God's Gold: A Quest for the Lost Temple Treasures of Jerusalem

by Sean Kingsley

God's Gold explores the fate of the greatest biblical treasure in history, the central icons of the Jewish faith looted from the Temple of Jerusalem. The golden candelabrum, silver trumpets, and the bejeweled Table of the Divine Presence were plundered by the Roman emperor Vespasian and his son Titus in AD 70. These biblical treasures are cast adrift in Mediterranean lands and exposed to 550 years of turbulent history and the rule of four different civilizations; only an intriguing trail of clues betrays their ever-changing destiny. The Temple treasure is a priceless hoard, but it has yet greater significance as the ultimate symbol of man's communication with God. The gold's recovery is central to Israel's broken dreams of messianic redemption by building a new House of God on the Temple Mount and its hopes for a return to an age of biblical sacrifice. Using untapped historical texts and new archaeological sources, Sean Kingsley unravels the incredible history of this treasure; its character; and religious, political, and financial meaning across the ages. Unexpected discoveries send him on a physical journey to expose the treasure's destiny. From the Vatican to the Vandal palace of Carthage, Constantinople's hippodrome, and the wilderness of Judea, his remarkable quest reveals facts more astonishing than fiction.

Genres: History, Archaeology, Nonfiction, Religion, Adventure

336 pages, Hardcover

First published October 5, 2006

About the author

Sean is an explorer, marine archaeologist and writer who has tracked down wonders across the world’s seas - from 1,500-year-old wine jars off Israel to 700 letters miraculously preserved with a cargo of World War II silver off Ireland.

When Sean’s not running Wreckwatch magazine and TV about sunken treasures or writing for Smithsonian Magazine, he’s part of teams exploring the first-rate warship the Victory in the English Channel – predecessor to Nelson’s Victory – and helping research the Spanish galleon the Maravillas, lost off the Bahamas in 1656 with five million pieces of eight.

With a doctorate from the University of Oxford, Sean has been called the David Attenborough of shipwrecks. Home is on the outskirts of Windsor Great Park.

Reviews

[Michael Smith · Rating 2 out of 5]

Historical mysteries -- unanswered questions and unsolved puzzles about dramatic events in the past -- are always of interest, and the fate of the religious treasures looted by the Tenth Legion from the Second Temple in Jerusalem in 70 A.D. is one of the best-known. The Jews, led by the Zealots, had made the mistake of rebelling against Roman rule and the Emperor Vespasian came down on them very hard. He instructed his son, Titus, to destroy the city, and he did, with most of the population being either killed outright or taken off into slavery. And a few years later, when Titus succeeded his father as emperor, he built a triumphal arch in Rome commemorating the conquest, with a center panel that depicts his troops carrying the great Menorah, two silver trumpets, and the Table of the Divine Presence in the parade. (The Ark of the Covenant, Indiana Jones notwithstanding, almost certainly had been taken away by the Babylonians when they sacked the First Temple nearly six centuries earlier.)

So, what happened to the Temple’s treasures? Kingsley has the necessary credentials as an archaeologist, but he’s really mostly a writer of popular classical history. The thing is, quite apart from their inherent value -- there was a great deal of gold in the way of sacred vessels and other artifacts -- items like the Menorah were priceless in religious and historical terms -- but only to the Jews. The Romans, naturally, didn’t see them that way and they had no reason to want to preserve them in their original form. I think the odds greatly favorite the likelihood that the loot was melted down and added to the imperial coffers, especially since Vespasian is known to have become extremely wealthy as a result of the reduction of Jerusalem and the rest of Palestine. Too bad, but there it is.

But then there would have been no book, so Kingsley trots out Josephus’s account of the war, and what he speculates may have happened to the treasures, and he follows later legends and myths, and thus follows the supposed trail of the looted artifacts to Rome, then back to the Near East, then to Constantinople, and from one early medieval site to another, then back to Jerusalem, and finally concludes that they “may” be hidden somewhere on the grounds of one of the Christian monasteries about 614 A.D., shortly before the Islamic conquest. And there he leaves the story hanging, because, of course, he has no choice.

It’s a mostly interesting book, especially if you have an interest in the later Roman and early medieval periods, but the author’s insistence on presenting everything in an overly dramatic fashion rather wore on me. It rather reminds me of those programs on the History Channel, in which everything is declared breathlessly to be “amazing” and “mysterious.”

[James Murray · Rating 4 out of 5]

"In 70 AD, the Roman emperor Vespasian and his son Titus plundered the Temple of Jerusalem, claiming for themselves a priceless hoard..." We know that the treasure made it to Italy. How? Trapped in stone for two thousand years, and visible even today, an image of the Temple Treasure's triumphal entry into Rome was literally chiseled into the the Arch of Titus, which still stands on the Via Sacra! (I've seen it in person). This leaves us with a very real ancient unsolved mystery - the question of: What happened to "God's Gold"?

This was such a fascinating read! I was expecting cheesy melodrama wrapped in religious fanaticism and instead found a solid historical treasure hunt worthy of Indiana Jones!
Kingsley painstakingly sifts through two thousand years of history and culture, taking us along on a ride from Jerusalem and Rome, to Constantinople and beyond...
This is, in my opinion, a fine example of why History, Ancient Monuments and Buildings, and learning Historical Languages matter!

[Elena · Rating 1 out of 5]

Okay, I started this feeling like I knew what I was getting into--that it was going to be a kooky fellow recounting his strange treasure-hunting--and I had to stop even though I thought I'd braced myself. I seem to remember a lot of self-congratulation about following the scientific method, and some orientalism that was a little early 20th century for my taste. I don't remember very much, for all I put it down just a few weeks ago, and I didn't finish it.

[Lady B of house Sefer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wildy speculative, interesting (kinda) the man thinks he's Indiana Jones but also has clout in the world of academia. You can't have it both ways.
The tone of the book is too light and not serious enough for people who like to consume history tomes. Not light enough for the general idiotic public who might get sold on the Indiana Jones bit. A wild goose chase. A red herring.

[Angela · Rating 4 out of 5]

A search for the treasures that the Romans removed from the Jewish Temple when they sacked Jerusalem and burnt the Temple in AD 70. Of all the theories, it is most likely that the Romans melted down these gold items and used the money to finance for example the building of the Colosseum in Rome.

[Tessiebear · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sean Kingsley has a magical ability to take you with him and see through his eyes. I feel that I've walked with him in Rome and Instanbul and been gripped by his quest

[Grindy Stone · Rating 4 out of 5]

Better than the reviews here would indicate, especially if you are looking for a primer on antiquities from the Holy Land. It’s not an academic treatise, just a solid treasure hunting yarn.

[Scott · Rating 3 out of 5]

A OK book on the mystery of what happened to the temple treasures after the sack of Jerusalem. The Author has some interesting theories but no facts to back it up. Also. He doesn't break any new ground. This book just rehashes old theories.


It is a bit dry so if you are interested in the subject it might be a good read otherwise it will be boring

[Doug Hocking · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the tale of the Treasures of King Solomon's Temple. There were four items housed therein: the Trumpets of Truth, the Table of the Showbread, the Menorah, and the Ark of the Covenant. In 584 B.C. the Babylonians captured Jerusalem and the Temple. The Ark of the Covenant is heard of no more. It disappeared from history. The trumpets, the table and the Menorah were taken to Babylon. They appear their on a stone carving marking the victory. 70 years later, Judah is allowed to return to Palestine and the Table, the Trumpets and the Menorah are returned with them to be housed in a rebuilt temple. The Temple is renovated in the time of Herod the Great and sacked by the Romans in A.D. 70. The Table, the Trumpets and the Menorah are taken to Rome where they appear in a stone carving. Rome is sacked by the Vandals and these treasures taken to North Africa. The Eastern Empire conquers the Vandals and the treasures are taken to Constantinople where they appear in a stone carving about 500 A.D. The author thinks they were taken to a monastery of St. John near Jerusalem where they reside to this day. It's a great treasure tale.

[Michael]

I've read Josephus' book on the Jewish War in response to some of the speculations propounded in this one. Sean Kingsley speculates on what might have become of the plunered golden table, Candlabra, and shells that were plundered by Titus after the fall of Jerusalem. It seems they traveled a lot--from Jerusalem to Rome, Carthage, Constantinople, and possibly back to Israel. Much of his reasoning is based on classical sources; there is little physical evidence, though Kingsley has dug up a couple of new things. Still, his findings are intriguing and the location of one of the most historically controversial treasure finds of modern time lays waitng to be found. What could make better reading?
And what if these treasures were found? The ownership of it today would be a bone to be growled over by the philosophical dogs of geography, relious superiority, and the racism that currently divides the Jews and Muslims today in the Arab-Israeli conflict over rights to the Temple Mount. Might such treasure make matters worse?
Maybe some things are better buried.

[Leya · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I started reading God's Gold I was allowing a few weeks to read it. But surprisingly I finished the book within a week. I think what helped was the way it was written. I was drawn in right at the beginning. The book was part travel and part history, but it was done in such a way, that I didn't notice the changes. It felt like I was the one who was visiting these exotic and culture rich locales.

Now if what the author thinks is the absolute truth/fact, I do not know. But it was definitely a worth while read. I got a chance to "visit" countries that I've always dreamt of visiting, and along the way learned a lot. It was quite an experience.

[Wellington · Rating 2 out of 5]

Anyone one want to go to Tunisia, Constinople, or Jerusalem one day with me? Last month, I read a book like Da Vinci code searching for the Jewish antiquity menorah. this was a non-fiction account of man searching for the menorah. Now, I understand a little more about the constant troubles in the Middle East (in particular Jerusalem) and a little more of the plight of the Jewish people throughout history.

The Jewish culture seems to be popping up in my life a lot lately. Not sure what that means. I still plan on eating bacon. :)

[Tracey · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a historical 'where is it?' as Kingsley takes us on the trail of the lost treasures of Jerusalem consisting of the Trumpets of Truth, the Table of the Showbread, the Menorah, and the Ark of the Covenant. In this book the Ark of the Covenant is not a big part of the mystery.
Kingsley gives a comprehensive history lesson as he explains not just the politics of the past but current politics and their complexities. His theory as to the location is interesting. Yet the best question Kingsley poses is what would be the fallout if the treasures were no longer lost?

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

You have got to love Biblical History and Archeaology to like this one. An interesting theory by an archealogist about where the remainder of the Holy of Holies relics might be hiding. Kingsley believes that the golden candelabrum, the silver trumpets and the bejeweled Divine Table, which through the centuries were plundered many times starting with the Roman invasions, are still intact and hidden. In the end he faces a dilemna as well.

[Devin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun Historical detective work tracing the Temple treasures looted by the Romans from Jerusalem in 70 C.E. forward in time. I believe he is right up to a point after which he is off track. Still useful as documentation up to that point.

[Avi · Rating 2 out of 5]

i think the author loses track about half way through the book, both with regard to his hypothesis as well as with the story being a spellbinding read. about a 5.5 on a scale of 1-10.

[Cathy B]

I put this one aside - a little slow and boring, but the subject matter interests me. I plan to go back to it someday.

[Evelyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

An archaeologist researches the the ancient temple treasure...lampstand, table of shewbread, etc.

[Richard DiDio · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reviewed for the Philadelphia Inquirer:

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