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When we were first treated to pics of the found chest, I suspect many of us were a bit underwhelmed. The treasure seemed hardly worth the years of effort and certainly not the post-find bizarre antics and ongoing mystery. Our imaginations had been primed for the exotic and the sparkle of lustrous gems, as well as a celebratory, definitive conclusion.
Three years on, I'm not so concerned with the hiding place anymore, nor the gold, but I was recently nudged toward a new rabbit hole by a comment on one of the latest videos. If anyone would like to join me down this particular warren, you're welcome, but please be aware that it could cave in at any moment!
First, a little background. People used to speculate about the "real" treasure at Forrest's special spot. In my less "tethered" moments, I'd considered things like the Hopi tablet in addition to much darker possibilities. As part of my personal quest I'd also visited Chalice Well in Glastonbury, which has ties to the Grail legend. Since the find, I'd laid most of that to one side, although I was ever curious about the spiritual threads in the chase. Before his departure, Old Pilot had been focusing on what he saw as links to the Christian story, but I'd not been able to reconcile that with Forrest's non-religious standpoint. However, the comment (which I now can't find) by someone going under the name of Hush Whisper got me thinking. He asked Lisa Cesari about the stains on the wood in the chest and suggested that these were of importance. Of course, I immediately thought of blood . . . and that's when I fell straight into the bunny's domain.
What if the chest was created not for what might be placed in it, but to protect - and hide in plain sight - something that might be considered priceless? What if the "lines cross" right inside that chest? What if fakes were important to safeguard the original as well as to keep the story alive? Here's what I found on Wikipedia (my bold red):
"The Titulus Crucis (Latin for "Title of the Cross") is a piece of wood kept in the Church of Santa Croce in Gerusalemme in Rome which is claimed to be the titulus (title panel) of the True Cross on which Jesus Christ was crucified.[1] It is venerated by some Catholics as a relic associated with Jesus. Its authenticity is disputed, with some scholars confirming a plausible authenticity,[2] while others ignore[3] or consider it to be a medieval forgery.[4] Radiocarbon dating tests on the artifact have shown that it dates between 980 and 1146 AD.[5]
The board is made of walnut wood, 25 cm × 14 cm × 2.6 cm (9.8 in × 5.5 in × 1.0 in) and has a weight of 687 grams (1.515 lb). It is inscribed on one side with three lines, of which the first is mostly destroyed. The second line is written in Greek letters and reversed script, the third in Latin letters, also with reversed script.[6] The Latin reads Iesus Nazarenus Rex Iudaeorum ("Jesus the Nazarene King of the Jews"),[7] corresponding to John 19:19[8] and the initials INRI familiar to Roman Catholics. The Titulus Crucis is also mentioned in the Synoptics: in Mark 15:26[9] (as the reason of the crucifixion), in Luke 23:38[10] and in Matthew 27:37.[11]"
So for those left still reading, here's what occurred to me. Legend has it that parts of the cross were distributed early in Christianity's history. If the "Title" were to be kept safe, it might be copied and displayed for public veneration, while the original is hidden. What if the hider came up with the idea of encasing it in bronze, with the inscription hidden by placing that side against the metal? It then appears to be a "regular" lined chest. What is really intriguing is that the dimensions of the medieval forgery appear to be very similar to Fenn's chest, except for the thickness of the wood (which would be less important in maintaining an authentic appearance).
This may be a ridiculous line of thought, but circumstantially quite a number of things feed into it:
Three years on, I'm not so concerned with the hiding place anymore, nor the gold, but I was recently nudged toward a new rabbit hole by a comment on one of the latest videos. If anyone would like to join me down this particular warren, you're welcome, but please be aware that it could cave in at any moment!
First, a little background. People used to speculate about the "real" treasure at Forrest's special spot. In my less "tethered" moments, I'd considered things like the Hopi tablet in addition to much darker possibilities. As part of my personal quest I'd also visited Chalice Well in Glastonbury, which has ties to the Grail legend. Since the find, I'd laid most of that to one side, although I was ever curious about the spiritual threads in the chase. Before his departure, Old Pilot had been focusing on what he saw as links to the Christian story, but I'd not been able to reconcile that with Forrest's non-religious standpoint. However, the comment (which I now can't find) by someone going under the name of Hush Whisper got me thinking. He asked Lisa Cesari about the stains on the wood in the chest and suggested that these were of importance. Of course, I immediately thought of blood . . . and that's when I fell straight into the bunny's domain.
What if the chest was created not for what might be placed in it, but to protect - and hide in plain sight - something that might be considered priceless? What if the "lines cross" right inside that chest? What if fakes were important to safeguard the original as well as to keep the story alive? Here's what I found on Wikipedia (my bold red):
"The Titulus Crucis (Latin for "Title of the Cross") is a piece of wood kept in the Church of Santa Croce in Gerusalemme in Rome which is claimed to be the titulus (title panel) of the True Cross on which Jesus Christ was crucified.[1] It is venerated by some Catholics as a relic associated with Jesus. Its authenticity is disputed, with some scholars confirming a plausible authenticity,[2] while others ignore[3] or consider it to be a medieval forgery.[4] Radiocarbon dating tests on the artifact have shown that it dates between 980 and 1146 AD.[5]
The board is made of walnut wood, 25 cm × 14 cm × 2.6 cm (9.8 in × 5.5 in × 1.0 in) and has a weight of 687 grams (1.515 lb). It is inscribed on one side with three lines, of which the first is mostly destroyed. The second line is written in Greek letters and reversed script, the third in Latin letters, also with reversed script.[6] The Latin reads Iesus Nazarenus Rex Iudaeorum ("Jesus the Nazarene King of the Jews"),[7] corresponding to John 19:19[8] and the initials INRI familiar to Roman Catholics. The Titulus Crucis is also mentioned in the Synoptics: in Mark 15:26[9] (as the reason of the crucifixion), in Luke 23:38[10] and in Matthew 27:37.[11]"
So for those left still reading, here's what occurred to me. Legend has it that parts of the cross were distributed early in Christianity's history. If the "Title" were to be kept safe, it might be copied and displayed for public veneration, while the original is hidden. What if the hider came up with the idea of encasing it in bronze, with the inscription hidden by placing that side against the metal? It then appears to be a "regular" lined chest. What is really intriguing is that the dimensions of the medieval forgery appear to be very similar to Fenn's chest, except for the thickness of the wood (which would be less important in maintaining an authentic appearance).
This may be a ridiculous line of thought, but circumstantially quite a number of things feed into it:
- Where the lines (inscription) cross;
- Nailed down;
- "Mirrors" in the chest and the backwards bike;
- The heavy emphasis on wood throughout the chase and its aftermath;
- The crosses seen hanging on the walls in the realtor photos of Fenn's house;
- The "wet" chest;
- The hints to "red," both in the poem and elsewhere;
- The missing X;
- King Fisher (King of the Jews);
- The one who deserves a throne;
- Tesouro Sagrado - SACRED TREASURE.
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