1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:06,340 These are pieces of the original True Cross. 2 00:00:06,340 --> 00:00:07,340 Yes, of course. 3 00:00:07,340 --> 00:00:13,340 Look at the size of this place. 4 00:00:13,340 --> 00:00:14,840 Maybe the tunnel to the True Cross. 5 00:00:14,840 --> 00:00:17,840 Nobody's been back there for a thousand years, probably. 6 00:00:17,840 --> 00:00:24,340 This is one of the most important artifacts ever found in the world. 7 00:00:24,340 --> 00:00:27,340 Ah, interesting. 8 00:00:27,340 --> 00:00:28,340 What is it? 9 00:00:28,680 --> 00:00:31,680 It feels like there's a cavity under it. 10 00:00:31,680 --> 00:00:33,680 Oh, look at that. 11 00:00:41,680 --> 00:00:43,680 The Cross of Jesus Christ. 12 00:00:43,680 --> 00:00:48,680 It is the most recognized religious icon on earth. 13 00:00:48,680 --> 00:00:54,680 A relic with mystical healing powers and the symbol of Christianity for over a billion believers worldwide. 14 00:00:58,680 --> 00:01:02,680 The True Cross is an archaeological treasure without equal. 15 00:01:02,680 --> 00:01:09,680 But its journey through history has been so clouded with intrigue and legend that today its fate is unknown. 16 00:01:09,680 --> 00:01:14,680 So does the Cross, or pieces of it, still exist? 17 00:01:14,680 --> 00:01:17,680 And if so, can they be found? 18 00:01:17,680 --> 00:01:21,680 There are many who claim to possess fragments from this holiest of relics, 19 00:01:21,680 --> 00:01:24,680 but it's unclear if any are authentic. 20 00:01:25,520 --> 00:01:34,520 But now, startling evidence is emerging from the Holy Land that could bring the Cross from the realm of faith to the world of science. 21 00:01:34,520 --> 00:01:38,520 And recently, a Turkish archaeologist announced a stunning find, 22 00:01:38,520 --> 00:01:43,520 potentially pinpointing the location of a lost piece of the crucifix. 23 00:01:43,520 --> 00:01:50,520 For 2,000 years, scholars, theologians, and armies have sought the True Cross of Jesus. 24 00:01:50,520 --> 00:01:53,520 It is a quest of biblical proportions. 25 00:01:53,520 --> 00:01:58,520 And now, for the first time, we may have a prayer of succeeding. 26 00:02:02,520 --> 00:02:05,520 My name is Josh Gates. 27 00:02:05,520 --> 00:02:10,520 With a degree in archaeology and a passion for exploration, 28 00:02:10,520 --> 00:02:14,520 I have a tendency to end up in some very strange situations. 29 00:02:14,520 --> 00:02:17,520 God, Lord! 30 00:02:17,520 --> 00:02:23,520 My travels have taken me to the ends of the earth as I investigate the greatest legends in history. 31 00:02:23,520 --> 00:02:25,520 We're good to fly, let's go! 32 00:02:25,520 --> 00:02:28,520 This is Expedition Unknown. 33 00:02:41,520 --> 00:02:46,520 Welcome to Israel, a.k.a. the Promised Land. 34 00:02:46,520 --> 00:02:51,520 Temperatures today, 195,000 degrees, roughly. 35 00:02:51,520 --> 00:02:57,520 Searching for the True Cross of Jesus may seem on the surface like a really daunting challenge, 36 00:02:57,520 --> 00:03:00,520 but it is also a missing object. 37 00:03:00,520 --> 00:03:04,520 And like any missing object, the best place to look for it is the last place it was seen. 38 00:03:05,520 --> 00:03:11,520 My quest is taking me into the ancient city of Jerusalem, the site of the crucifixion of Jesus. 39 00:03:19,520 --> 00:03:22,520 Hanabah, Hanabah, Haroon! 40 00:03:22,520 --> 00:03:24,520 What he said! 41 00:03:24,520 --> 00:03:27,520 The city walls stand 40 feet tall. 42 00:03:27,520 --> 00:03:29,520 They guard a precious parcel of land, 43 00:03:29,520 --> 00:03:34,520 steeped in religion and coveted by empires for thousands of years. 44 00:03:34,520 --> 00:03:38,520 The old city of Jerusalem, there is nowhere in the world like it. 45 00:03:38,520 --> 00:03:42,520 It's one of those exotic destinations that looks exactly the way you think it should. 46 00:03:42,520 --> 00:03:45,520 It is a crush of humanity, it is a cacophony of sound, 47 00:03:45,520 --> 00:03:48,520 and the nexus for the world's great religions. 48 00:03:48,520 --> 00:03:53,520 So there's nothing unusual about seeing an Orthodox Jew passing a devout Muslim, 49 00:03:53,520 --> 00:03:56,520 or shops selling crucifixes mixed with Yomikans. 50 00:03:56,520 --> 00:04:00,520 With so many religious tokens everywhere, if you can't find what you're looking for, 51 00:04:00,520 --> 00:04:02,520 you're not looking hard enough. 52 00:04:02,520 --> 00:04:03,520 This is great. 53 00:04:03,520 --> 00:04:06,520 If you're looking for a gift, especially for the kids while you're here in the Holy Land, 54 00:04:06,520 --> 00:04:08,520 you can't eat the crown of thorns. 55 00:04:08,520 --> 00:04:10,520 Sir, how much for the crown of thorns? 56 00:04:10,520 --> 00:04:11,520 20 bucks. 57 00:04:11,520 --> 00:04:12,520 20 bucks? 58 00:04:12,520 --> 00:04:13,520 And what do I do with this? 59 00:04:13,520 --> 00:04:14,520 Am I supposed to wear this? 60 00:04:14,520 --> 00:04:16,520 Yes, because Jesus wear it. 61 00:04:16,520 --> 00:04:18,520 Well, not voluntarily. 62 00:04:19,520 --> 00:04:21,520 Question of a religious gift aside, 63 00:04:21,520 --> 00:04:25,520 Jerusalem is the place where the Christian church is located. 64 00:04:25,520 --> 00:04:29,520 On the other side, Jerusalem packs a historic punch in very close quarters. 65 00:04:29,520 --> 00:04:33,520 Three of the holiest sites of the three major Western religions 66 00:04:33,520 --> 00:04:36,520 are all sitting in a space smaller than Central Park, 67 00:04:36,520 --> 00:04:38,520 and it isn't an easy coexistence. 68 00:04:42,520 --> 00:04:45,520 To followers of Judaism, no shrine carries more weight 69 00:04:45,520 --> 00:04:49,520 than the 2,000-year-old Western or Wailing Wall. 70 00:04:50,520 --> 00:04:54,520 It is the only remaining foundation of a temple platform 71 00:04:54,520 --> 00:04:57,520 that was once home to the Ark of the Covenant. 72 00:04:59,520 --> 00:05:02,520 Looming just overhead is the Dome of the Rock, 73 00:05:02,520 --> 00:05:05,520 one of the most revered locations in the Islamic world. 74 00:05:05,520 --> 00:05:09,520 That's where doctrine says Muhammad made his ascent to heaven. 75 00:05:09,520 --> 00:05:13,520 And just a few steps away is my destination. 76 00:05:20,520 --> 00:05:24,520 This is the church of the Holy Sepulchre, 77 00:05:24,520 --> 00:05:28,520 though it feels less like a church and more like a small city in here. 78 00:05:28,520 --> 00:05:30,520 It is absolutely massive. 79 00:05:30,520 --> 00:05:32,520 It has a long and mysterious history, 80 00:05:32,520 --> 00:05:36,520 and it is also the single holiest site in the world for Christians. 81 00:05:38,520 --> 00:05:41,520 The church is home to the former tomb of Jesus. 82 00:05:41,520 --> 00:05:44,520 As well as the slab his body was laid on after he died. 83 00:05:44,520 --> 00:05:46,520 But there's something else here too. 84 00:05:47,520 --> 00:05:49,520 According to the New Testament, 85 00:05:49,520 --> 00:05:53,520 the Romans crucified Jesus and two thieves on a hill named Golgotha. 86 00:05:53,520 --> 00:05:56,520 History then loses sight of the cross. 87 00:05:56,520 --> 00:05:58,520 But then in the fourth century, 88 00:05:58,520 --> 00:06:01,520 the Roman Emperor Constantine, who had converted to Christianity, 89 00:06:01,520 --> 00:06:04,520 sends his mother Helena to the Holy Land. 90 00:06:05,520 --> 00:06:09,520 Permission is to find artifacts related to Jesus. 91 00:06:10,520 --> 00:06:13,520 Armed with nearly unlimited funds and power, 92 00:06:13,520 --> 00:06:17,520 she leads an excavation under the rubble of the hill of Golgotha. 93 00:06:17,520 --> 00:06:20,520 Legend has it that she finds a buried cross 94 00:06:20,520 --> 00:06:24,520 and tests it by asking a sick woman to touch the wooden relic. 95 00:06:24,520 --> 00:06:26,520 When it miraculously cures her, 96 00:06:26,520 --> 00:06:29,520 Helena declares the true cross found. 97 00:06:30,520 --> 00:06:34,520 But today, you won't find the hill of Golgotha on any map. 98 00:06:34,520 --> 00:06:36,520 That's because you're not alone. 99 00:06:36,520 --> 00:06:38,520 The hill of Golgotha on any map. 100 00:06:38,520 --> 00:06:42,520 That's because the church of the Holy Sepulcher was built right on top of it. 101 00:06:42,520 --> 00:06:46,520 When we think of the crucifixion, we think of a hill. 102 00:06:46,520 --> 00:06:48,520 And believe it or not, though it doesn't look like it, 103 00:06:48,520 --> 00:06:50,520 I'm actually standing on that hill. 104 00:06:50,520 --> 00:06:52,520 And this is the place where, reportedly, 105 00:06:52,520 --> 00:06:55,520 Jesus and two thieves were crucified. 106 00:06:55,520 --> 00:06:57,520 And 300 years after that crucifixion, 107 00:06:57,520 --> 00:07:02,520 Helena shows up and begins constructing a church on top of the hill. 108 00:07:02,520 --> 00:07:05,520 The church completely encases the site of the crucifixion. 109 00:07:05,520 --> 00:07:09,520 And the place where Helena unearthed the true cross. 110 00:07:09,520 --> 00:07:11,520 To find out more about the fate of the cross 111 00:07:11,520 --> 00:07:14,520 and whether Helena's story is a myth, 112 00:07:14,520 --> 00:07:17,520 I've been granted an audience with an archbishop of the Greek Orthodox Church 113 00:07:17,520 --> 00:07:19,520 who maintains the site. 114 00:07:22,520 --> 00:07:24,520 It's very nice to meet you. 115 00:07:24,520 --> 00:07:25,520 Welcome to the Holy Sepulcher. 116 00:07:25,520 --> 00:07:29,520 This is one of the most spectacular rooms I think I've ever been in. 117 00:07:29,520 --> 00:07:32,520 I think when many people who've never been here 118 00:07:32,520 --> 00:07:35,520 think about the crucifixion or the tomb of Jesus, 119 00:07:35,520 --> 00:07:37,520 they picture an outdoor space. 120 00:07:37,520 --> 00:07:40,520 They picture a hill, they picture a cave. 121 00:07:40,520 --> 00:07:42,520 For a first-time person seeing it, it's very surprising. 122 00:07:42,520 --> 00:07:43,520 Yes, it's surprising. 123 00:07:43,520 --> 00:07:46,520 Do we know how long it took Helena to find the cross? 124 00:07:46,520 --> 00:07:47,520 A year, I think. 125 00:07:47,520 --> 00:07:48,520 A year of searching? 126 00:07:48,520 --> 00:07:49,520 Yes. 127 00:07:49,520 --> 00:07:52,520 And once she finds the Holy Cross, what does she do with it? 128 00:07:52,520 --> 00:07:55,520 She cut the crosses into three pieces. 129 00:07:58,520 --> 00:08:01,520 One piece is he left here in Jerusalem. 130 00:08:01,520 --> 00:08:05,520 And one part she gave to the monastery of Cyprus. 131 00:08:06,520 --> 00:08:09,520 And one part of the cross, he took it back to the Custandino. 132 00:08:10,520 --> 00:08:14,520 But did Helena really find the hill where Jesus was buried? 133 00:08:14,520 --> 00:08:17,520 I ask if there are any off-limit sections of the church. 134 00:08:17,520 --> 00:08:20,520 We have a lot of parts around the Holy Sepulcher, 135 00:08:20,520 --> 00:08:22,520 not for the public to do. 136 00:08:22,520 --> 00:08:24,520 Is it possible to see those places? 137 00:08:24,520 --> 00:08:25,520 Yes. 138 00:08:25,520 --> 00:08:28,520 To help me understand the history behind the Helena story, 139 00:08:28,520 --> 00:08:33,520 the Archbishop leads me to where she claimed to find the cross in 326 AD. 140 00:08:38,520 --> 00:08:40,520 Underneath the Holy Sepulcher, 141 00:08:40,520 --> 00:08:43,520 we wind through seldom seen ancient passages 142 00:08:43,520 --> 00:08:46,520 and secret tunnels dug into the hillside of Golgotha. 143 00:08:46,520 --> 00:08:48,520 It just goes on and on. 144 00:08:48,520 --> 00:08:51,520 Making our way to the execution site of Jesus. 145 00:08:59,520 --> 00:09:02,520 Are we underneath the crucifixion site here? 146 00:09:02,520 --> 00:09:03,520 Yes. 147 00:09:03,520 --> 00:09:07,520 You know, when you're up inside the church and you see the crucifixion site, 148 00:09:07,520 --> 00:09:10,520 it's very hard to see it as a hill. 149 00:09:10,520 --> 00:09:13,520 You don't realize the church has just been planted on top of it. 150 00:09:13,520 --> 00:09:15,520 Where did she find the cross? 151 00:09:15,520 --> 00:09:17,520 It was a little down. 152 00:09:17,520 --> 00:09:19,520 So a little bit further down the hill. 153 00:09:19,520 --> 00:09:22,520 The geology here corroborates the Helena legend. 154 00:09:22,520 --> 00:09:24,520 But what about the small piece of the cross 155 00:09:24,520 --> 00:09:27,520 that she supposedly left behind in Jerusalem? 156 00:09:29,520 --> 00:09:32,520 Well, the Archbishop has an answer for that too. 157 00:09:32,520 --> 00:09:35,520 It's right here in the church. 158 00:09:44,520 --> 00:09:47,520 In Jerusalem on the search for the true cross of Jesus Christ, 159 00:09:47,520 --> 00:09:51,520 I've been granted special access to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. 160 00:09:51,520 --> 00:09:55,520 The Archbishop here is about to show me a few staggering relics. 161 00:09:59,520 --> 00:10:06,520 These crosses are made out of brass and wood, 162 00:10:06,520 --> 00:10:10,520 but the real treasure is behind a layer of embedded glass. 163 00:10:10,520 --> 00:10:13,520 Inside are small shards of what the church claims 164 00:10:13,520 --> 00:10:17,520 to be the crucifixion cross of Jesus Christ. 165 00:10:19,520 --> 00:10:21,520 These are extraordinary. 166 00:10:21,520 --> 00:10:23,520 These are pieces of the original true cross. 167 00:10:23,520 --> 00:10:24,520 Yes, of course. 168 00:10:24,520 --> 00:10:25,520 Wow. 169 00:10:25,520 --> 00:10:29,520 Have you ever tested the wood inside the cross 170 00:10:29,520 --> 00:10:32,520 to find out age or carbon dating of any kind? 171 00:10:32,520 --> 00:10:34,520 Or has it always been inside the cross? 172 00:10:34,520 --> 00:10:35,520 Always been inside. 173 00:10:35,520 --> 00:10:37,520 And would you ever have it tested? 174 00:10:37,520 --> 00:10:38,520 No. 175 00:10:38,520 --> 00:10:40,520 We believe that this is the Holy Cross. 176 00:10:40,520 --> 00:10:44,520 Like the other relics here, this is an article of faith. 177 00:10:44,520 --> 00:10:48,520 So for the church to even test it would be to undermine its power. 178 00:10:48,520 --> 00:10:51,520 Are there any samples that are not behind glass? 179 00:10:51,520 --> 00:10:53,520 Yes, we have a small part of it. 180 00:10:53,520 --> 00:10:54,520 We do. 181 00:10:54,520 --> 00:10:56,520 And is it possible to see that? 182 00:10:56,520 --> 00:10:57,520 Okay, yes. 183 00:10:57,520 --> 00:10:58,520 Thanks. 184 00:10:58,520 --> 00:10:59,520 Yeah? 185 00:11:02,520 --> 00:11:05,520 Just to be able to see these two crosses is incredible, 186 00:11:05,520 --> 00:11:07,520 but to know that there's a loose piece as well 187 00:11:07,520 --> 00:11:10,520 is really astounding. 188 00:11:15,520 --> 00:11:18,520 The archbishop produces a small container 189 00:11:18,520 --> 00:11:21,520 and reveals a fragment of holy wood. 190 00:11:21,520 --> 00:11:24,520 I'm stunned when he offers to bless me with it. 191 00:11:29,520 --> 00:11:30,520 Bishop, thank you very much. 192 00:11:30,520 --> 00:11:31,520 You're welcome. 193 00:11:31,520 --> 00:11:32,520 Good to see you. 194 00:11:32,520 --> 00:11:33,520 I do feel blessed. 195 00:11:33,520 --> 00:11:34,520 Thank you very much. 196 00:11:34,520 --> 00:11:36,520 The experience of seeing and being touched 197 00:11:36,520 --> 00:11:39,520 by a small sliver of what could be the true cross 198 00:11:39,520 --> 00:11:42,520 is an overwhelming experience. 199 00:11:42,520 --> 00:11:45,520 But these tiny pieces will never leave the church 200 00:11:45,520 --> 00:11:47,520 and can therefore never be tested. 201 00:11:47,520 --> 00:11:50,520 Writings from Helena's time describe how she discovered 202 00:11:50,520 --> 00:11:53,520 the cross and broke it up into pieces. 203 00:11:53,520 --> 00:11:56,520 In the ensuing centuries, bits of the supposed true cross 204 00:11:56,520 --> 00:12:01,520 started turning up in churches from Europe to Africa to Asia, 205 00:12:01,520 --> 00:12:05,520 including the pieces inside the church of the Holy Sepulchre. 206 00:12:05,520 --> 00:12:09,520 If they were all put together, there'd be enough wood to fill a ship, 207 00:12:09,520 --> 00:12:13,520 which means that many of these pieces can't be authentic. 208 00:12:13,520 --> 00:12:16,520 Instead, I need to look for some part of the cross 209 00:12:16,520 --> 00:12:18,520 that can be tested and dated. 210 00:12:18,520 --> 00:12:21,520 To do that, I leave Jerusalem and drive to Tel Aviv. 211 00:12:24,520 --> 00:12:27,520 If Jerusalem is serious, religious, and political, 212 00:12:27,520 --> 00:12:31,520 Tel Aviv feels playful, cosmopolitan, and carefree. 213 00:12:31,520 --> 00:12:34,520 Citizens here are less about temples and rituals 214 00:12:34,520 --> 00:12:36,520 and more about sun and sand. 215 00:12:36,520 --> 00:12:38,520 Welcome to Israel's other city. 216 00:12:38,520 --> 00:12:41,520 Tel Aviv is home to about 3.5 million people. 217 00:12:41,520 --> 00:12:46,520 In fact, nearly 40% of all Israelis call Tel Aviv home. 218 00:12:46,520 --> 00:12:48,520 Hey, hey, hello! 219 00:12:48,520 --> 00:12:50,520 Come on. No respect. 220 00:12:50,520 --> 00:12:52,520 Maybe I should have worn my speedo. 221 00:12:55,520 --> 00:12:59,520 One of the really strange things about the cross of Jesus 222 00:12:59,520 --> 00:13:01,520 when you think about it is that this is probably 223 00:13:01,520 --> 00:13:05,520 the most recognizable symbol in the world, you know? 224 00:13:05,520 --> 00:13:09,520 Each of us probably see some representation of this cross 225 00:13:09,520 --> 00:13:12,520 every single day on TV, on a sign, on a church, 226 00:13:12,520 --> 00:13:15,520 and yet what do we really know about this cross? 227 00:13:15,520 --> 00:13:18,520 Do we know how big it was? Do we know when it was made of? 228 00:13:18,520 --> 00:13:20,520 Do we know where it went? 229 00:13:20,520 --> 00:13:23,520 I'm headed now to meet with an expert who might know more than anyone 230 00:13:23,520 --> 00:13:25,520 about the true cross of Jesus. 231 00:13:27,520 --> 00:13:29,520 I'm in town to meet with Israel Herskovitz, 232 00:13:29,520 --> 00:13:31,520 a professor of anatomy and anthropology. 233 00:13:31,520 --> 00:13:33,520 He's an expert on crucifixions 234 00:13:33,520 --> 00:13:36,520 and believes the reality behind the true cross 235 00:13:36,520 --> 00:13:39,520 is very different than the story we've been told. 236 00:13:39,520 --> 00:13:41,520 In thinking about the crucifixion, 237 00:13:41,520 --> 00:13:44,520 the thing that just in researching it that really surprised me 238 00:13:44,520 --> 00:13:48,520 is how little evidence there is for Roman crucifixions in general. 239 00:13:48,520 --> 00:13:52,520 There is actually no clear description of crucifixion 240 00:13:52,520 --> 00:13:53,520 in any historical record. 241 00:13:53,520 --> 00:13:56,520 The Romans were crucifying a lot of people. 242 00:13:56,520 --> 00:13:57,520 Millions. 243 00:13:57,520 --> 00:13:59,520 Much of what we know about crucifixions 244 00:13:59,520 --> 00:14:02,520 comes from artists' interpretations, 245 00:14:02,520 --> 00:14:05,520 many of which were painted centuries after the death of Jesus. 246 00:14:05,520 --> 00:14:07,520 When it comes to the foot, 247 00:14:07,520 --> 00:14:11,520 usually what you see is one foot on top of the other. 248 00:14:11,520 --> 00:14:13,520 The nail is coming from here between those two, 249 00:14:13,520 --> 00:14:15,520 a metatarsal bone. 250 00:14:15,520 --> 00:14:17,520 I mean almost every painting of Jesus shows that. 251 00:14:17,520 --> 00:14:18,520 Every painting. 252 00:14:18,520 --> 00:14:19,520 Every painting. 253 00:14:19,520 --> 00:14:20,520 There's just one problem. 254 00:14:20,520 --> 00:14:21,520 It doesn't work. 255 00:14:21,520 --> 00:14:23,520 Nails and wrists, hands or feet 256 00:14:23,520 --> 00:14:25,520 can barely support a body 257 00:14:25,520 --> 00:14:27,520 and victims quickly pass out. 258 00:14:27,520 --> 00:14:30,520 This would have been the type of crucifixion that it shaped. 259 00:14:30,520 --> 00:14:33,520 Then people would lose consciousness in 25, 30 minutes 260 00:14:33,520 --> 00:14:36,520 against the philosophy of crucifixion. 261 00:14:36,520 --> 00:14:38,520 The whole point is that it's supposed to last a long time. 262 00:14:38,520 --> 00:14:41,520 The whole point was to last it as long as possible. 263 00:14:41,520 --> 00:14:43,520 Also, huge vertical crosses 264 00:14:43,520 --> 00:14:45,520 would have been difficult to hoist up, 265 00:14:45,520 --> 00:14:47,520 especially when you consider that Romans 266 00:14:47,520 --> 00:14:50,520 were crucifying as many as 500 people a day. 267 00:14:50,520 --> 00:14:54,520 What it tells us is that the cross was not a T-shaped cross. 268 00:14:54,520 --> 00:14:56,520 The cross was an X-shaped cross. 269 00:14:58,520 --> 00:15:00,520 This is a dramatic revelation. 270 00:15:00,520 --> 00:15:02,520 If the Romans nailed or tied people 271 00:15:02,520 --> 00:15:04,520 to simpler X-shaped crosses, 272 00:15:04,520 --> 00:15:06,520 as many historians now contend, 273 00:15:06,520 --> 00:15:08,520 that means the traditional T-shape 274 00:15:08,520 --> 00:15:11,520 displayed in every Christian church could be wrong. 275 00:15:11,520 --> 00:15:14,520 It also means that I may be looking for remnants of an artifact 276 00:15:14,520 --> 00:15:17,520 with a totally different shape than I anticipated. 277 00:15:17,520 --> 00:15:19,520 Is there any evidence of a crucifixion? 278 00:15:19,520 --> 00:15:22,520 We have only one good evidence for crucifixion. 279 00:15:22,520 --> 00:15:24,520 Not just from Israel, but globally. 280 00:15:24,520 --> 00:15:25,520 One. 281 00:15:25,520 --> 00:15:26,520 Or only one. 282 00:15:26,520 --> 00:15:27,520 Okay, what is that? 283 00:15:27,520 --> 00:15:31,520 I think this is one of the most important artifacts 284 00:15:31,520 --> 00:15:32,520 ever found in the world. 285 00:15:37,520 --> 00:15:40,520 A nail going through the heel bone. 286 00:15:41,520 --> 00:15:44,520 This is the only firm evidence of form and crucifixion. 287 00:15:44,520 --> 00:15:46,520 That is amazing. 288 00:15:46,520 --> 00:15:50,520 This specimen is from the time of Jesus. 289 00:15:50,520 --> 00:15:52,520 This heel bone is a big deal. 290 00:15:52,520 --> 00:15:56,520 It is the only physical remnant of a Roman crucifixion. 291 00:15:56,520 --> 00:15:59,520 And the nail's location in the heel suggests the foot 292 00:15:59,520 --> 00:16:01,520 was perched in an open position 293 00:16:01,520 --> 00:16:03,520 and likely on an X-shaped cross. 294 00:16:04,520 --> 00:16:07,520 We have a piece of foot between the nail and the heel bone. 295 00:16:07,520 --> 00:16:08,520 That's wood. 296 00:16:08,520 --> 00:16:10,520 What type of wood? 297 00:16:10,520 --> 00:16:11,520 It's olive wood. 298 00:16:11,520 --> 00:16:12,520 It's olive wood. 299 00:16:12,520 --> 00:16:15,520 And you know that olive wood, according to Christian tradition, 300 00:16:15,520 --> 00:16:18,520 olive wood was used for making the cross for Jesus. 301 00:16:19,520 --> 00:16:23,520 I've just come face to face with a legit 2,000-year-old piece 302 00:16:23,520 --> 00:16:25,520 of crucifixion wood. 303 00:16:25,520 --> 00:16:28,520 That gives me hope that historical fragments of the true cross 304 00:16:28,520 --> 00:16:31,520 of Jesus could also have survived to the present day. 305 00:16:31,520 --> 00:16:33,520 Well, thank you so much for showing it to me. 306 00:16:33,520 --> 00:16:34,520 I really appreciate it. 307 00:16:34,520 --> 00:16:35,520 Pleasure. 308 00:16:37,520 --> 00:16:40,520 Armed with new knowledge, I set out to find a piece of the wood 309 00:16:40,520 --> 00:16:44,520 that both fits the Helena legend and can be scientifically tested. 310 00:16:44,520 --> 00:16:46,520 And I just caught wind of a promising discovery 311 00:16:46,520 --> 00:16:49,520 made by a restoration team at a church in Bethlehem. 312 00:16:49,520 --> 00:16:52,520 If that name sounds familiar, that's because it's also 313 00:16:52,520 --> 00:16:54,520 the birthplace of Jesus. 314 00:16:54,520 --> 00:16:58,520 To check it out, I'm headed for Israel's West Bank territory. 315 00:16:58,520 --> 00:16:59,520 North. 316 00:17:00,520 --> 00:17:02,520 After a few military checkpoints, 317 00:17:02,520 --> 00:17:05,520 keep driving, just keep driving. 318 00:17:06,520 --> 00:17:09,520 I arrive in the ancient city of Bethlehem. 319 00:17:14,520 --> 00:17:17,520 Oh, this old town of Bethlehem. 320 00:17:25,520 --> 00:17:27,520 Why can't I think of any of the other words to that song? 321 00:17:27,520 --> 00:17:32,520 Not a lot of ox or sheep or wise men or heavenly angels floating around, 322 00:17:32,520 --> 00:17:35,520 but it does have a manger. 323 00:17:35,520 --> 00:17:38,520 In the middle of town is the Church of the Nativity. 324 00:17:44,520 --> 00:17:47,520 Like the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, Helena commissioned this church 325 00:17:47,520 --> 00:17:49,520 during her trip to the Holy Land. 326 00:17:49,520 --> 00:17:52,520 Duck through a low arch and you'll find yourself in the manger 327 00:17:52,520 --> 00:17:55,520 that most of us know from Christmas carols. 328 00:17:55,520 --> 00:17:58,520 And a recent discovery in this building has me wondering 329 00:17:58,520 --> 00:18:01,520 if there's a hidden link to the true cross here as well. 330 00:18:02,520 --> 00:18:03,520 I'm Josh. 331 00:18:03,520 --> 00:18:04,520 I'm Paul. 332 00:18:04,520 --> 00:18:06,520 Nice to meet you as well. Thanks for seeing me. I really appreciate it. 333 00:18:06,520 --> 00:18:10,520 Paolo Guazzini is part of a team restoring the Nativity's roof 334 00:18:10,520 --> 00:18:12,520 and interior frescoes. 335 00:18:12,520 --> 00:18:13,520 Is this for me? 336 00:18:13,520 --> 00:18:14,520 Please. 337 00:18:14,520 --> 00:18:15,520 It's dangerous in here. 338 00:18:15,520 --> 00:18:16,520 A little bit. 339 00:18:16,520 --> 00:18:17,520 Alright, I like a little bit dangerous. 340 00:18:17,520 --> 00:18:18,520 Okay. 341 00:18:18,520 --> 00:18:19,520 Let's go. 342 00:18:20,520 --> 00:18:23,520 Parts of this building are nearly 2,000 years old. 343 00:18:23,520 --> 00:18:25,520 It's a layer cake of history. 344 00:18:25,520 --> 00:18:28,520 And Paolo's team discovered something incredible 345 00:18:28,520 --> 00:18:30,520 beneath years of dirt and dust. 346 00:18:32,520 --> 00:18:33,520 This was covered. 347 00:18:33,520 --> 00:18:35,520 It was covered by plaster. 348 00:18:35,520 --> 00:18:36,520 Really? 349 00:18:36,520 --> 00:18:38,520 The entire surface. 350 00:18:38,520 --> 00:18:40,520 And so what is the angel doing in the mosaic? 351 00:18:40,520 --> 00:18:43,520 The angel are moving toward the cross. 352 00:18:43,520 --> 00:18:45,520 The true cross. 353 00:18:45,520 --> 00:18:46,520 That's right. 354 00:18:46,520 --> 00:18:47,520 Alright, here we go. 355 00:18:48,520 --> 00:18:51,520 It's hard not to take the symbolism personally. 356 00:18:51,520 --> 00:18:53,520 I want to be moving toward the cross too. 357 00:18:53,520 --> 00:18:55,520 But Paolo found one more thing 358 00:18:55,520 --> 00:18:58,520 that makes me think we're not too far off. 359 00:18:58,520 --> 00:19:00,520 This is very, very interesting. 360 00:19:00,520 --> 00:19:03,520 This is what we found below the plaster. 361 00:19:03,520 --> 00:19:05,520 Three crosses. 362 00:19:06,520 --> 00:19:07,520 Incredible. 363 00:19:17,520 --> 00:19:20,520 I'm inside the church of the Nativity in Bethlehem, 364 00:19:20,520 --> 00:19:22,520 staring at a mysterious cross symbol 365 00:19:22,520 --> 00:19:24,520 a restoration team has just discovered. 366 00:19:25,520 --> 00:19:27,520 This is very, very interesting. 367 00:19:27,520 --> 00:19:30,520 This is what we found below the plaster. 368 00:19:31,520 --> 00:19:32,520 Three crosses. 369 00:19:33,520 --> 00:19:35,520 How old do we think these bricks are? 370 00:19:35,520 --> 00:19:37,520 These are cruises at the area. 371 00:19:39,520 --> 00:19:40,520 I'm not sure. 372 00:19:40,520 --> 00:19:41,520 I don't know. 373 00:19:41,520 --> 00:19:42,520 I don't know. 374 00:19:42,520 --> 00:19:43,520 I don't know. 375 00:19:43,520 --> 00:19:44,520 I don't know. 376 00:19:44,520 --> 00:19:45,520 I'm not sure. 377 00:19:45,520 --> 00:19:47,520 I don't know. 378 00:19:50,520 --> 00:19:52,520 I'm not sure. 379 00:19:56,520 --> 00:19:57,520 Oh, they're really cool. 380 00:19:57,520 --> 00:19:59,520 These symbols were underneath the plaster layer. 381 00:19:59,520 --> 00:20:00,520 That's right. 382 00:20:00,520 --> 00:20:02,520 So whoever took the time to carve these, 383 00:20:02,520 --> 00:20:04,520 they knew they were going to be hidden. 384 00:20:04,520 --> 00:20:05,520 Right, right. 385 00:20:05,520 --> 00:20:07,520 Could it be that 386 00:20:07,520 --> 00:20:09,520 the three crosses represent Jesus 387 00:20:09,520 --> 00:20:11,520 and the two thieves who were crucified with him? 388 00:20:11,520 --> 00:20:13,520 We are waiting for an answer 389 00:20:13,520 --> 00:20:17,520 I mean, it is possible that this was meant to be a marker for something. 390 00:20:17,520 --> 00:20:18,520 Yes. 391 00:20:18,520 --> 00:20:21,520 Do you think it's possible there could be something behind this wall? 392 00:20:21,520 --> 00:20:22,520 Could be. 393 00:20:22,520 --> 00:20:27,520 In a church as venerated as this, one can't just smash through a crusader-era wall. 394 00:20:27,520 --> 00:20:33,520 But in time, archeologists may scan the wall to see what, if anything, is hidden behind it. 395 00:20:33,520 --> 00:20:35,520 So watch this space. 396 00:20:35,520 --> 00:20:36,520 Keep me posted. 397 00:20:36,520 --> 00:20:37,520 Let me know if you find anything. 398 00:20:37,520 --> 00:20:38,520 Of course. 399 00:20:38,520 --> 00:20:39,520 I will tell you. 400 00:20:39,520 --> 00:20:40,520 I'll tell you. 401 00:20:40,520 --> 00:20:41,520 Especially anything cross-shaped. 402 00:20:41,520 --> 00:20:42,520 Yeah. 403 00:20:42,520 --> 00:20:47,520 The Church of the Nativity remains one of Helena's lasting legacies. 404 00:20:47,520 --> 00:20:51,520 But her story and the journey of the True Cross doesn't end here. 405 00:20:51,520 --> 00:20:58,520 After her tour of the Holy Land, Helena sends a large piece of the True Cross to the city named for her son, 406 00:20:58,520 --> 00:21:01,520 the Christian Emperor of Rome, Constantine. 407 00:21:01,520 --> 00:21:08,520 So I'm flying 750 miles north to Constantinople, or as we know it today, Istanbul. 408 00:21:12,520 --> 00:21:18,520 Home to 14 million, it is the largest city in Turkey, an urban jewel. 409 00:21:18,520 --> 00:21:22,520 The ancient and modern here don't blend so much as collide. 410 00:21:22,520 --> 00:21:27,520 Traffic spills down antiquated streets, shoppers clog historic bazaars, 411 00:21:27,520 --> 00:21:31,520 and regal mosques loom quietly above the hustle and bustle. 412 00:21:32,520 --> 00:21:37,520 This is the Bosporus, this channel of water that cleaves Istanbul into two pieces. 413 00:21:37,520 --> 00:21:40,520 On one side Europe, on the other side Asia. 414 00:21:40,520 --> 00:21:49,520 And it is this division, this piece of real estate that has made Istanbul one of the most valuable and strategic pieces of real estate in history. 415 00:21:54,520 --> 00:22:01,520 And in my experience, the mixture of unique geography, rich cultures, and tumultuous history can only mean one thing. 416 00:22:01,520 --> 00:22:03,520 Seriously good food. 417 00:22:03,520 --> 00:22:08,520 I start things off with a regional specialty described perfectly by its name. 418 00:22:08,520 --> 00:22:09,520 Church Delight. 419 00:22:13,520 --> 00:22:15,520 This is effectively sugar covered in sugar. 420 00:22:17,520 --> 00:22:18,520 Oh. 421 00:22:20,520 --> 00:22:21,520 If you stand here, they just feed you. 422 00:22:21,520 --> 00:22:22,520 Yeah, it is this. 423 00:22:23,520 --> 00:22:27,520 I may have eaten my dessert first, but that doesn't mean I'm full. 424 00:22:27,520 --> 00:22:28,520 Mussels. 425 00:22:28,520 --> 00:22:31,520 This is pickles in pickle juice. 426 00:22:32,520 --> 00:22:33,520 Oh, that's good. 427 00:22:34,520 --> 00:22:35,520 Boiling hot mini-donut? 428 00:22:35,520 --> 00:22:36,520 Yep, that's happening. 429 00:22:37,520 --> 00:22:39,520 Of course, I'll need some coffee to top off those donuts. 430 00:22:39,520 --> 00:22:43,520 And for my money, no one does that better than the Turks. 431 00:22:44,520 --> 00:22:47,520 Turkish coffee, one of the last grade inefficient beverages of the world. 432 00:22:47,520 --> 00:22:50,520 Miniature copper pots, burning hot cinders. 433 00:22:50,520 --> 00:22:57,520 At an age when you can get a cup of coffee made by a machine, it's completely illogical and unbelievably delicious. 434 00:23:02,520 --> 00:23:03,520 So good. 435 00:23:03,520 --> 00:23:04,520 Hot. 436 00:23:04,520 --> 00:23:05,520 Thick. 437 00:23:05,520 --> 00:23:06,520 Strong. 438 00:23:06,520 --> 00:23:13,520 With caffeine and sugar pulsing through my veins, I've got more than enough energy to get back to chasing the true cross's path through Istanbul. 439 00:23:15,520 --> 00:23:22,520 At first blush, it may not make much sense to be looking for the most deeply revered Christian relic in a thoroughly Muslim country. 440 00:23:22,520 --> 00:23:25,520 But this city wasn't always brimming with mosques. 441 00:23:25,520 --> 00:23:28,520 It was once a second capital for a Christian Rome. 442 00:23:32,520 --> 00:23:39,520 And around the year 330 AD, the Roman emperor Constantine makes a historic decision to establish a new capital in the east. 443 00:23:39,520 --> 00:23:41,520 And he chooses this city. 444 00:23:41,520 --> 00:23:45,520 People just started calling the city after the emperor, and Constantinople was born. 445 00:23:48,520 --> 00:23:50,520 A lot of old Constantinople is still here. 446 00:23:50,520 --> 00:23:52,520 It's just hiding underground. 447 00:23:57,520 --> 00:23:59,520 This is the Basilica cistern. 448 00:23:59,520 --> 00:24:03,520 A magnificent forest of stone columns in perpetual darkness. 449 00:24:03,520 --> 00:24:07,520 A place where Medusa heads were used as decorations. 450 00:24:07,520 --> 00:24:12,520 1500 years ago, these caverns supplied Constantinople with drinking water. 451 00:24:12,520 --> 00:24:18,520 And throughout the city, there are stairways and passages that lead down to other ruins of this Christian capital. 452 00:24:20,520 --> 00:24:23,520 But the biggest relic from Constantinople is sitting in plain sight. 453 00:24:26,520 --> 00:24:28,520 The Hagia Sophia. 454 00:24:29,520 --> 00:24:35,520 Built in the 6th century, it stood for a thousand years as the largest cathedral in the world. 455 00:24:35,520 --> 00:24:41,520 In 1204, a historian wrote that he saw two pieces of the true cross here as thick as a man's leg. 456 00:24:41,520 --> 00:24:47,520 Then, in 1453, the Ottomans took over and brought Islamic rule. 457 00:24:47,520 --> 00:24:54,520 Rather than level the place, they covered up the Christian imagery with stunning Arabic shields and converted it into a mosque. 458 00:24:54,520 --> 00:25:00,520 Some believe priests may have hidden the most important Christian relic of the Hagia Sophia somewhere nearby. 459 00:25:00,520 --> 00:25:03,520 And one historian thinks he knows where. 460 00:25:07,520 --> 00:25:09,520 Hello, how are you? 461 00:25:09,520 --> 00:25:11,520 Good, nice to meet you. 462 00:25:11,520 --> 00:25:15,520 Goksal Gulunsoy has been exploring Istanbul's underworld for years. 463 00:25:15,520 --> 00:25:19,520 In terms of things like the true cross, in terms of holy relics, 464 00:25:19,520 --> 00:25:24,520 do you think it's possible that the cross or pieces of it survived today here in the city still? 465 00:25:24,520 --> 00:25:27,520 I will share a secret with you. 466 00:25:27,520 --> 00:25:31,520 There could be biblical relics hidden in passageways right beneath us. 467 00:25:31,520 --> 00:25:32,520 Underneath us? 468 00:25:32,520 --> 00:25:33,520 Yes, underneath us. 469 00:25:33,520 --> 00:25:38,520 Goksal explains that we are walking on a crossroad between the three most important structures in old Constantinople. 470 00:25:40,520 --> 00:25:44,520 Behind us is the Hagia Sophia, the center of religious power. 471 00:25:44,520 --> 00:25:47,520 Right next door stood the Byzantine Emperor's Palace. 472 00:25:47,520 --> 00:25:49,520 Sadly, there's nothing left of it today. 473 00:25:49,520 --> 00:25:57,520 And just beneath us lie the remains of the Hippodrome, a horse racing stadium big enough to hold 100,000 spectators. 474 00:25:59,520 --> 00:26:04,520 When the emperor visited the horse races or the cathedral, no one ever spotted him arriving. 475 00:26:05,520 --> 00:26:12,520 Goksal believes the emperor must have traveled between these three important buildings by way of secret underground passages. 476 00:26:13,520 --> 00:26:14,520 So there must be tunnels. 477 00:26:14,520 --> 00:26:15,520 Yes. 478 00:26:15,520 --> 00:26:16,520 Do you think that it can be reached? 479 00:26:16,520 --> 00:26:18,520 Yeah, I'm going to extend, Mr. 480 00:26:18,520 --> 00:26:19,520 Do I want to see it? 481 00:26:19,520 --> 00:26:20,520 Yeah, go ahead and extend. 482 00:26:20,520 --> 00:26:21,520 Yeah, I want to see it. 483 00:26:21,520 --> 00:26:22,520 Okay, I'll go ahead and give it to him. 484 00:26:22,520 --> 00:26:23,520 Please? 485 00:26:23,520 --> 00:26:24,520 Yeah. 486 00:26:25,520 --> 00:26:32,520 Goksal believes that remnants of the Holy Cross are hidden here, and he introduces us to his team conducting the investigation. 487 00:26:33,520 --> 00:26:34,520 How are you? Nice to meet you guys. 488 00:26:34,520 --> 00:26:35,520 So this is it? 489 00:26:35,520 --> 00:26:36,520 Yes. 490 00:26:36,520 --> 00:26:38,520 So what is this door? 491 00:26:38,520 --> 00:26:41,520 The door is made for the front. 492 00:26:41,520 --> 00:26:48,520 This part of the building was used for keeping the horses as stables, you know? 493 00:26:48,520 --> 00:26:49,520 Right. Is it safe? 494 00:26:54,520 --> 00:26:56,520 The silence is telling. 495 00:26:57,520 --> 00:27:00,520 Everybody got very quiet there when I asked if it was safe. What are the conditions like? 496 00:27:05,520 --> 00:27:06,520 I got it. Not safe. 497 00:27:07,520 --> 00:27:08,520 Not safe is what that's called. 498 00:27:08,520 --> 00:27:13,520 We waste no time and suit up in caving gear. 499 00:27:13,520 --> 00:27:22,520 We also have paramedics on standby, and they give us emergency oxygen, since the air beneath the hippodrome is potentially toxic. 500 00:27:27,520 --> 00:27:28,520 Whoa. 501 00:27:28,520 --> 00:27:29,520 Okay. 502 00:27:29,520 --> 00:27:30,520 Okay, here we go. 503 00:27:39,520 --> 00:27:47,520 I've joined explorers in the city of Istanbul, searching for evidence of the true cross of Jesus. 504 00:27:47,520 --> 00:27:48,520 Here we go. 505 00:27:48,520 --> 00:27:57,520 We're about to descend beneath the ancient chariot racing arena known as the hippodrome, where researcher Goksal Gulensoy believes precious relics are hidden. 506 00:27:57,520 --> 00:27:58,520 Whoa. 507 00:28:00,520 --> 00:28:01,520 Okay, under the hippodrome. 508 00:28:01,520 --> 00:28:02,520 Yes. 509 00:28:02,520 --> 00:28:04,520 Look at the size of this place. 510 00:28:05,520 --> 00:28:06,520 Yeah. 511 00:28:07,520 --> 00:28:08,520 A little wet. 512 00:28:10,520 --> 00:28:12,520 The question is how deep is that water? 513 00:28:13,520 --> 00:28:14,520 Maybe knee-deep. 514 00:28:14,520 --> 00:28:15,520 Okay. 515 00:28:15,520 --> 00:28:16,520 Let's give it a whirl. 516 00:28:26,520 --> 00:28:30,520 Goksal and his team have already mapped part of the underside of the hippodrome. 517 00:28:30,520 --> 00:28:35,520 We're heading along the curved outer wall toward the stables and tunnels they've never explored. 518 00:28:36,520 --> 00:28:49,520 This water is maybe the dirtiest water I've ever been in. 519 00:28:49,520 --> 00:28:55,520 It's literally parts of dead birds, all sorts of nastiness everywhere you step. 520 00:28:55,520 --> 00:29:08,520 So we have these little rooms that offshoot here, and they would have been stables, I guess, originally, for horses underneath the hippodrome. 521 00:29:09,520 --> 00:29:12,520 As we check out each stable, it appears they're all dead ends. 522 00:29:12,520 --> 00:29:16,520 So we have to look to see if any of these connect out to any passages. 523 00:29:25,520 --> 00:29:30,520 Just as I'm getting the hang of walking in liquid bird flu, we hit a wall, literally. 524 00:29:32,520 --> 00:29:35,520 Thankfully, Goksal and his team are undeterred. 525 00:29:36,520 --> 00:29:38,520 So I think I got this. 526 00:29:38,520 --> 00:29:39,520 Oop. 527 00:29:39,520 --> 00:29:40,520 Okay. 528 00:29:40,520 --> 00:29:46,520 They rig up a makeshift ladder, attach it to something unsafe looking, and I head up and over. 529 00:29:50,520 --> 00:29:52,520 Right, I'm done. 530 00:29:52,520 --> 00:29:53,520 Okay, coming down. 531 00:29:53,520 --> 00:29:55,520 The world's sketchy ladder. 532 00:29:55,520 --> 00:29:56,520 Check. 533 00:30:01,520 --> 00:30:02,520 Okay. 534 00:30:02,520 --> 00:30:04,520 Okay, I'm down. 535 00:30:04,520 --> 00:30:09,520 As I step back into the muck on the other side, something isn't quite right. 536 00:30:09,520 --> 00:30:11,520 The other part of the tunnel is the second part. 537 00:30:11,520 --> 00:30:12,520 Yeah. 538 00:30:12,520 --> 00:30:15,520 The first part of the tunnel is the worst part. 539 00:30:15,520 --> 00:30:16,520 Bad, yeah. 540 00:30:16,520 --> 00:30:17,520 You can taste it almost. 541 00:30:17,520 --> 00:30:22,520 It's like, I don't know if it's gas or a chemical or something, but it's bad. 542 00:30:23,520 --> 00:30:24,520 We should use masks. 543 00:30:24,520 --> 00:30:25,520 Masks, yes. 544 00:30:25,520 --> 00:30:26,520 Okay. 545 00:30:29,520 --> 00:30:31,520 Okay, here we go. 546 00:30:32,520 --> 00:30:41,520 This seems like the least fitting place in the world for the true cross, but these passages were once frequented by Christians and perhaps even emperors hiding from the Ottomans. 547 00:30:44,520 --> 00:30:46,520 Whoa, it's a little deeper here. 548 00:30:46,520 --> 00:30:47,520 Yes. 549 00:30:48,520 --> 00:30:54,520 Eventually, we reach the end of the curved wall, but haven't found any new passages. 550 00:30:54,520 --> 00:30:57,520 So we head back to explore the other direction. 551 00:30:57,520 --> 00:31:03,520 This area is promising because it's closer to the Isis of Fia and the emperors' palace. 552 00:31:04,520 --> 00:31:06,520 This old piping here. 553 00:31:06,520 --> 00:31:07,520 Yep. 554 00:31:07,520 --> 00:31:08,520 Whoa. 555 00:31:09,520 --> 00:31:10,520 Jesus. 556 00:31:12,520 --> 00:31:14,520 Passageway of some kind. 557 00:31:14,520 --> 00:31:16,520 What was this originally, do you think? 558 00:31:17,520 --> 00:31:19,520 The emperors and the priests, the important people. 559 00:31:19,520 --> 00:31:25,520 It might be an escaped tunnel for the important person, like the emperor or his family. 560 00:31:25,520 --> 00:31:31,520 If we're looking for holy artifacts, tunnels like this that would have been obscured from the general population are a great place to look. 561 00:31:32,520 --> 00:31:34,520 Do you want to go first or second? 562 00:31:35,520 --> 00:31:52,520 With every step, I'm feeling a little wary that we're getting farther from the only known exit and deeper into a very narrow, very dark, thousand-year-old passage. 563 00:31:54,520 --> 00:31:56,520 It never ends, it just goes and goes and goes. 564 00:31:57,520 --> 00:31:58,520 Follow me. 565 00:31:58,520 --> 00:31:59,520 Okay. 566 00:31:59,520 --> 00:32:00,520 After you. 567 00:32:04,520 --> 00:32:10,520 We're looking for some kind of opening in the ceiling, in the walls or in the floor, and then we get a break. 568 00:32:10,520 --> 00:32:13,520 What's he got? 569 00:32:13,520 --> 00:32:16,520 Do you see something? 570 00:32:16,520 --> 00:32:17,520 Yeah. 571 00:32:24,520 --> 00:32:31,520 I'm in Istanbul, several stories below street level, following a team of researchers inside the ancient hippodrome. 572 00:32:31,520 --> 00:32:36,520 We're searching for a lost passageway that might lead us to the true cross of Jesus. 573 00:32:37,520 --> 00:32:39,520 There's a small road on the left. 574 00:32:39,520 --> 00:32:40,520 There it is. 575 00:32:40,520 --> 00:32:41,520 What's he got? 576 00:32:42,520 --> 00:32:43,520 You see something? 577 00:32:43,520 --> 00:32:46,520 There's another room. 578 00:32:47,520 --> 00:32:48,520 Can you get down into it? 579 00:32:48,520 --> 00:32:49,520 Yeah. 580 00:32:50,520 --> 00:32:52,520 Let's see what's there. 581 00:32:56,520 --> 00:32:58,520 Before I can squeeze down to reach Goksel, 582 00:32:58,520 --> 00:32:59,520 Oh man, that's tight. 583 00:32:59,520 --> 00:33:03,520 it appears that he's made another find, a tiny opening in a side wall. 584 00:33:03,520 --> 00:33:05,520 It's a clean breeze coming through the hole. 585 00:33:05,520 --> 00:33:07,520 The air's colder here, yeah? 586 00:33:07,520 --> 00:33:08,520 Yeah. 587 00:33:08,520 --> 00:33:09,520 Yeah, it's colder. 588 00:33:09,520 --> 00:33:11,520 Like a room. 589 00:33:11,520 --> 00:33:13,520 Room, yes. 590 00:33:13,520 --> 00:33:14,520 Can we see into it? 591 00:33:16,520 --> 00:33:22,520 Unfortunately, the hole is too small to see through, and widening it could trigger a collapse. 592 00:33:22,520 --> 00:33:25,520 So we decide to rig a makeshift probe. 593 00:33:25,520 --> 00:33:28,520 This tiny camera might just give us a peek inside. 594 00:33:30,520 --> 00:33:31,520 Whoa! 595 00:33:31,520 --> 00:33:33,520 This connects through to a bigger space. 596 00:33:35,520 --> 00:33:37,520 There's definitely a chamber back there. 597 00:33:37,520 --> 00:33:39,520 It's flooded and see the waterline. 598 00:33:39,520 --> 00:33:41,520 It's hard to tell, it might go on underneath there. 599 00:33:42,520 --> 00:33:44,520 It's silted up, but I think it continues. 600 00:33:46,520 --> 00:33:48,520 You've got an unexplored room back there. 601 00:33:48,520 --> 00:33:50,520 Unexplored tunnel. 602 00:33:50,520 --> 00:33:51,520 Next time? 603 00:33:51,520 --> 00:33:54,520 Yeah, you bring the demolition equipment. 604 00:33:54,520 --> 00:33:55,520 Okay. 605 00:33:55,520 --> 00:33:56,520 Okay, hey. 606 00:33:56,520 --> 00:33:57,520 I'm waiting. 607 00:33:57,520 --> 00:33:59,520 That's absolutely incredible. 608 00:33:59,520 --> 00:34:00,520 Okay. 609 00:34:00,520 --> 00:34:03,520 Nobody's been back there for a thousand years probably. 610 00:34:03,520 --> 00:34:09,520 We've officially discovered a never-before-documented chamber inside Istanbul's hippodrome. 611 00:34:09,520 --> 00:34:13,520 But it will take months, or perhaps even years, to excavate our find. 612 00:34:13,520 --> 00:34:14,520 Hey, great job. 613 00:34:14,520 --> 00:34:15,520 Okay. 614 00:34:15,520 --> 00:34:16,520 Oh man. 615 00:34:16,520 --> 00:34:18,520 We're alive! 616 00:34:22,520 --> 00:34:28,520 Only time will tell if the tunnels beneath the hippodrome contain holy relics like the True Cross. 617 00:34:28,520 --> 00:34:34,520 And historic sources reveal that smaller fragments of the cross were splintered off in Istanbul 618 00:34:34,520 --> 00:34:38,520 to help establish new churches and spread Christianity. 619 00:34:38,520 --> 00:34:43,520 In 2013, an archaeologist leading a dig at a church in a small Turkish town 620 00:34:43,520 --> 00:34:47,520 made a monumental discovery connected to the True Cross. 621 00:34:48,520 --> 00:34:56,520 To find out more, I'm headed to Sinop, a town located on the Turkish coast, 300 miles northeast of Istanbul. 622 00:35:03,520 --> 00:35:05,520 Welcome to the town of Sinop. 623 00:35:05,520 --> 00:35:09,520 This is northern Turkey, as far north as you can get along the edge of the Black Sea. 624 00:35:09,520 --> 00:35:13,520 2,500 years ago, this was a Greek colony. 625 00:35:13,520 --> 00:35:17,520 After that, it was conquered by the Romans, then became part of the Byzantine Empire, 626 00:35:17,520 --> 00:35:20,520 and then the Ottomans, the Turks, and so on and so on. 627 00:35:20,520 --> 00:35:25,520 On paper, it might seem like kind of a weird place to look for the True Cross of Jesus, 628 00:35:25,520 --> 00:35:30,520 and it would be, except that just recently archaeologists here made an awesome discovery. 629 00:35:37,520 --> 00:35:41,520 On the outskirts of town, I meet with archaeologist Gulgun Karaglo. 630 00:35:41,520 --> 00:35:46,520 Her and her team have uncovered the remains of the 1400-year-old Balatlar Church. 631 00:35:50,520 --> 00:35:56,520 There's not one, but three cemeteries here, spanning more than a thousand years of history. 632 00:35:57,520 --> 00:36:01,520 Wow, really impressive site. It's huge. 633 00:36:01,520 --> 00:36:04,520 So you've been working here since when? 634 00:36:05,520 --> 00:36:08,520 They start the excavations in 2010. 635 00:36:10,520 --> 00:36:13,520 After several years of digging, Gulgun unearthed this. 636 00:36:15,520 --> 00:36:22,520 The corner of a stone box bearing a crucifix symbol that may have been used to hold a significant Biblical relic. 637 00:36:22,520 --> 00:36:29,520 The find made news around the world, since many believed a piece of the True Cross could be close at hand. 638 00:36:29,520 --> 00:36:33,520 So let's talk about this box that you discovered here. Can you show me where you found it? 639 00:36:33,520 --> 00:36:35,520 I'll take you back here. 640 00:36:42,520 --> 00:36:46,520 As we make our way to the back of the site, we're walking further back in time. 641 00:36:46,520 --> 00:36:49,520 Finally, we arrive at the oldest structure here. 642 00:36:53,520 --> 00:36:56,520 So this is where this box was found. 643 00:36:56,520 --> 00:37:00,520 So other than the fragment of the relic box that you find anything else in the pit. 644 00:37:01,520 --> 00:37:05,520 Nothing, but we have recently found something pretty incredible nearby. 645 00:37:17,520 --> 00:37:22,520 This is incredible. This is a burial obviously from what year do we think, roughly? 646 00:37:22,520 --> 00:37:24,520 It's the 7th century. 647 00:37:24,520 --> 00:37:26,520 7th century. God, look at that. That is something else. 648 00:37:27,520 --> 00:37:34,520 This is a big lead, a prominent grave located near the spot where the mysterious stone fragment was found. 649 00:37:34,520 --> 00:37:37,520 And best of all, we're going to excavate it right now. 650 00:37:46,520 --> 00:37:49,520 It can be a kafata suvar bro. There's a second skull. 651 00:37:50,520 --> 00:37:51,520 Look at that. 652 00:37:54,520 --> 00:37:56,520 And this is not from the same skull as this? 653 00:37:56,520 --> 00:37:57,520 No. 654 00:37:57,520 --> 00:37:58,520 Look at that. 655 00:37:59,520 --> 00:38:01,520 How many people do you think are buried here? 656 00:38:01,520 --> 00:38:02,520 Four people. 657 00:38:02,520 --> 00:38:04,520 Four? That is incredible. 658 00:38:05,520 --> 00:38:07,520 We continue excavating a family of four. 659 00:38:07,520 --> 00:38:10,520 But just as things are getting really interesting. 660 00:38:11,520 --> 00:38:13,520 Guys, we have to stop. 661 00:38:13,520 --> 00:38:14,520 We have to stop why? 662 00:38:14,520 --> 00:38:15,520 Tea. 663 00:38:15,520 --> 00:38:16,520 Tea time. 664 00:38:16,520 --> 00:38:17,520 Tea time. 665 00:38:17,520 --> 00:38:19,520 Tea time. Sure. Okay. 666 00:38:20,520 --> 00:38:22,520 This isn't just a quick run to Starbucks either. 667 00:38:22,520 --> 00:38:25,520 Here in Turkey, tea is serious business. 668 00:38:25,520 --> 00:38:28,520 This is the greatest archaeological excavation of all time. 669 00:38:28,520 --> 00:38:30,520 It has bundt cake. 670 00:38:30,520 --> 00:38:32,520 I've never been in a dig with bundt cake before. 671 00:38:35,520 --> 00:38:38,520 You never saw this scene in Indiana Jones where he stopped for cake. 672 00:38:38,520 --> 00:38:40,520 They cut right past that. 673 00:38:41,520 --> 00:38:45,520 After our mandatory Turkish snack break, we get back to work. 674 00:38:45,520 --> 00:38:48,520 Excavating a tomb near the location of a Biblical box. 675 00:38:49,520 --> 00:38:51,520 And you think there could be more skeletons in here as well? 676 00:38:51,520 --> 00:38:53,520 There's more people. 677 00:38:53,520 --> 00:38:55,520 We're right here. 678 00:38:55,520 --> 00:38:56,520 Did you find something? 679 00:38:56,520 --> 00:38:57,520 Interesting. 680 00:38:59,520 --> 00:39:00,520 What is it? 681 00:39:01,520 --> 00:39:02,520 It's hollow. 682 00:39:03,520 --> 00:39:05,520 It feels like there's a cavity under it. 683 00:39:06,520 --> 00:39:08,520 I've never seen anything like this. 684 00:39:08,520 --> 00:39:10,520 I feel like there's a cavity under it. 685 00:39:15,520 --> 00:39:17,520 Want even more expedition unknown? 686 00:39:17,520 --> 00:39:22,520 You can check out my personal photos, deleted scenes, and more at TravelChannel.com. 687 00:39:27,520 --> 00:39:31,520 I'm pitching in at an archaeological dig in the Turkish town of Sinal. 688 00:39:31,520 --> 00:39:35,520 And what looked like a simple headstone might be much more than we realized. 689 00:39:36,520 --> 00:39:37,520 You're right here. 690 00:39:38,520 --> 00:39:39,520 Did you find something? 691 00:39:39,520 --> 00:39:40,520 Interesting. 692 00:39:40,520 --> 00:39:41,520 What is it? 693 00:39:43,520 --> 00:39:44,520 It's hollow. 694 00:39:44,520 --> 00:39:47,520 It feels like there's a cavity under it. 695 00:39:47,520 --> 00:39:48,520 It's hollow, yeah? 696 00:39:48,520 --> 00:39:49,520 Yeah, yeah. 697 00:39:50,520 --> 00:39:51,520 You want to flip it? 698 00:39:51,520 --> 00:39:52,520 Yeah, sure. 699 00:39:52,520 --> 00:39:53,520 Okay, hold on. 700 00:39:53,520 --> 00:39:54,520 Ready? 701 00:39:59,520 --> 00:40:00,520 Look at that! 702 00:40:03,520 --> 00:40:04,520 It's hollowed out. 703 00:40:04,520 --> 00:40:06,520 It's not a stone, it's a container. 704 00:40:07,520 --> 00:40:08,520 What do you think this is? 705 00:40:11,520 --> 00:40:13,520 It could be a container for a holy roller. 706 00:40:14,520 --> 00:40:16,520 This is like the fragment you found earlier. 707 00:40:16,520 --> 00:40:17,520 Same idea. 708 00:40:17,520 --> 00:40:21,520 This would have been used for something, something holy. 709 00:40:22,520 --> 00:40:24,520 And do you think it could be for something like a holy cross? 710 00:40:27,520 --> 00:40:29,520 I think the site still holds great secrets. 711 00:40:30,520 --> 00:40:32,520 This is a huge find. 712 00:40:32,520 --> 00:40:36,520 A largely intact box that may have been used for a sacred burial 713 00:40:36,520 --> 00:40:39,520 or to hold an important Christian relic. 714 00:40:39,520 --> 00:40:41,520 So now the question is, what was inside of this? 715 00:40:42,520 --> 00:40:43,520 So, more work to do. 716 00:40:44,520 --> 00:40:45,520 Yes, more soil to turn. 717 00:40:45,520 --> 00:40:47,520 Who knows what's down there, yeah? 718 00:40:53,520 --> 00:40:55,520 My mission to follow the trail of the true cross 719 00:40:55,520 --> 00:40:58,520 has taken me from the heart of the Holy Land 720 00:40:58,520 --> 00:41:00,520 to a former Christian capital 721 00:41:00,520 --> 00:41:02,520 and to the very edge of an empire. 722 00:41:03,520 --> 00:41:05,520 Along the way, I've been lucky enough to see 723 00:41:05,520 --> 00:41:07,520 closely guarded holy relics 724 00:41:08,520 --> 00:41:10,520 and stunning historic artifacts. 725 00:41:10,520 --> 00:41:13,520 I've been on hand to participate in the discovery 726 00:41:13,520 --> 00:41:17,520 of unknown chambers and major archeological finds. 727 00:41:17,520 --> 00:41:19,520 It's all given me a new perspective 728 00:41:19,520 --> 00:41:21,520 on the importance of this story. 729 00:41:22,520 --> 00:41:25,520 The cross is more than just an artifact. 730 00:41:25,520 --> 00:41:26,520 It's more than a symbol. 731 00:41:26,520 --> 00:41:30,520 To billions, it is a living promise of salvation. 732 00:41:31,520 --> 00:41:33,520 And whether you believe in its power, 733 00:41:33,520 --> 00:41:35,520 it's hard not to be impressed by the explorers 734 00:41:35,520 --> 00:41:38,520 who have taken on the most unknown expedition of all. 735 00:41:39,520 --> 00:41:42,520 The quest to reconcile faith with history. 736 00:41:42,520 --> 00:41:45,520 Could biblical relics like the true cross still be out there? 737 00:41:47,520 --> 00:41:51,520 With so many exciting finds, I feel confident there's more to discover. 738 00:41:51,520 --> 00:41:55,520 And I for one feel blessed to have been invited along 739 00:41:55,520 --> 00:41:57,520 on the journey.