cross；〃 he said； beaming his flashlight into the depths。
According to legend； the true cross had been discovered here； in 327 C。E。； by the newly converted mother of Emperor Constantine。 In a sense； she'd been the original archaeologist； dashing around； digging up artifacts； orchestrating bits and pieces of the Passion Narrative； the story of Jesus' death。 It was she who had decided the Rock was Golgotha； a tomb was the Tomb； and that Jesus' cross had been buried in this cave。 The wooden cross was long gone。 Twice it had been lost to Moslem conquerors； first the Persians； then the great Kurdish warrior Saladin。 Each time it had been recovered； only to be nibbled to toothpicks by faithful Christians。 If Christ's 〃tree〃 had ever existed in the first place； it was now scattered around the world in holy relic boxes。
Ochs gave the bars a shake； and took off his daypack。 He tried a pry bar； but the bike lock defied him。 He looked like a giant rat gnawing at the door。 〃The chisel； e on；〃 he said。
Nathan Lee shucked his pack。 The bolts in the hinges were negligible。 He chopped their heads off。 The gate opened。
Even from the top of the stairs； Nathan Lee could smell the fresh dirt of a dig。 They descended into a room with an altar built against one wall。 Next to it yawned a narrow tunnel。 The floor of the subterranean chapel was piled with dirt on tarps。 Sieve trays were neatly nested by a grid frame； trowels； and other tools of the trade。 〃After you；〃 said Ochs； shining his light into the tunnel。
Nathan Lee turned on his headlamp。 It was his father's headlamp； a taped； tended thing。Get over it； he thought。
He had to crouch to move inside。 The Franciscan team had braced the sides and ceiling with scaffolding and beams。 Somehow it had stood up to the tremors。 His claustrophobia was not helped by Ochs looming behind him。
〃Careful ahead。 It goes back twelve meters； then turns right； and drops nine meters。〃
〃It goes down？ I thought this was bedrock。〃
〃So did everyone else。 Then they did a sonar scan from the chapel above； and the new cavity popped out at them。 The old quarry ran deeper than anyone realized。 Keep moving。〃
A beam had sagged in the ceiling。 Ochs kept talking。 〃When the Romans started building their Venus temple； they needed to fill in all the pits and cavities。 They used whatever was at hand。 Dirt； garbage； potsherds； and。。。〃
Nathan Lee reached the pit。
The walls were studded with white and brown sticks。 〃Human bones；〃 he said。
A small ledge had been trimmed along the lip of the pit。 A rope ladder fell into the depths。 Ochs crowded beside him。 They shined their lights on the tangle of bones jutting from the deeper walls。
〃It will take years to properly excavate the cave；〃 said Ochs。 〃Years more to articulate the skeletons。 So far all they've done is sink this exploratory shaft。 What little material that's e out has been dated and sexed； though。 All are male。 Most are first century or earlier。 And there's no question how they died。〃
〃The missing crucifixions；〃 murmured Nathan Lee。
〃It's one giant； pacted ossuary。 The estimates run into the tens of thousands of bone fragments。 They've even found pieces of wood； nails； rope。 And tear phials left by mourners。 Forget the rock of Calvary。 Golgotha was here after all； right outside the old gates； alongside the road to Jaffa where every traveler could see the wrath of Rome。〃
The shaft gaped up at them。 〃This is incredible；〃 said Nathan Lee。 〃It could change the way we read history。〃
〃So could the Dead Sea Scrolls；〃 said Ochs。 〃But look how long the Vatican sat on them。 Decades。 It took a lone scholar leaking photocopies to finally let the rest of the world see them。〃
〃So looting is a public service？〃
〃That's the spirit；〃 said Ochs。
〃But you'll destroy the site。〃
〃That's archaeology。 To dig is to destroy。 Anyway； it could all be lost again in the aftershocks。〃
〃Someone will notice。〃
〃No one will notice。 They don't know what's here。 How can they know what's not？〃
Ochs handed Nathan Lee the plastic envelope con