Copper Scroll Update from Jim Barfield

Shalom Everyone!

This update will be a bit lengthy and will cover several different topics so that we might get everyone caught up on what is happening with the project.  Unfortunately, my lack of public updates was necessary until we had a feel for where we stood.  Making assumptions about anyone’s motives or plans is not a good idea and we wanted to be respectful on every level. 

Let me tell you up front that please do not doubt the sincerity of the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) personel connected with our project. Certainly, no one will ever convince me that the IAA archeologist we are working with is less than honorable.  I am very thankful that all of the team members that know him have confirmed and reinforced  my beliefs about him.  He is a good and honorable man.

Let me remind everyone that I have no doubt that we now know how to understand the Copper Scroll, but we don’t know if the items are still there.  Also, even if they are there we have to overcome a world of obstacles to get to them.  As exciting as it may be, use good judgment when making announcements to your friends.  Again, understanding the Copper scroll is great but we just don’t know what we will find.  Temper your excitement with good judgment.

Let’s move on.  Here are the topics for this update about the recent visit to Israel and news:

The Jerusalem Connection Report Magazine
The Jerusalem Post Magazine
Planning to finish the excavation
Discussing the research with Avi Ben Mordechai
Speaking with archeologists Dr. Hanan Eshel and Dr. Ezra Marcus
Meeting with Gershon Salomon and Zev
Tamar Yonah Radio Show Interview
Revealing the Locations of Copper Scroll Project Research
Setting the Record Straight

The Jerusalem Connection Report

For those of you that have been following the project, you know by now that the Washington DC based magazine called the Jerusalem Connection Report has been keeping tabs on us for the last year.  Indeed, their Managing Editor, Shelley Neese actually went with us in April to follow the progress of the excavation.  She, like the rest of us, was sorely disappointed when we only went a fraction of the depth required by the Copper Scroll.  As a matter of fact, she may have taken it harder than I did. 

Shelley is one of the most intelligent people that I have met in a long time.  She is incredibly thorough with her research and picks your brain to the bone.  Her objective but considerate stance has made it an absolute delight to work with her and an honor to be featured on the next cover of their magazine. 

So go out and by a dozen copies for yourself and the family.  

Read the Jerusalem Post article online: http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1249418646653&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull

The Jerusalem Post MagazineI was just informed last night by Shelley Neese that The Jerusalem Post was going to publish her article about the Copper Scroll Project.  Shelley has requested more photos, which I have just been sent to her.  She expects the article to be released this Friday.  Pray that it is well received in Israel.  The article will be posted on The Jerusalem Post website in the “Local Israel” section.

Planning to finish the excavation

I’ve been in Israel the last few weeks contacting archeologists and people of influence to try and determine what is holding up the excavation and maybe some clues as to what is going on.  Not wanting to be pushy and also not wanting to step on anyone’s toes, we have decided not to release any of the information we found out about the delays until after the end of August.. There are some changes taking place in Israel that will affect the entire process and it will be best to wait and see how all of those changes settle into place before we proceed. 

Discussing the research with Avi Ben MordechaiFor those of you that keep up with Avi, I spent several hours with him going over my research and we actually went to one of the sites to show him how amazingly accurate the Copper Scroll is.  By the end of the day he and his wife were convinced.  So much so, that he made arrangements for me to meet with a very kind gentleman by the name of Dr. Hanan Eshel. 

Speaking with archeologists Dr. Hanan Eshel and Dr. Ezra MarcusDr. Eshel was gracious enough to meet with me in his home in Jerusalem, which is very near the residence of the President and Prime Minister of Israel.  When we arrived, we were invited in and proceeded to his living room where we sat for over an hour discussing my research and the points where we disagreed on translation. 

His insight into the operations of the authority structure for Israeli archeology was critical in helping understand what was happening with the certain elements of the IAA.  He relayed to me that he had an ongoing challenge with a member of the IAA and would be of little help obtaining a permit.  But when I told him that we had permission to dig and had already begun digging he seemed a bit surprised.  As I began to explain who we were working with, he was very encouraging and complimentary towards the IAA archeologist who was obtaining permission and conducting the modest operation.  Again his independent opinion supported what we already believed about the IAA staff member. 

Dr. Eshel is an impressive man that is now dealing with a serious ailment; but through it all he was a gentleman.  As our meeting was drawing to a close he said something that displayed his humble nature even though his vast academic achievements placed him in a category where he too could have been one of the arrogant elite.  He said, “Mr. Barfield, I will be the first to admit if I am wrong and would be happy to work on this project if in fact you find something.  There seems to be some interesting coincidences in your research.” 

Just before we left, Avi convinced him to go with us to the site he had seen when the weather got cooler.  With that we took some pictures, said our goodbyes and were on our way back to Avi’s apartment near Zion Square. 

Dr. Ezra Marcus of Haifa University is another great person that I had the opportunity to meet on this trip.  He too was a humble man with impressive credentials.  I was introduced to Dr. Marcus through a surgeon by the name of Dr. Sal Kramer, who was a friend of Derek Kyle, a friend of mine. 

Dr. Marcus and I met in the coffee shop in the Israel Museum in Jerusalem at noon my third week in Israel.  The gentleman is not a Dead Sea Scroll scholar and openly admitted that fact at the beginning of our meeting.  He even stated that he did not know what help he could be based on my goals since they were so far out of his area of expertise; however, he was very interested in seeing my research. 

By the end of our conversation it was clear to me that the good doctor was much more help than what he realized.  His insight into the archeological world and ability to see areas where I needed to shore up my research was a great help.  Not to mention his enthusiastic comments about my research.  Coming from a man of his stature it was good to hear the positive comments mingled with the suggestions for improvements. 

So my heart felt thanks go, out to these two scholars for their kindness, scholarly guidance and encouragement for me to continue on the path to reveal the items of the Copper Scroll.

Meeting with Gershon Salomon and ZevLuckily, Gershon and I had a chance to go over my research on this my last trip and discuss his ideas to gain additional support for the project.  Gershon and I have been friends since 2001 when we met in Ft. Worth, Texas to discuss my research for the Prophetic Timeline of the Messiah (on the website) long before I discovered how to understand the Copper Scroll.  Gershon made several good suggestions and gave myself and the team members with me a strong vote of confidence and encouraged us not to give up. He said that what we were doing was important to G-d and also what is to happen in the future of Israel.  He understands that, if my research is correct, my goal is to return these items back into the hands of the nation that owns them…Israel.

Tamar Yonah Radio Show InterviewDuring my stay in Israel, there was an opportunity to meet with a radio talk show host by the name of Tamar Yonah (and her family) at a mall in southern Jerusalem.  Because of the project, Tamar’s husband David and I have had several opportunities to get to know each other over the last couple of years and we have become friends.  Although the meetings have been brief and far apart we have all formed a friendship that will last for many years to come.  Also at the meeting were her two sons; both of whom are great young men devoted to their family, their country and most of all to G-d.  You’ve done a great job with the boys David and Tamar.

The meeting was more like a really nice visit to catch up on the project and how the find would affect the future of Israel, politics and even religion.  For those of you that know Tamar she is just a bit opinionated and as tenacious as a bulldog.  Maybe that is why her show has so many listeners from all over the world. My friends and I have loved it for years. 

The most impressive thing about Tamar is that she too possesses that same deep rooted love for her family, her country and G-d only multiplied times ten!  She is not afraid to stand her ground and she takes nothing from anyone, not even on the streets of Jerusalem. 

Tamar and I have discussed doing a 10 to 20 minute program on Israel National Radio on a Sunday morning (USA timeframe) in the very near future…possibly August the 23rd or 30th if it can be arranged.  Tamar has been keeping up with the Copper Scroll Project since I first visited Israel in February 2007 to do the initial checks of the locations to validate my research.  However, we had become friends because of her radio program via the internet long before we ever met face to face. 

Go to Israel National News to hear the interview: http://www.israelnationalnews.com/Radio/News.aspx/1324

Revealing the Locations of Copper Scroll Project ResearchAfter conferring with the team and the people that have been the most supportive, we have come to the conclusion that it is time to release my research to the public. As most of you know, the locations have been kept secret until now.  Very soon you will see a portion of the research and you will begin to see why so many people have been so supportive and why we had been moved to the front of the line by those that have seen it.  I have made the decision to make the first five locations of my research public in video format and, if it is appropriate, more will follow as the video is produced.  The time has come to allow you good people to see what we have held close to our hearts this entire time. 

Believe me, it was not an easy decision. However, so many people have been so supportive just based on my presentation of “how” the discovery was made and the small amount that could be revealed.  For all those faithful gestures and the need to not just “say” we have made a significant discovery, we are now preparing to show you.  So, tell your friends to stay tuned, you will soon see how simple the Copper Scroll really is.

Several members of the team and I will be meeting In Dallas, TX Wednesday and Thursday of this week (19 and 20 Aug.).  We will be discussing our website in preparation for the expected increase in web traffic due to the fact that we intend to reveal the first five locations of the Copper Scroll. 

Setting the Record Straight

I would like to address a few topics from a more serious stand point to try to insure that everyone knows where we stand.  It is important to me and to the project to back up, re-group and let everyone know where we on the Copper Scroll Project are headed.

For the record;
a. Again, I am not trained as an archeologist, theologian or a historian and have made my determinations about the Copper Scroll from my own research. All of the locations that have been determined are solely mine.  My background, again, is that of a fire investigator and a fairly good one.  When we fire investigators ran into problems that were out of our realm, we would go to the experts in whatever field we needed more information from, be it electrical, chemical, or biological.  We went to those most experienced for technical advice to piece together the clues to solve a case. With the Copper Scroll, that is all that has been done.  I am used to digging through ruins to find answers and piecing together the tiniest clues …all fire investigators are.  We on the Copper Scroll Project have never tried to mislead anyone into believing we are something that we are not. Indeed we have been as upfront as possible to tell you our lack of technical training in the field of archeology out of respect to those people that have earned that distinction. 

b. With all respect to those with the stacks of letters behind their names displaying their degrees, we lowly firefighters have learned to work and play well with others.  We on the project have, and will, always try to remain respectful of others no matter what their level of education. The objective is to learn from each otherr- not attempt to humiliate or discredit those that are progressing.  That simple trait may have been a key factor in the success that the Copper Scroll Project has enjoyed to this point. 

Vendyl Jones
c. I have spent a couple of weekends with a gentleman by the name of Vendyl Jones and learned three important things for which he must get credit.  One is that the Copper Scroll was written by four individuals and I agree because the hand writing styles are obvious.  The second is that there was a document written a few centuries ago by a respected rabbi called, Valley of the King that strongly appears to provide additional information about the Copper Scroll and I agree with Vendyl.  The last thing that he informed me about was a section of the Talmud that cannot be found in modern copies about the “Vessels” for services in the Temple or the Tabernacle of Israel…that too was helpful.  For all that Vendyl shared with me including his many life experiences I am very thankful to him and to his wonderful wife Anita for their very warm hospitality and friendship during those visits.
d. The research about the history of the Copper Scroll is my own.  Although Vendyl Jones does agree with me on many points, the determinations are mine and not influenced by Vendyl in any way.  It is my studies into the Dead Sea Scrolls and my Biblical research that shaped my conclusions to form the Copper Scroll report. 
e. With all respect to Vendyl.  He is not, nor has he ever been, a member of the Copper Scroll Project or the team. 

Working with the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA)
f. We greatly appreciate the efforts of the members of the IAA and what they have done to this point and we hope to finish testing the sites that we are excavating and others to determine if the items of the Copper Scroll still remain intact.
g. We removed the name of the IAA archeologist from the site to allow him to focus on his job and not have to answer loads of distracting questions.  To his credit, he has seen my research and has gone out on a limb to at least try to test the sites.  He is a great guy and has a difficult enough job without adding more stress to his already difficult job.  There is no archeologist that we on the project would rather work with.
h. We on the Copper Scroll Project had no authority over the excavation, nor did we pay the IAA one single shekel for what was done at the sites.  They were interested enough in my research to do the work and provided the workers and equipment for the short time we dug.  I just provided the research.