Copper Scroll Project Lawton Meeting
10/09/08

The meeting went great!

We doubled the number of people that were expected to come to the meeting and we had to set out more chairs. Many people are very interested in the project and are providing support in every area. We also gave out our new website address which is being maintained by an old family friend Jared Sturgill of STURGILL STUDIOS in Dallas. We also want to thank Allie and the guys from the congregation in Dallas for all of their support and work to get the old website up and running, building a wonderful foundation for the new.

For those of you that could not make the meeting here are the highlights to help get you up to speed:

• First Jim did an overview of the project while waiting on a few folks from out of state, telling how so many unexplainable things have happened making it possible for a retired Assistant Fire Marshal to make such an important discovery, establish needed relationships with so many important people such as the Rabbis, and leaders in Israel. Not to mention the Director of the Antiquities Authority of Israel and an IAA archaeologist that is heading up the excavation this coming December!



• After going through a short history of the discovery Jim had made, he began to tell the story of the last trip to Israel…after leaving Dallas heading for Tel Aviv for an expected two week trip in the land, Jim and Chris set their sights on confirming that the permit for the archeological excavation was approved. Not only was it approved, the archeologist was kind enough to come to their hotel to go over the project and make plans for the dig in December!!! Yuval is just a nice person and is very supportive of the project! He explained that using volunteers would not be the best method of doing the dig. He wants to use seasoned workers with plenty of training for the sites that we selected for a number of reasons, that Chris and Jim both agreed with. It will actually be less expensive than bringing over the number of volunteers required and taking care of them for an extended period of time.



• We were also allowed to look inside one of the locations that are described on the Copper Scroll to house “a hundred fold fortune of gems” and we did find something! It was a beautiful 13 sided stone or crystal about 5 inches long and 1 and 1/4 inch in diameter. Yuval immediately recognized it as glass but Chris and Jim were still excited none-the-less. After doing an internet search Jim found a very similar, if not exact, match of what appears to be a modern day crystal worth about $1,000 dollars. Not what we had hoped for but the tunnel that they looked in holds “lots and lots” of potential and there are 59 more locations to check!! Yuval is having the thing checked by experts to insure what its origin is.



• Yuval has agreed to start at the most important location of all “the buried cave entrance.” He had asked Jim which location he thought would be the best place to start and Jim immediately said, “The Cave.” Jim further explained to Yuval that according to the Copper Scroll the cave would contain not only vast amounts of gold and silver, but another scroll that would supplement the Copper Scroll making it far easier to pinpoint the other 59 sites that held the Tabernacle of Moses Treasures. With the other scroll in hand it would greatly reduce any possible damage to historic sites. With that, Yuval agreed.



• At the meeting, we also discussed what needed to be done to raise the minimum funding amount for the excavation before December. The minimum amount for “just Chris and Jim” is approximately $20,000 dollars and that is for a two week dig. Thank G-d that the IAA archeologist has joined the team. Without him it would have doubled the amount. For those of you that are interested, we have a chart on our “Support” page of the website to see the totals for our financial needs.



• GREAT NEWS!!! Within a few hours after the meeting we had raised $10,500. We are already half way to the minimum amount and we have just started. Jim has had several people offer to contact churches and synagogues to make arrangements for him to tell the story of the discovery and what the potential finds are that are connected to the Copper Scroll. Jim will be speaking at several Succoth meetings and he has begun a hard push to gather the remaining $9,500 dollars. Pray hard everyone, but be confident that we will reach our goal with the help of G-d. For those of you that promised to speak to your congregations, please email Jim and let him know what progess is being made.



• We ask everyone to contact your congregations and ask them to allow Jim to speak so that the remaining amount can be raised in time to get the airline tickets at the best possible price. Jim and Chris have been riding with chickens and cargo the last 5 trips to Israel and are not to proud to do it again. This project is far to important to let it slip through our hands!

We want to thank everyone! You have been wonderful and supportive through out the last two years. Jim made the discovery during Hanukah of 2006, delivered the research to the Israel Antiquities Authority during Hanukah of 2007 and may be digging for the most important artifacts in all of Israel’s history…the Tabernacle of Moses, the alter of incense, the Breastplate of the High Priest and…the Ark of the Covenant during Hanukah 2008! With the IAA backing the project our confidence is incredibly high. But we can’t help but believe that we have the greatest backing of all…

PS Be watching for an interview done with Jim by Shelley R. Neese the Managing Editor of the Jerusalem Connection! The article is to appear in the November/December edition of that magizine then the article will be sent to the Jerusalem Post for consideration!