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WILLIAM SHATNER:
A gleaming dagger

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with a pharaoh's curse.

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A powerful spear that makes
its wielder invincible.

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And a massive carved stone
that contains a prediction

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about the end of the world.

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Throughout history,
there have been clothes,

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possessions, even human bones,

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that have been considered
precious mystical objects.

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These sacred relics are revered
by cultures all around the world

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and are believed to be imbued
with incredible powers.

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Is it possible
that seemingly ordinary items,

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like a linen cloth
or a soldier's spear,

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can actually have the ability
to perform miracles?

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Well, that is what
we'll try and find out.

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♪ ♪

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SHATNER:
All over the world, there are
tens of thousands of museums

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that contain a seemingly
infinite number

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of ancient artifacts.

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The vast majority of these
antiquities are preserved

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because of their
historical significance

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as a link to humanity's past.

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But there are
certain items that,

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according to many
belief systems, are special,

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and may possess mystical energy.

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These objects
are commonly referred to

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as sacred relics.

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JONATHAN YOUNG: The thing
about a relic is that it is

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a manifestation
of holiness itself.

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If we have an object
that contains divine energy,

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then you have something
of sacred power in human hands.

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So there's a great sense
of reverence.

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DOMINIC STEAVU:
Typically, sacred relics

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would come
from divine individuals

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or individuals of incredible
spiritual standing.

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There's a transfer
of that person's power

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onto the relic, and the relics

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come to acquire
a divine dimension

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and a divine, uh,
potency as well.

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SHATNER:
Do sacred relics

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really contain
extraordinary powers?

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Perhaps clues can be found
by examining an object

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that belonged
to an ancient Egyptian pharaoh.

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A British excavation team led
by archaeologist Howard Carter

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enters an underground
ancient Egyptian burial chamber.

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Once inside,
they break a protective seal

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that guards the tomb
of King Tutankhamun.

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CHRIS NAUNTON:
Carter lifts up a lamp,

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and they look through
and see that Tutankhamun

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is buried with
this fantastic array

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of more than 5,000 objects.

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The room is absolutely
full to bursting

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with gold and precious stones

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and various other precious
and valuable items,

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more or less exactly
in places they'd been left

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more than 3,000 years ago.

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SHATNER:
Of the thousands
of wondrous artifacts

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found in King Tut's tomb,
perhaps the most extraordinary

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is an exquisitely forged
13-inch iron dagger.

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NAUNTON:
The dagger is
a really sensational object

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with a golden sheath,
which is decorated

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with a chaste feather pattern.

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It was placed
on the thigh of the king,

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and of all the 5,000 objects
in the tomb,

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the vast majority of them were
nowhere near as close as that

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to the very body of the king.

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So, this is something
very, very important.

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RAMY ROMANY:
King Tut's reign

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was about 1330 BC.

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At that time, King Tut's dagger
was a very important piece,

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as a symbol that the gods
handed him this power.

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That's why the iron dagger
was buried with King Tut.

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He needed it on his journey
to the afterlife.

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STEAVU:
In the afterlife,

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King Tut was charged, uh,
with the very important mission

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of assisting the sun god Ra.

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Ancient Egyptians believed
that when the sun set every day,

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Ra would traverse
the underworld,

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which was a dark,
murky, watery place

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fraught with dangers
and demons and beasts.

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So, King Tut
would use this dagger

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to literally defend and fight
off these hordes of enemies.

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And so, there's this belief
that the blade of the dagger

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had miraculous
and spiritual powers.

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SHATNER:
The idea that King Tut was
buried with a mighty iron dagger

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to vanquish foes
in the afterlife

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is certainly a great story.

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But is it possible
that the dagger

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actually possesses divine power,

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as the ancient Egyptians
believed?

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Perhaps the answer lies

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in the mysterious origins
of this sacred relic.

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NAUNTON:
The Egyptians had, essentially,
no ability in smelting iron

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at the time of Tutankhamun.

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And so, the iron, uh,
from this dagger that's, uh,

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Tutankhamun was buried with,
it comes from elsewhere.

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The Egyptians,
of course, thought

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that the only
reasonable explanation

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for the presence
of a very exquisitely,

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perfectly worked iron dagger
was that the iron itself

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was some kind of gift
directly from the gods.

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We now know, however,

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thanks to very recent
scientific analysis,

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that the iron doesn't come
from iron ore in the ground,

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it is meteoric iron,

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which comes from a meteorite
landing on Earth from space.

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For Egyptians,
the sky is where the gods were.

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So, you have to understand,
at that time in ancient Egypt,

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3,500 years ago,

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a meteorite falling on Earth
with iron in it,

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and piece of it
looked like a dagger,

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symbolically, that piece of iron
was a gift from the gods

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for the ancient Egyptians.

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SHATNER:
Did the ancient
Egyptians believe

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that King Tut's dagger
had otherworldly powers

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because it literally came
from another world?

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Perhaps, but some people
think that the sacred nature

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of this relic
was more than just symbolic.

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As evidence,
they point to a series

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of mysterious deaths
that took place

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after archaeologists removed
the dagger from King Tut's tomb.

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NAUNTON:
There's the moment where

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Howard Carter's
archaeological team

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peers into an undiscovered tomb,

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and sees loads of gold
and treasure.

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And then, shortly after
Carter's sponsor

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the Earl of Carnarvon
dies relatively suddenly in...

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unusual,
surprising circumstances.

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SHATNER:
The Earl of Carnarvon's
cause of death was reportedly

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a mysterious form
of blood poisoning,

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and he died only four months
after the tomb had been opened.

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All told, seven members
of the expedition

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unexpectedly died in the years
after King Tut's dagger

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was removed
from his sarcophagus.

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Many believed that tampering
with the dagger

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had unlocked a deadly curse,

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and that the untimely deaths
were proof

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of the weapon's
otherworldly power.

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If the dagger's there
for the king's protection,

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and the point at which
the dagger is removed

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by a clumsy, unsuspecting,
unbelieving archaeologist.

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That's the moment
at which some nastiness

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befalls the archaeologist.

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Then, I think,
if you believe in the curse,

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perhaps the dagger
is centrally important to that.

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Does King Tut's dagger

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actually possess some
kind of extraordinary power?

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And if so,

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can that power be
explained by science,

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or is the answer more profound?

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Perhaps clues about
the nature of sacred relics

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can be revealed by examining

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a biblical artifact that
was thought to be so powerful,

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it's believed to have
been locked in a vault

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deep beneath the Vatican.

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SHATNER:
Every December, millions

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of Jewish people all over
the world come together

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to celebrate an eight-day
festival known as Hanukkah.

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According to tradition,

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during the holiday,
the Jewish faithful

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light a candle each night

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on a special candelabra,
called a menorah.

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This sacred practice is referred
to as the Festival of Lights,

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and it has been performed
for more than 2,000 years.

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While Hanukkah is a happy,
family celebration,

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the menorah
actually commemorates

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an ancient Hebrew relic that,

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according to the Old
Testament of the Bible,

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stood five feet tall,
was made out of solid gold,

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and was said to be imbued

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with the power of God.

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The Temple Menorah

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is a sacred treasure.

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The original menorah

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was built in the same time

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that was the Ark
of the Covenant.

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The laws of the candelabra,

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the Menorah, were very precise.

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Those artifacts built
in the days of Moses

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had a special power to them,

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not symbolically, but actually.

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SHATNER:
Under God's instruction,
the holy Temple Menorah

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was used to light
a sacred place of worship

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for the Israelites,
and was constructed

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with seven branches to represent
the seven days of creation.

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Today, the menorah
used during Hanukkah

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has nine branches to memorialize

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one of the ancient
relic's great miracles.

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We know from history

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that in the second century,
before the Common Era,

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the Greek empire

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came into the land of Israel.

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When the Greeks came,

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they defiled the temple,

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all of the sacred oil

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used for the lighting
of the menorah

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were destroyed.

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AMIR HUSSAIN:
A group of Jews, who
are under occupation,

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revolt and they're able
to overcome the Greeks.

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They're able to
reconsecrate the menorah.

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Except, of course, they
don't have enough oil

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that you use as the fuel.

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They have oil for the lamp
to light for one day.

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Miraculously, the lamp
lights for eight days,

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which, when you think about it,

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doesn't seem like
such a big miracle,

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but if you think about it,
from a Jewish point of view,

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if nature is under
the control of God,

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this is one of
the signs of God's favor.

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SHATNER:
For even more dramatic evidence
of the Menorah's divine power,

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some point to the fact
that throughout history,

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anyone who tampered

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with this sacred relic

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suffered dire consequences.

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ANDREW COLLINS:
In AD 70,

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the Romans sacked Jerusalem,

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and they carried
off all of the treasures

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of the temple to Rome.

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And this is celebrated

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in the so-called
Arch of Titus in Rome.

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And you can actually
see on this relief,

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the actual menorah
being carried away.

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And it's said that thereafter,

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Rome was sacked by the Vandals

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in 455 AD.

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HUSSAIN:
The Vandals take
the menorah back to Carthage.

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And then, that's
sacked by the Byzantines.

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And so, everyone that gets this,

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at some point,
their empire gets destroyed.

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And is there a sense of,
oh, is this because

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God's providence
isn't with these people?

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TONY McMAHON:
The menorah ended up
in Constantinople,

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the capital
of the Byzantine empire.

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But apparently, the Jewish
residents of Constantinople

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warned the emperor
that the Jewish God

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does not like his treasure

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being held by other people,

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and the emperor
gets rid of the menorah.

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COLLINS: It was felt
that having the menorah,

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this item of incredible
divine power there,

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was gonna bring destruction.

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And thereafter, it vanishes.

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SHATNER:
Could the Temple Menorah
actually have divine powers?

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For now, we have only

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the historical
accounts to consider,

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as the menorah has been lost

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for more than a thousand years.

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However, according
to one incredible theory,

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the menorah might
still exist today,

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and it may actually be hidden

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deep beneath
Vatican City in Rome.

251
00:14:03,375 --> 00:14:06,417
COLLINS:
People have believed
since medieval times

252
00:14:06,542 --> 00:14:10,375
that the menorah, and also
the Ark of the Covenant,

253
00:14:10,542 --> 00:14:12,417
were kept in a cave,

254
00:14:12,542 --> 00:14:14,625
beneath the actual site

255
00:14:14,708 --> 00:14:18,000
of the Vatican
itself, suggesting

256
00:14:18,125 --> 00:14:22,875
that they were
hiding the menorah,

257
00:14:23,042 --> 00:14:25,750
and that this may well
have remained here

258
00:14:25,875 --> 00:14:27,917
through to modern times.

259
00:14:29,042 --> 00:14:33,333
Of course, the Vatican
denies actually possessing

260
00:14:33,417 --> 00:14:37,333
this holy relic,
so we can only but speculate

261
00:14:37,417 --> 00:14:40,500
on whether it is or
isn't still there today.

262
00:14:42,542 --> 00:14:46,917
But if the Vatican does
still possess the menorah,

263
00:14:47,042 --> 00:14:49,833
why would they want to keep it?

264
00:14:49,917 --> 00:14:52,583
Is it something to do
with the divine power

265
00:14:52,708 --> 00:14:54,792
that it's thought to hold?

266
00:14:54,917 --> 00:14:57,667
SHATNER:
Is it possible that the menorah,

267
00:14:57,792 --> 00:14:59,208
and also the Ark
of the Covenant,

268
00:14:59,375 --> 00:15:03,708
are locked behind
closed doors at the Vatican?

269
00:15:03,833 --> 00:15:06,000
And if so, have
these holy artifacts

270
00:15:06,167 --> 00:15:08,333
been hidden because their powers

271
00:15:08,458 --> 00:15:11,125
should not be tampered
with, as some believe?

272
00:15:13,625 --> 00:15:17,500
If the blessing of God
was upon this sacred artifact,

273
00:15:17,583 --> 00:15:21,542
then the blessing of God remains
upon this sacred artifact.

274
00:15:23,333 --> 00:15:25,833
And indeed, those who would seek

275
00:15:25,917 --> 00:15:29,458
to violate that sacredity,

276
00:15:29,583 --> 00:15:31,833
or dishonor it,

277
00:15:31,958 --> 00:15:36,208
would indeed become
subject to the wrath of God,

278
00:15:36,333 --> 00:15:39,667
which is not something
anyone would want to incur.

279
00:15:41,250 --> 00:15:43,833
If it's true that
the Temple Menorah

280
00:15:43,958 --> 00:15:46,792
is locked away in
the Vatican for our protection,

281
00:15:46,875 --> 00:15:49,500
then it probably
should stay there.

282
00:15:49,625 --> 00:15:52,208
And incidentally,
there are those who believe

283
00:15:52,333 --> 00:15:56,375
that another sacred relic
should also be kept off limits.

284
00:15:56,500 --> 00:15:58,167
It's an ancient spear,

285
00:15:58,292 --> 00:16:01,375
that is said to give
its possessor the power

286
00:16:01,500 --> 00:16:03,042
to conquer the world.

287
00:16:07,000 --> 00:16:08,667
SHATNER: While the
Old Testament of the Bible

288
00:16:08,792 --> 00:16:09,875
describes numerous holy relics,

289
00:16:10,042 --> 00:16:12,542
including the menorah

290
00:16:12,667 --> 00:16:15,167
and the Ark of the Covenant,

291
00:16:15,292 --> 00:16:17,250
there are also sacred objects

292
00:16:17,375 --> 00:16:19,917
that are mentioned
in the New Testament.

293
00:16:20,958 --> 00:16:23,333
One of these artifacts
is a spear

294
00:16:23,500 --> 00:16:27,000
that was reportedly
wielded by a Roman soldier

295
00:16:27,125 --> 00:16:30,000
during the crucifixion
of Jesus Christ.

296
00:16:31,583 --> 00:16:35,000
RICHARD SPENCE:
The origin of
the spear comes from

297
00:16:35,167 --> 00:16:36,667
the Gospel of John.

298
00:16:36,792 --> 00:16:38,667
Jesus is on the cross,

299
00:16:38,792 --> 00:16:41,125
the Romans are trying to
figure out whether he's dead,

300
00:16:41,250 --> 00:16:42,208
because there's
a lot of pressure

301
00:16:42,333 --> 00:16:43,625
to get him down and bury him.

302
00:16:45,042 --> 00:16:47,917
There was a Roman soldier,
who someone told him,

303
00:16:48,042 --> 00:16:51,250
"Stab this guy, finish him off,
make sure he's dead."

304
00:16:52,875 --> 00:16:54,458
The Christian
tradition says the name

305
00:16:54,583 --> 00:16:57,583
of this Roman soldier who
pierces Jesus is Longinus.

306
00:16:59,208 --> 00:17:00,333
And there's a story
that develops,

307
00:17:00,500 --> 00:17:04,083
that he's blind,
or he's nearsighted.

308
00:17:04,208 --> 00:17:07,750
And so when he pierces
the side of Jesus,

309
00:17:07,875 --> 00:17:09,667
the blood and
the water comes out,

310
00:17:09,750 --> 00:17:12,000
that lands on his eyes,

311
00:17:12,167 --> 00:17:14,542
and it makes him able to see.

312
00:17:14,708 --> 00:17:16,792
It's this miracle

313
00:17:16,917 --> 00:17:18,208
because, of course,
the blood of Christ

314
00:17:18,375 --> 00:17:20,208
is this miraculous
sort of thing.

315
00:17:21,542 --> 00:17:23,417
SHATNER:
According to Christian belief,

316
00:17:23,542 --> 00:17:26,750
when this ordinary
spear touched Jesus,

317
00:17:26,875 --> 00:17:30,250
it became a sacred relic,

318
00:17:30,375 --> 00:17:33,542
and was referred to
as either the Holy Lance

319
00:17:33,708 --> 00:17:35,542
or the Spear of Destiny.

320
00:17:37,375 --> 00:17:39,833
ROY FISHER:
For believers,

321
00:17:39,958 --> 00:17:41,833
the Spear of Destiny

322
00:17:42,000 --> 00:17:43,917
actually pierced Jesus' side

323
00:17:44,042 --> 00:17:47,750
and came in contact
with his blood.

324
00:17:49,208 --> 00:17:53,375
For them, this would
mean that it does,

325
00:17:53,542 --> 00:17:57,750
in fact, have
some kind of divine power,

326
00:17:57,875 --> 00:18:00,375
because you can't touch the holy

327
00:18:00,500 --> 00:18:03,292
without being changed
or transformed.

328
00:18:05,167 --> 00:18:07,292
Because this was the only weapon

329
00:18:07,375 --> 00:18:09,792
that is said to have pierced

330
00:18:09,917 --> 00:18:12,042
the body of Christ,

331
00:18:12,208 --> 00:18:14,500
the legend got going

332
00:18:14,625 --> 00:18:16,875
that if you had
the Spear of Destiny,

333
00:18:17,000 --> 00:18:19,083
the-the Holy Lance,

334
00:18:19,208 --> 00:18:22,000
you could not be stopped.

335
00:18:22,125 --> 00:18:24,167
You were invincible.

336
00:18:24,292 --> 00:18:27,333
And a whole series of leaders
wanted to get their hands on it,

337
00:18:27,417 --> 00:18:30,750
perhaps believing God
would then be on their side,

338
00:18:30,875 --> 00:18:32,458
and they would prevail.

339
00:18:33,542 --> 00:18:35,333
SHATNER:
After Jesus' crucifixion,

340
00:18:35,500 --> 00:18:37,167
one of the rulers who reportedly

341
00:18:37,292 --> 00:18:40,167
came into possession
of the Spear of Destiny

342
00:18:40,292 --> 00:18:44,500
was the eighth century
French King Charlemagne.

343
00:18:44,667 --> 00:18:47,583
SPENCE:
Charlemagne, Charles the Great

344
00:18:47,708 --> 00:18:52,458
carried the lance in
47 victorious campaigns.

345
00:18:53,583 --> 00:18:56,667
And spread his control
over much of France and Germany,

346
00:18:56,833 --> 00:19:00,750
all the way into what would
now be Slovakia and Hungary.

347
00:19:02,042 --> 00:19:04,000
And so, Charlemagne, in 800,

348
00:19:04,167 --> 00:19:06,208
on Christmas Day
is crowned by the Pope

349
00:19:06,375 --> 00:19:09,458
as emperor of the West.

350
00:19:09,583 --> 00:19:11,292
And there were a lot
of people who believed

351
00:19:11,375 --> 00:19:14,750
that the Spear of Destiny
explained his success.

352
00:19:15,917 --> 00:19:18,167
SHATNER:
Is it possible that
the Spear of Destiny

353
00:19:18,250 --> 00:19:20,833
actually gave
Charlemagne the power

354
00:19:20,958 --> 00:19:22,917
to vanquish his enemies?

355
00:19:23,042 --> 00:19:25,125
Perhaps.

356
00:19:26,292 --> 00:19:28,542
But if so, then such power

357
00:19:28,667 --> 00:19:31,125
apparently came
at a heavy price.

358
00:19:32,958 --> 00:19:36,542
LYNN PICKNETT:
Legend says that if you
drop the Spear of Destiny

359
00:19:36,667 --> 00:19:40,000
or lose it, or even really
step back from it,

360
00:19:40,125 --> 00:19:41,583
all of your great victories

361
00:19:41,708 --> 00:19:44,167
are going to be as nothing,
you will just fall.

362
00:19:44,333 --> 00:19:46,667
And that's what
happened, apparently,

363
00:19:46,792 --> 00:19:50,042
when Charlemagne carried
it into battle and dropped it.

364
00:19:50,208 --> 00:19:51,500
He lost that battle,

365
00:19:51,583 --> 00:19:54,208
even though with it,
he'd won 47 battles.

366
00:19:55,375 --> 00:19:57,167
SHATNER:
Was the Spear
of Destiny responsible

367
00:19:57,333 --> 00:20:00,625
for both the rise
and fall of Charlemagne?

368
00:20:01,708 --> 00:20:03,792
Perhaps the answer
can be found by examining

369
00:20:03,875 --> 00:20:07,000
the fate of two men
who possessed the spear

370
00:20:07,167 --> 00:20:09,167
during the 20th century.

371
00:20:15,625 --> 00:20:18,000
German troops march
into Vienna, Austria,

372
00:20:18,167 --> 00:20:20,583
and take control
of the capital city.

373
00:20:21,583 --> 00:20:23,167
Hitler orders his soldiers

374
00:20:23,250 --> 00:20:26,167
to storm the royal
Hofburg Palace

375
00:20:26,333 --> 00:20:29,583
and seize the Spear of Destiny.

376
00:20:31,708 --> 00:20:33,750
SPENCE:
The spear sort of
appears in the modern stage

377
00:20:33,875 --> 00:20:35,875
in March of 1938,

378
00:20:36,000 --> 00:20:37,042
when the Republic of Austria

379
00:20:37,208 --> 00:20:39,458
is annexed to the German Reich.

380
00:20:40,625 --> 00:20:43,833
The Republic
of Austria had acquired

381
00:20:43,917 --> 00:20:47,417
the spear some centuries before.

382
00:20:47,542 --> 00:20:50,333
And that spear is taken
from there and it is taken

383
00:20:50,500 --> 00:20:54,958
back to Nuremberg
in Germany proper,

384
00:20:55,042 --> 00:20:58,333
and there
it remained until 1945.

385
00:21:00,542 --> 00:21:02,083
SHATNER:
On April 30, 1945,

386
00:21:02,208 --> 00:21:04,167
Allied forces,

387
00:21:04,292 --> 00:21:07,417
under the command of U.S.
General George S. Patton,

388
00:21:07,542 --> 00:21:10,125
captured the German
city of Nuremberg.

389
00:21:10,208 --> 00:21:12,208
In the aftermath
of the fighting,

390
00:21:12,333 --> 00:21:17,000
American soldiers discovered
the Spear of Destiny.

391
00:21:17,125 --> 00:21:18,333
SPENCE:
Patton himself

392
00:21:18,458 --> 00:21:19,833
took possession of the spear.

393
00:21:21,042 --> 00:21:23,792
He liked to imagine himself
being the reincarnation

394
00:21:23,875 --> 00:21:26,333
of all kinds of
previous military leaders,

395
00:21:26,500 --> 00:21:28,000
some of which might have had

396
00:21:28,125 --> 00:21:29,583
the Spear of Destiny with them.

397
00:21:30,667 --> 00:21:32,875
SHATNER:
After Patton acquired the Spear,

398
00:21:33,042 --> 00:21:36,000
events transpired
which suggested

399
00:21:36,125 --> 00:21:40,542
that the legends about this
sacred relic might be true.

400
00:21:41,542 --> 00:21:43,417
PICKNETT:
It is said that, basically,

401
00:21:43,542 --> 00:21:46,750
the day before, um,
Hitler shot himself,

402
00:21:46,875 --> 00:21:49,458
the Americans found
the Spear of Destiny,

403
00:21:49,542 --> 00:21:52,000
and General Patton took it,

404
00:21:52,167 --> 00:21:55,208
and that's what set Hitler off.

405
00:21:55,375 --> 00:21:57,625
And then Patton himself,

406
00:21:57,708 --> 00:22:00,750
he put it back
into the Hofburg Museum,

407
00:22:00,875 --> 00:22:03,958
and shortly after that,
he died in a car crash.

408
00:22:05,208 --> 00:22:07,542
So, all of these things

409
00:22:07,708 --> 00:22:09,750
look like, yeah, there's
something to this legend.

410
00:22:10,750 --> 00:22:12,750
SHATNER:
Today, the Spear of Destiny

411
00:22:12,875 --> 00:22:16,333
is on display at
the Hofburg Museum in Vienna,

412
00:22:16,500 --> 00:22:19,833
where tourists can
view this historic object,

413
00:22:20,000 --> 00:22:22,625
and wonder whether it really did

414
00:22:22,708 --> 00:22:24,708
sway the fate of
nations for centuries

415
00:22:24,875 --> 00:22:28,708
because of its connection
to Jesus Christ.

416
00:22:30,458 --> 00:22:32,167
FISHER:
Humans down through time

417
00:22:32,292 --> 00:22:35,375
and across many cultures have

418
00:22:35,542 --> 00:22:37,458
believed in the power of

419
00:22:37,542 --> 00:22:40,208
the Spear of Destiny.

420
00:22:40,375 --> 00:22:44,458
So, the persistence
of human belief

421
00:22:44,542 --> 00:22:48,333
in its power should
make us pause

422
00:22:48,458 --> 00:22:51,750
and reflect on what role
that might play

423
00:22:51,875 --> 00:22:55,458
in these legends about

424
00:22:55,583 --> 00:22:59,542
victories, defeats and miracles.

425
00:23:01,708 --> 00:23:05,500
Is the Spear of Destiny
just a historical artifact

426
00:23:05,667 --> 00:23:08,083
or could it really be
a divine weapon

427
00:23:08,208 --> 00:23:09,792
that bestows unlimited power

428
00:23:09,917 --> 00:23:12,125
to whomever takes
possession of it?

429
00:23:13,292 --> 00:23:14,667
If so... (chuckles)

430
00:23:14,792 --> 00:23:16,042
...we can only hope
that it never

431
00:23:16,167 --> 00:23:17,542
falls into the wrong hands.

432
00:23:17,708 --> 00:23:21,833
But incredibly,
that is not the only

433
00:23:21,958 --> 00:23:25,667
sacred relic connected
to Jesus Christ.

434
00:23:25,792 --> 00:23:28,000
There's another
one that many believe

435
00:23:28,125 --> 00:23:29,500
has a different kind of power:

436
00:23:29,583 --> 00:23:31,083
The gift of healing.

437
00:23:31,208 --> 00:23:34,500
It's a linen cloth

438
00:23:34,625 --> 00:23:36,917
known as the Shroud of Turin.

439
00:23:45,042 --> 00:23:48,833
SHATNER:
Inside the Cathedral
of Saint John the Baptist

440
00:23:48,917 --> 00:23:51,250
the leader of
the Roman Catholic Church,

441
00:23:51,375 --> 00:23:54,000
Pope Francis, prays before

442
00:23:54,125 --> 00:23:55,333
a 14-foot-long,

443
00:23:55,458 --> 00:23:57,792
ancient linen cloth.

444
00:23:58,958 --> 00:24:01,500
The occasion attracts
media attention

445
00:24:01,667 --> 00:24:04,167
because it is the first time

446
00:24:04,333 --> 00:24:06,167
that the cloth has
been shown publicly

447
00:24:06,292 --> 00:24:07,958
in over five years.

448
00:24:10,042 --> 00:24:13,250
This Christian holy
relic is referred to

449
00:24:13,375 --> 00:24:16,417
as the Shroud of Turin.

450
00:24:17,917 --> 00:24:20,833
The Shroud of Turin
is this amazing relic.

451
00:24:20,958 --> 00:24:22,667
At bottom,
it's a piece of cloth.

452
00:24:23,958 --> 00:24:27,583
It shows a very faint sort
of image of a crucified man.

453
00:24:27,708 --> 00:24:31,417
And the crucified man
calls us to remember

454
00:24:31,542 --> 00:24:33,667
Jesus's death and resurrection.

455
00:24:35,917 --> 00:24:39,083
BRIAN HYLAND:
The Bible talks
about the burial cloths.

456
00:24:40,750 --> 00:24:44,000
All four of the Gospels
mentioned that Jesus

457
00:24:44,167 --> 00:24:45,375
was taken down from the cross,

458
00:24:45,542 --> 00:24:47,208
he was wrapped in linen,

459
00:24:47,375 --> 00:24:49,083
and then his body
was put in the tomb.

460
00:24:50,500 --> 00:24:52,083
FISHER:
According to the legends,

461
00:24:52,208 --> 00:24:56,167
the shroud is the cloth that
his dead body is wrapped in.

462
00:24:56,292 --> 00:24:58,542
And because of the contact

463
00:24:58,667 --> 00:25:01,958
with the body of Jesus,

464
00:25:02,083 --> 00:25:05,083
that transforms and leaves

465
00:25:05,208 --> 00:25:07,542
a lasting mark on the cloth.

466
00:25:08,708 --> 00:25:11,583
And so, the shroud is believed

467
00:25:11,708 --> 00:25:14,333
to be a holy relic because

468
00:25:14,417 --> 00:25:16,583
you don't get much more holy

469
00:25:16,708 --> 00:25:18,458
than the actual blood of Jesus.

470
00:25:20,542 --> 00:25:22,667
HYLAND:
After the resurrection,

471
00:25:22,792 --> 00:25:25,167
the shroud
completely disappeared.

472
00:25:28,500 --> 00:25:29,917
The first appearance
of the shroud

473
00:25:30,042 --> 00:25:32,958
in the written record
is 1389 in France.

474
00:25:34,125 --> 00:25:38,583
It was kept in the capital
of the Duchy of Savoy,

475
00:25:38,708 --> 00:25:40,667
a place called Chambéry.

476
00:25:40,833 --> 00:25:43,000
It had been moved around
from time to time.

477
00:25:43,167 --> 00:25:45,458
But in 1578,

478
00:25:45,542 --> 00:25:47,917
it was brought
from there to Turin.

479
00:25:48,917 --> 00:25:51,208
And so it's a way for people

480
00:25:51,375 --> 00:25:53,292
to be in the presence of Jesus.

481
00:25:54,875 --> 00:25:57,417
SHATNER:
The Shroud of Turin
has been venerated

482
00:25:57,542 --> 00:25:59,917
by billions of
Christians for centuries.

483
00:26:01,583 --> 00:26:02,875
For many people,

484
00:26:03,042 --> 00:26:05,500
the best indication
of the shroud's

485
00:26:05,625 --> 00:26:07,333
spiritual connection to Jesus

486
00:26:07,458 --> 00:26:10,458
was revealed
when it was photographed

487
00:26:10,542 --> 00:26:13,792
for the first time in 1898.

488
00:26:14,875 --> 00:26:16,917
HYLAND:
A man by the name of Secondo Pia

489
00:26:17,042 --> 00:26:20,125
took the first photographs
of the shroud.

490
00:26:20,208 --> 00:26:23,000
And as he was developing
his glass plate negatives,

491
00:26:23,125 --> 00:26:26,542
you see a very clear
image of the face,

492
00:26:26,667 --> 00:26:28,833
and that's very, very unusual,

493
00:26:29,000 --> 00:26:32,542
especially the detail
that's there.

494
00:26:33,875 --> 00:26:36,083
The negative brought out
so much more detail

495
00:26:36,208 --> 00:26:37,833
than is visible to the eye

496
00:26:37,958 --> 00:26:40,542
when you look at the shroud.

497
00:26:41,583 --> 00:26:44,000
When the photos
first became public,

498
00:26:44,125 --> 00:26:46,000
there was a huge effect.

499
00:26:46,125 --> 00:26:47,250
Some people

500
00:26:47,375 --> 00:26:48,708
felt they were looking

501
00:26:48,833 --> 00:26:51,167
at the actual face of Jesus.

502
00:26:52,375 --> 00:26:56,250
COLLINS:
From negative image,
Jesus comes alive,

503
00:26:56,375 --> 00:26:58,333
and all the details

504
00:26:58,417 --> 00:27:01,250
of the face can be seen properly

505
00:27:01,375 --> 00:27:02,667
for the first time.

506
00:27:02,750 --> 00:27:05,667
For you have the beard,

507
00:27:05,750 --> 00:27:07,333
you have the hair,

508
00:27:07,458 --> 00:27:10,167
you have the very long face.

509
00:27:11,333 --> 00:27:14,000
It's like looking upon the icon

510
00:27:14,125 --> 00:27:15,208
of Jesus.

511
00:27:16,542 --> 00:27:18,583
SHATNER:
While people all over
the world have been struck

512
00:27:18,708 --> 00:27:20,833
by its stunning imprint

513
00:27:21,000 --> 00:27:23,000
of the face of Jesus Christ,

514
00:27:23,167 --> 00:27:25,667
not everyone's convinced

515
00:27:25,750 --> 00:27:28,667
that the shroud
is a genuine holy relic.

516
00:27:28,833 --> 00:27:32,750
Ever since the shroud first
really appears in history,

517
00:27:32,875 --> 00:27:34,667
uh, there's been
controversy about it,

518
00:27:34,833 --> 00:27:37,333
and there have been questions
about its authenticity.

519
00:27:38,458 --> 00:27:41,042
In 1988, a group of scientists

520
00:27:41,208 --> 00:27:44,333
were able to get permission
to get a sample from the shroud

521
00:27:44,458 --> 00:27:47,042
and to subject it

522
00:27:47,208 --> 00:27:48,875
to radiocarbon dating.

523
00:27:50,125 --> 00:27:54,875
And then they announced,
with a 95% degree of certainty,

524
00:27:55,000 --> 00:27:58,792
that the shroud was medieval.

525
00:27:59,958 --> 00:28:03,208
ROBERT WILCOX:
Suddenly, there's
this carbon 14 dating,

526
00:28:03,333 --> 00:28:07,292
and they say that it dates
to the 13th century.

527
00:28:07,375 --> 00:28:10,833
And, wow, that's
a tremendous blow

528
00:28:10,958 --> 00:28:13,708
to everybody who thought
that the shroud might be real.

529
00:28:14,708 --> 00:28:17,333
But then, as time went on,

530
00:28:17,500 --> 00:28:18,875
experts began to look at it,

531
00:28:19,042 --> 00:28:21,500
and it was finally determined

532
00:28:21,667 --> 00:28:23,667
that the test was taken

533
00:28:23,750 --> 00:28:25,792
from the very end of the shroud.

534
00:28:25,917 --> 00:28:29,833
Not where the image is.

535
00:28:29,958 --> 00:28:34,458
And it really
turned out to be a patch

536
00:28:34,583 --> 00:28:37,667
that had been woven
by ancient weavers.

537
00:28:37,792 --> 00:28:41,625
They weaved it back together
on that particular area.

538
00:28:41,708 --> 00:28:45,417
When those guys came
out with their carbon 14

539
00:28:45,542 --> 00:28:46,875
they tested the wrong piece.

540
00:28:47,042 --> 00:28:48,833
Nobody's proved it a fake yet.

541
00:28:50,375 --> 00:28:53,333
SHATNER:
Despite the questions
about the shroud's credibility,

542
00:28:53,458 --> 00:28:56,292
many Christians have
faith in its divine nature.

543
00:28:57,375 --> 00:29:00,833
And as evidence, they
point to numerous accounts

544
00:29:00,958 --> 00:29:04,375
of the shroud's
supposed healing powers.

545
00:29:07,125 --> 00:29:08,958
Perhaps the most compelling case

546
00:29:09,083 --> 00:29:12,583
is the story of the recovery
of a young British girl

547
00:29:12,708 --> 00:29:16,875
named Josie Woollam in 1955.

548
00:29:17,042 --> 00:29:19,083
HYLAND:
Josie Woollam

549
00:29:19,208 --> 00:29:22,917
was a young girl,
who at the age of five

550
00:29:23,042 --> 00:29:26,375
developed a terrible
degenerative bone disease.

551
00:29:27,625 --> 00:29:30,625
And after five years
of suffering this,

552
00:29:30,708 --> 00:29:32,583
she, basically,

553
00:29:32,708 --> 00:29:35,000
was approaching her final days.

554
00:29:36,042 --> 00:29:40,500
Then Josie made
a pilgrimage to Turin,

555
00:29:40,667 --> 00:29:44,000
and she actually had a chance
to put her hands on the shroud.

556
00:29:44,125 --> 00:29:46,000
There was no immediate reaction,

557
00:29:46,125 --> 00:29:48,500
no miracle cure on the spot.

558
00:29:50,083 --> 00:29:54,625
But her health kept
improving and kept improving.

559
00:29:54,750 --> 00:29:57,167
Eventually, she
actually got better.

560
00:29:57,250 --> 00:30:01,500
HUSSAIN:
The story of Josie Woollam,
it's extraordinary.

561
00:30:01,583 --> 00:30:02,917
So, you've got this documented

562
00:30:03,042 --> 00:30:04,167
miraculous healing
in the 20th century,

563
00:30:04,333 --> 00:30:05,667
which, of course,
raises the question,

564
00:30:05,792 --> 00:30:07,208
does the shroud cause a miracle

565
00:30:07,333 --> 00:30:09,292
or is there
something else there?

566
00:30:09,375 --> 00:30:11,500
That's what's really
fascinating about this.

567
00:30:13,708 --> 00:30:16,833
It's incredible to think

568
00:30:16,958 --> 00:30:20,208
that almost 2,000 years
after the death of Jesus,

569
00:30:20,333 --> 00:30:23,333
we're still debating
the authenticity

570
00:30:23,417 --> 00:30:24,750
of the Shroud of Turin.

571
00:30:24,875 --> 00:30:27,375
Which is also the case

572
00:30:27,500 --> 00:30:30,083
with the supposed bodily remains

573
00:30:30,208 --> 00:30:33,708
of another important
spiritual figure.

574
00:30:33,875 --> 00:30:36,042
It is a human tooth

575
00:30:36,167 --> 00:30:39,958
kept in a temple in Sri Lanka

576
00:30:40,083 --> 00:30:43,208
that some believe is a relic

577
00:30:43,375 --> 00:30:45,000
of the Buddha himself.

578
00:30:52,167 --> 00:30:55,167
SHATNER:
Nestled on the serene
shores of a large lake

579
00:30:55,250 --> 00:30:57,708
rests a sprawling
Buddhist temple called

580
00:30:57,833 --> 00:31:01,542
the Temple of the Sacred Tooth.

581
00:31:02,792 --> 00:31:04,958
It is known by this unusual name

582
00:31:05,042 --> 00:31:07,833
because, inside the temple,

583
00:31:07,958 --> 00:31:10,917
there is an elaborate
shrine which,

584
00:31:11,042 --> 00:31:13,000
for more than 1,500 years,

585
00:31:13,125 --> 00:31:15,000
has held one of
the most important

586
00:31:15,125 --> 00:31:17,250
Buddhist relics in the world.

587
00:31:18,375 --> 00:31:21,375
However, the relic
cannot be seen by the public

588
00:31:21,500 --> 00:31:25,458
because it is encased within
seven gleaming caskets

589
00:31:25,542 --> 00:31:28,125
made out of solid gold.

590
00:31:29,333 --> 00:31:32,167
At the center of
those protective layers

591
00:31:32,333 --> 00:31:36,458
is a human tooth that,
according to the faithful,

592
00:31:36,542 --> 00:31:39,083
belonged to the Buddha himself.

593
00:31:41,208 --> 00:31:43,167
The Buddha's tooth
is a sacred relic,

594
00:31:43,292 --> 00:31:45,500
and it is venerated
three times a day

595
00:31:45,667 --> 00:31:47,875
by Buddhists

596
00:31:48,000 --> 00:31:50,542
on the island of Sri Lanka.

597
00:31:50,708 --> 00:31:53,000
It is offered prayers

598
00:31:53,167 --> 00:31:56,250
and worship morning,
noon and evening.

599
00:31:57,125 --> 00:31:58,833
Praying to this tooth,

600
00:31:58,958 --> 00:32:01,500
it's like being
in the presence directly

601
00:32:01,583 --> 00:32:03,583
of the founder of your religion,

602
00:32:03,708 --> 00:32:06,000
the historical Buddha.

603
00:32:08,083 --> 00:32:10,500
Buddhism was founded
by Shakyamuni Buddha

604
00:32:10,625 --> 00:32:12,667
who lived over 3,000 years ago.

605
00:32:13,958 --> 00:32:15,917
He was a fully
enlightened being,

606
00:32:16,042 --> 00:32:19,167
so he attained perfect
level of wisdom.

607
00:32:19,292 --> 00:32:21,125
And his mission
was to teach others

608
00:32:21,208 --> 00:32:23,500
how to end their suffering

609
00:32:23,667 --> 00:32:26,125
and to continue his teachings
after he was gone.

610
00:32:27,583 --> 00:32:31,083
STEAVU:
Upon passing, the relics
that remained of the Buddha

611
00:32:31,208 --> 00:32:33,250
were distributed
amongst his followers.

612
00:32:34,333 --> 00:32:36,958
One of them made
its way to Sri Lanka

613
00:32:37,083 --> 00:32:39,333
in the fourth century,
and this was

614
00:32:39,458 --> 00:32:41,375
the Buddha's tooth.

615
00:32:41,542 --> 00:32:44,833
Once a year, there
is a massive celebration,

616
00:32:44,917 --> 00:32:46,333
the procession of the tooth.

617
00:32:48,833 --> 00:32:51,708
And this is
a humongous festival.

618
00:32:51,833 --> 00:32:53,708
There's music,

619
00:32:53,875 --> 00:32:55,792
fire dances.

620
00:32:55,917 --> 00:32:57,542
The Buddha's tooth

621
00:32:57,708 --> 00:33:01,417
is carried on the back of
a very old noble elephant.

622
00:33:01,542 --> 00:33:04,083
The pageantry is just
overwhelmingly beautiful

623
00:33:04,208 --> 00:33:06,542
at this very large festival

624
00:33:06,667 --> 00:33:10,083
that takes place once a year

625
00:33:10,208 --> 00:33:12,417
in honor of the sacred tooth.

626
00:33:13,667 --> 00:33:15,333
SHATNER:
Although most
practicing Buddhists

627
00:33:15,417 --> 00:33:17,375
are not allowed to
see the sacred tooth,

628
00:33:17,542 --> 00:33:21,042
they genuinely believe that
it retains the life essence

629
00:33:21,208 --> 00:33:23,500
of the Buddha himself.

630
00:33:23,583 --> 00:33:25,292
In fact, some people claim

631
00:33:25,375 --> 00:33:28,583
that being in the presence
of this tiny relic

632
00:33:28,708 --> 00:33:31,833
is an extraordinary experience.

633
00:33:31,917 --> 00:33:34,000
STEAVU:
The sacred tooth,
it has the power,

634
00:33:34,083 --> 00:33:36,000
allegedly, to heal anyone

635
00:33:36,083 --> 00:33:38,000
who comes in contact with it.

636
00:33:38,125 --> 00:33:40,542
There's the weekly ritual
in which it's bathed,

637
00:33:40,708 --> 00:33:42,208
and the water is
then distributed

638
00:33:42,375 --> 00:33:46,083
to people in order to cure
them of various illnesses.

639
00:33:47,042 --> 00:33:48,875
JIE:
Many people have experienced

640
00:33:49,042 --> 00:33:50,958
powerful energy,
a positive energy

641
00:33:51,042 --> 00:33:53,167
from the Buddha's tooth.

642
00:33:53,333 --> 00:33:56,167
It's a phenomenon
that inspires people's faith.

643
00:33:56,250 --> 00:33:58,000
As Buddhists, we believe
that the Buddha

644
00:33:58,125 --> 00:33:59,250
is still in the world.

645
00:34:00,958 --> 00:34:04,500
SHATNER:
The sacred tooth that is
kept in Sri Lanka is incredible,

646
00:34:04,583 --> 00:34:08,042
but it is hardly
the only relic of its kind.

647
00:34:08,167 --> 00:34:10,000
In fact, there are
reportedly more than

648
00:34:10,125 --> 00:34:12,708
80,000 small fragments

649
00:34:12,833 --> 00:34:14,125
of the Buddha's remains

650
00:34:14,208 --> 00:34:16,625
that are kept in shrines
all over the world.

651
00:34:18,667 --> 00:34:21,667
(chanting)

652
00:34:21,750 --> 00:34:24,792
SHATNER:
One of the biggest collections
of Buddha relics can be found

653
00:34:24,875 --> 00:34:26,667
at the Wei Mountain Temple,

654
00:34:26,792 --> 00:34:29,083
located in Rosemead, California

655
00:34:29,208 --> 00:34:31,000
which houses some

656
00:34:31,167 --> 00:34:33,875
10,000 relics of the Buddha.

657
00:34:34,042 --> 00:34:36,167
JIE:
At Wei Mountain Temple,

658
00:34:36,292 --> 00:34:38,750
we have a finger bone
of the Buddha,

659
00:34:38,875 --> 00:34:42,167
as well as a wrist bone

660
00:34:42,292 --> 00:34:46,250
and a knee bone from the Buddha.

661
00:34:46,375 --> 00:34:48,500
We make these relics
available for people

662
00:34:48,583 --> 00:34:50,458
to benefit from
being in their presence.

663
00:34:51,667 --> 00:34:53,792
SHATNER:
Wei Mountain Temple's
collection

664
00:34:53,917 --> 00:34:56,083
also includes
a tooth of the Buddha

665
00:34:56,208 --> 00:34:59,500
that can be seen by the public
on special occasions,

666
00:34:59,625 --> 00:35:01,792
and appears to possess

667
00:35:01,917 --> 00:35:04,417
an extraordinary quality.

668
00:35:04,542 --> 00:35:08,333
Because, even though the Buddha
died thousands of years ago,

669
00:35:08,500 --> 00:35:11,750
this tooth is actually growing.

670
00:35:14,125 --> 00:35:16,917
COLLINS:
This tooth is of immense size.

671
00:35:17,042 --> 00:35:20,167
Today, it is over
three inches in length,

672
00:35:20,292 --> 00:35:23,708
and allegedly,
across the past 3,000 years,

673
00:35:23,875 --> 00:35:28,000
it's been growing, and it's
continuing to grow to this day.

674
00:35:28,167 --> 00:35:31,500
Now, this in itself
is surely a miracle.

675
00:35:32,875 --> 00:35:37,000
JIE:
The tooth relic has been growing
since the time of the Buddha.

676
00:35:37,083 --> 00:35:38,833
It's well known among
Buddhists that the relics

677
00:35:38,958 --> 00:35:40,583
can multiply and grow.

678
00:35:40,708 --> 00:35:44,500
These are not dead objects.
They are actually still living.

679
00:35:44,583 --> 00:35:46,375
They are still part
of the Buddha's body.

680
00:35:47,583 --> 00:35:48,833
SHATNER: According to
current measurements,

681
00:35:48,958 --> 00:35:50,042
this Buddha's tooth is

682
00:35:50,208 --> 00:35:51,833
more than twice the size

683
00:35:51,958 --> 00:35:53,708
of a normal human tooth.

684
00:35:53,875 --> 00:35:56,042
But what could be causing

685
00:35:56,167 --> 00:35:58,333
this unusual growth?

686
00:35:59,375 --> 00:36:01,708
Well, in 2012,
a group of scientists

687
00:36:01,833 --> 00:36:04,542
conducted an experiment
to try and find out

688
00:36:04,708 --> 00:36:06,750
whether mysterious
relics of the Buddha

689
00:36:06,875 --> 00:36:10,250
have any unusual
characteristics.

690
00:36:12,542 --> 00:36:15,000
STEAVU:
This study attempted to measure

691
00:36:15,167 --> 00:36:19,167
the power of Buddha
relics on reality.

692
00:36:19,292 --> 00:36:22,333
And so they placed
a vessel of water

693
00:36:22,458 --> 00:36:24,833
next to some Buddha relics.

694
00:36:24,958 --> 00:36:27,333
And, lo and behold,

695
00:36:27,458 --> 00:36:30,167
the pH of the water
actually changed.

696
00:36:30,292 --> 00:36:34,125
And it went up by 2.5 units,

697
00:36:34,208 --> 00:36:37,208
which is significant.

698
00:36:37,375 --> 00:36:41,292
Now, are these relics actually
imbued with sacred power?

699
00:36:41,375 --> 00:36:43,333
This is a hard
question to answer.

700
00:36:43,458 --> 00:36:47,083
But whether that's
a result of their faith,

701
00:36:47,208 --> 00:36:49,000
or a result of the
actual sacred relic,

702
00:36:49,167 --> 00:36:51,583
the effects are still there.

703
00:36:53,875 --> 00:36:56,667
How can a tooth still be growing

704
00:36:56,792 --> 00:36:59,667
centuries after the person
it belonged to has passed away?

705
00:37:01,417 --> 00:37:02,875
Could it be because the tooth

706
00:37:03,042 --> 00:37:04,958
retains the life essence

707
00:37:05,042 --> 00:37:07,333
of the Buddha, as some believe?

708
00:37:07,458 --> 00:37:10,208
Or is it just that
we're endlessly fascinated

709
00:37:10,333 --> 00:37:12,833
by mysterious objects
from the past?

710
00:37:12,917 --> 00:37:17,167
Like a 27-ton Aztec sculpture

711
00:37:17,250 --> 00:37:19,792
covered in hieroglyphics,

712
00:37:19,917 --> 00:37:21,792
believed to contain a prediction

713
00:37:21,917 --> 00:37:24,417
about the end of the world.

714
00:37:32,167 --> 00:37:33,792
SHATNER:
At the center of
this capital city

715
00:37:33,875 --> 00:37:37,333
stands the National
Museum of Anthropology.

716
00:37:38,583 --> 00:37:42,000
Housed inside are more
than half a million artifacts,

717
00:37:42,167 --> 00:37:44,750
some of which date
back 10,000 years.

718
00:37:46,958 --> 00:37:48,500
The largest relic on display

719
00:37:48,667 --> 00:37:51,125
is a massive, stone sculpture

720
00:37:51,208 --> 00:37:53,583
that weighs 54,000 pounds,

721
00:37:53,708 --> 00:37:56,250
or roughly as much
as a fire truck.

722
00:37:57,708 --> 00:38:01,833
It is known
as the Aztec Sun Stone.

723
00:38:03,042 --> 00:38:06,333
COLLINS:
The Aztec Sun Stone is
arguably the most famous

724
00:38:06,500 --> 00:38:08,833
of all of the relics

725
00:38:08,958 --> 00:38:11,000
from the Aztec nation.

726
00:38:12,250 --> 00:38:15,000
And the Sun Stone
is this massive

727
00:38:15,167 --> 00:38:19,500
piece of olivine basalt stone,

728
00:38:19,583 --> 00:38:22,167
which is three feet thick

729
00:38:22,292 --> 00:38:26,333
and 12 feet in diameter.

730
00:38:26,417 --> 00:38:29,708
Clearly, this
incredible-sized stone

731
00:38:29,875 --> 00:38:33,042
was significant to
these people in some way.

732
00:38:35,542 --> 00:38:37,750
SHATNER:
The Aztec nation
was a vast empire

733
00:38:37,875 --> 00:38:40,458
that ruled over
what is now Central Mexico

734
00:38:40,583 --> 00:38:44,417
from the 15th
to the early 16th century.

735
00:38:45,583 --> 00:38:48,250
Archaeologists estimate
that the Aztecs

736
00:38:48,375 --> 00:38:51,500
carved the Sun Stone
in the early 1500s,

737
00:38:51,625 --> 00:38:54,625
and that the statue
played a central role

738
00:38:54,708 --> 00:38:57,542
in their sacred
worship practices.

739
00:39:00,375 --> 00:39:02,667
According to one
incredible theory,

740
00:39:02,750 --> 00:39:06,250
the ancient carvings
on the Aztec Sun Stone

741
00:39:06,375 --> 00:39:09,083
may contain a dire warning

742
00:39:09,208 --> 00:39:12,583
about the end of the world.

743
00:39:14,792 --> 00:39:17,042
As you gaze upon the Sun Stone,

744
00:39:17,208 --> 00:39:19,917
you realize that
it's broken into

745
00:39:20,042 --> 00:39:21,458
various different facets.

746
00:39:23,042 --> 00:39:25,375
And moving into the center,

747
00:39:25,500 --> 00:39:29,833
you have a series
of wheels within wheels.

748
00:39:29,917 --> 00:39:33,542
And this is
because the Aztecs believed

749
00:39:33,708 --> 00:39:39,167
that four previous ages
had already taken place,

750
00:39:39,292 --> 00:39:41,625
and that we, today,

751
00:39:41,750 --> 00:39:45,500
exist within the fifth age,

752
00:39:45,625 --> 00:39:47,708
and that this will
eventually come to an end...

753
00:39:49,042 --> 00:39:52,000
...when an eclipse takes place.

754
00:39:54,750 --> 00:39:58,500
ED BARNHART:
The very center of
the Aztec calendar stone

755
00:39:58,583 --> 00:40:01,167
reminds the Aztecs

756
00:40:01,292 --> 00:40:04,000
of the predicted end

757
00:40:04,125 --> 00:40:06,458
of this current era.

758
00:40:06,542 --> 00:40:08,708
But they never
actually specified

759
00:40:08,833 --> 00:40:11,292
how long this fifth one will go.

760
00:40:11,375 --> 00:40:13,625
So it is a dire warning.

761
00:40:13,708 --> 00:40:17,500
The trouble is, we don't know
when that's going to happen.

762
00:40:18,542 --> 00:40:19,833
SHATNER:
Is this giant stone,

763
00:40:20,000 --> 00:40:22,792
that was carved more
than 500 years ago,

764
00:40:22,917 --> 00:40:24,667
really a warning

765
00:40:24,833 --> 00:40:27,375
that we should
be mindful of today?

766
00:40:28,583 --> 00:40:31,208
It appears that
only time will tell.

767
00:40:31,333 --> 00:40:32,917
But this ancient artifact

768
00:40:33,042 --> 00:40:37,125
continues to inspire
fascination and wonder

769
00:40:37,250 --> 00:40:40,500
just like many other

770
00:40:40,625 --> 00:40:42,833
sacred relics that are revered

771
00:40:43,000 --> 00:40:45,958
all over the world.

772
00:40:46,042 --> 00:40:47,833
FISHER:
Most discussions

773
00:40:47,958 --> 00:40:52,500
focus on the
historical authenticity

774
00:40:52,625 --> 00:40:54,458
of holy relics.

775
00:40:54,583 --> 00:40:57,667
"Is this actually the shroud?"

776
00:40:57,792 --> 00:41:00,958
"Is this actually the spear?"

777
00:41:02,208 --> 00:41:04,083
"Is this the real tooth?"

778
00:41:05,542 --> 00:41:08,500
What I think these
conversations leave out

779
00:41:08,625 --> 00:41:12,083
is maybe a more
fundamental question.

780
00:41:13,375 --> 00:41:15,375
Is there power

781
00:41:15,500 --> 00:41:18,167
behind deep, sustained

782
00:41:18,250 --> 00:41:20,333
human belief?

783
00:41:20,417 --> 00:41:22,458
This is a mystery that's worth

784
00:41:22,542 --> 00:41:24,583
exploring as well.

785
00:41:27,292 --> 00:41:28,708
Does the Aztec Sun Stone

786
00:41:28,833 --> 00:41:30,500
predict the date
the world will end?

787
00:41:30,625 --> 00:41:33,958
Can the Temple Menorah
unleash destruction

788
00:41:34,083 --> 00:41:36,667
upon those not worthy
enough to possess it?

789
00:41:36,792 --> 00:41:38,667
And what about
the Spear of Destiny?

790
00:41:38,750 --> 00:41:41,875
Does it really contain
the power to conquer the world?

791
00:41:43,917 --> 00:41:46,333
Well, it seems that the truth

792
00:41:46,458 --> 00:41:48,208
behind these sacred relics

793
00:41:48,333 --> 00:41:50,875
may ultimately
be a matter of faith.

794
00:41:51,000 --> 00:41:54,333
And so, the mystery of
their supposed powers

795
00:41:54,458 --> 00:41:56,625
will, in all likelihood,

796
00:41:56,750 --> 00:41:59,292
remain unexplained.

797
00:41:59,417 --> 00:42:02,458
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