It’s hard to believe it’s been 20 years since Nicolas Cage starred in the movie, National Treasure. The action packed thriller features the hunt for a fabled stash of incredible riches from antiquity that had been hidden by our nation’s founders. Cage’s character, Ben Gates, searches for clues in our nation’s founding documents, historical buildings, and mysterious writings to discover an incredible stockpile beneath New York City.
According to the storyline, part of this treasure came from the Jewish Temple. The Biblical account of the large stores of gold, silver, and gems has fascinated readers and adventurers for years and when the Copper Scroll was discovered among the Dead Sea Scrolls in the 1940s, that interest skyrocketed. This unique piece consisted of cryptic clues referencing some 64 vast hordes buried at various secret locations. Thus far, searchers have come up short on their quest to find what is believed to be enormous riches that were hidden just prior to the Roman destruction of the Temple.
Although a large cache of enormous worth seems to be more fiction than fact, The Arch of Titus features a relief of triumphant Roman soldiers carrying a golden lampstand, silver trumpets, and a golden table from the Temple they had just plundered in 70AD. What happened to those items that were still in existence at that time? Some say Titus used the wealth he seized in Jerusalem to fund the construction of the Coliseum while the Summer 2023 issue of Biblical Archaeology Review reported that a Vatican guard claims he recently caught a glimpse of a shiny Menorah in a dark tunnel.
In addition, other Jewish writings tease dreamers with reports of 7,500 tons of pearls hidden in a tower and thousands of King David’s gold plated lutes buried near Zedekiah’s Spring. Imagine the excitement if any such wonders were discovered. These rumors and references keep archaeologists digging and movie directors filming.
While these fantastical reports tantalize and intrigue, there is one treasure of even greater worth right in plain sight. Portions of this prize are over 4,000 years old while others are nearly 2,000, and it’s freely available to everyone reading this article.
Although the Bible mentions gold over 450 times, the Psalmist declares in 119:72, “The law from [God’s] mouth is more precious to me than thousands of pieces of silver and gold,” and in 119:162, “I rejoice in your promise like one who finds great spoil.” Clearly the greatest of all treasures is not found in valuable commodities or artifacts, but in the priceless Word of God.
David says in Psalm 19:10-11 that God’s laws are more precious to him than much pure gold and sweeter than honey from the comb. He tells that they warn us and that there is great reward in obeying them. David was in a place to know the relative value of what he mentioned for he himself amassed incredible reserves of gold, silver, and precious stones as well as the finest of foods and drinks. Yet he prized God’s Word above them all.
Jesus referred not only to His Word but to God’s Kingdom as both a hidden treasure and a priceless pearl and that those who discovered them sold everything they had to acquire them. Too often, we tread underfoot the treasures of greatest value to obtain lesser ones. We neglect our spouses and families to store up more wealth. Most tragically, we leave our Bibles closed on our coffee tables or sitting on our shelves. Instead of mining the riches that God’s Word freely offers, we search out the latest teachers and teachings only to find our energy and souls depleted with nothing to show for it.
As we dream of tons of gold and pounds of pearls, may those thoughts lead us to the greatest treasure of all: the Bible. And may we seek to know the God of inestimable worth through His Holy Word. Blessings, George