True Cross of Christ

**True Cross of Christ** is the 12th episode in Season 2 of Expedition Unknown.

## Plot Synopsis

Gates searches for the True Cross and visits Jerusalem, Israel and Istanbul, Turkey, to find if the cross or fragments of it still exist. The cross was cut into three pieces on the orders of Empress Helena. He examines this legend at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in the Old City where Jesus was crucified. He then learns more about crucifixion in Tel Aviv, and discovers ancient cross wall carvings at the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem. Next, he heads to the Ayasofya in Constantinople, where priests hid pieces of the relic under the nearby Hippodrome. Lastly, he joins archaeologists at a dig in Sinop, Turkey.

## Historical Context

"The Cross of Jesus Christ. It is the most recognised religious icon on Earth. A relic with mystical healing powers and a symbol of Christianity for over a billion believers worldwide. The True Cross is an archaeological treasure without equal buts its journey through history has been so clouded with intrigue and legend that today, its fate is unknown. So does the cross - or pieces of it - still exist? And if so, can they be found?"

- Josh Gates

## Summary

Josh goes to Jerusalem, Israel and to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. In the 4th century, the mother of Emperor Constantine, Helena, went to the Holy Land to search for artefacts related to Jesus and supposedly found the True Cross buried under the Hill of Golgotha - where the Sepulchre is now built. Josh meets Pallo Cablio, an archbishop, who says Helena split the cross into three pieces - one was sent to Jerusalem, one to a monastery for disciples, and one to Constantinople. Pallo takes Josh to the execution site of Jesus and shows him pieces of the cross but says he does not want them to be carbon tested.

Josh then heads to Tel Aviv and meets Israel Hershkovitz, an anthropologist. Israel shows Josh the one global artefact that shows evidence of Roman crucifixion - a nail through a heel bone with positioning that suggested victims were nailed to X-shaped crosses instead of T-shaped. Josh then heads to Bethlehem and the Church of the Nativity. He meets Paolo Guazzini, a researcher, restoring the roof of the church and frescos inside. Paolo found a hidden fresco with an angel moving towards the True Cross and three crosses engraved in a wall which will be scanned someday.

In Istanbul, Josh meets Goksel Gulensoy, a researcher and they go into passages underneath the city to search for the cross. They have to wear masks and have paramedics on standby because the air is toxic and chemical-filled. They find an unexplored room in the passages but it's too small to get into so they leave it until it can be properly excavated.

Josh's final destination is Sinop, Turkey where he meets archaeologist, Gulgun Koroglu. She has uncovered the remains of a Balatlar church where they've found 3 cemeteries. Gulgun also found a stone box engraved with a crucifix symbol which may have held pieces of the True Cross. Josh, Gulgun, and Gulgun's team excavate a burial that has four people buried. They also find a hollowed out container which could've contained pieces of the True Cross.

## Final Words

"My mission to follow the trail of the True Cross has taken me from the heart of the holy land to a former Christian capital and to the very edge of an empire. Along the way, I've been lucky enough to see closely guarded holy relics and stunning historic artefacts. I've been on hand to participate in the discovery of unknown chambers and major archaeological finds. It's all given me a new perspective on the importance of this story. The cross is more than just an artefact. It's more than a symbol. To billions, it is a living promise of salvation and whether you believe in its power, its hard not to be impressed by the explorers who have taken on the most unknown expedition of all - the quest to reconcile faith with history. Could Biblical relics like the True Cross still be out there? With so many exciting finds, I feel confident there's more to discover. And I, for one, feel blessed to have been invited along on the journey."

- Josh Gates

## Notes & Trivia

* *This is where you can put notes and trivia, anything that is interesting or strange can be included here*

## Quotes

* "Temperature today, 195,000 degrees. Roughly."
* "If you're looking for a gift - especially for the kids - while you're here in the Holy Land, you can't beat the crown of thorns."
* "This is effectively sugar covered in sugar."
* World's sketchiest latter, check."
* "This is the worlds greatest archaeological excavation of all time. It has Bundt cake. I've never been on a dig with Bundt cake before."
* "Have you ever thought to yourself I'd like to have a bathroom emergency right now? May I recommend 100% raw turnip juice."
* "It's a big of Skittles put into a blender plus a tube of Starbursts."
* "All right, let's go. I got a Teletubby shoot in about an hour."
* "According to my fitness tracker, I just died."

## Gallery

Photos shown in the slideshow are from Travel Channel: Amazing Places Featured on Expedition Unknown, Season 2 slideshow. If you hover over the images, their exact image address will appear.

* Josh visits the Wailing Wall in Jerusalem, IsraelGo to https://travel.home.sndimg.com/content/dam/images/travel/fullrights/2016/07/12/0/TEXU208H\_Josh-Gates-True-Cross-Ark-of-Covenant-Jerusalem\_204907\_704193\_1250534.jpg.rend.hgtvcom.966.725.suffix/1491593023258.jpeg
* Josh and a group of archaeologists explore in tunnels under Istanbul for True Cross fragmentsGo to https://travel.home.sndimg.com/content/dam/images/travel/fullrights/2016/07/12/0/TEXU208H\_Josh-Gates-True-Cross-Jesus-Christ-Tunnels\_204907\_704222\_1250519.jpg.rend.hgtvcom.966.725.suffix/1491593023295.jpeg
* Josh and Goksel head into the tunnels under IstanbulGo to https://travel.home.sndimg.com/content/dam/images/travel/fullrights/2016/07/12/0/TEXU208H\_True-Cross-Jesus-Christ-Tunnels\_204907\_704189\_1250522.jpg.rend.hgtvcom.966.725.suffix/1491593023310.jpeg
* Josh searches for True Cross fragments in tunnels under the HippodromeGo to https://travel.home.sndimg.com/content/dam/images/travel/fullrights/2016/07/12/0/TEXU208H\_Josh-Gates-True-Cross-Jesus-Christ-Istanbul\_204907\_704214\_1250553.jpg.rend.hgtvcom.966.725.suffix/1491593023826.jpeg
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## References

1. ↑ https://static-us-east-2-fastly-a.www.philo.com/gracenote/assets/p12291960\_e\_h8\_ab.jpg