Today I was reading an article about the blu-ray release of the Star Wars saga. I am a fan of the Star Wars movies but I wouldn’t say I was obsessed with it or anything like that. I have yet to own a blu-ray player so news of this release didn’t fill me with any particular excitement. Especially since there is talk of some more changes that George Lucas has made that seems to have the Star Wars fans in an uproar. You can read more about that in this article.

This reminded me of my ongoing assertion that when I saw Star Wars for the first time in 1977 at the age of 7, I saw scenes that are not in the version everyone is familiar with today.

There are 3 specific scenes that I clearly remember. I have talked with people about this in the past and have even posted questions on the Star Wars website and other fan pages and no one seems to know what I’m talking about. So the puzzle for me for all these years has been:
1. Did these scenes ever exist?
2. If so, why did I see them in the movie when no one else seems to have?
This is a puzzle I’ve been trying to solve for more than 30 years.

I’ve grown tired of no one believing me so with fresh determination I began scouring the web today looking for the proof I needed. And I believe I have found it. Through my reseach I found the website Blueharvest.net. There I discovered the original Star Wars script. I scanned through it and was excited about what I found. Let me explain the scenes I remember and then show you the proof that I found. These are not listed in the order they appear in the movie.

Memory 1

Location: In a hangar bay on the 4th moon of Yavin.
Point in storyline: As they are getting ready to leave to battle the Death Star.
What I remember seeing: Luke sees Biggs, shouts his name and runs over to him. They excitedly talk to each other although I don’t remember what the dialogue was.
Current status: CONFIRMED! This scene was restored in the 1997 special edition version so I already knew this one existed.. At the time it filled me with great joy and a sense of victory to suddenly realize that my memory of that scene was correct. The script I found also proves it:

Leia gives Luke a little kiss, turns, and goes off. As Luke heads for his ship, another pilot rushes up to him and grabs his arm.

BIGGS: Sir, Luke is the best bushpilot in the outer rim territories.

Memory 2

Location: Tatooine
Point in storyline: Right near the beginning of the movie
What I remember seeing: Before Vader’s troops board the Tantive IV and capture Princess Leia we see Luke on the surface of Tatooine. I don’t remember what he’s doing but at one point he looks up into the sky and sees the explosions from the battle taking place in space above him.
Current status: POSSIBLY CONFIRMED! I watched a video today that advertised the deleted scenes included in the blu-ray set. I got excited because I think this particular scene is one of them. I say that because at the 23 second mark of the video you see Luke looking up at the sky with his binoculars.

Now, I don’t know for sure if that’s the scene but unlike our Star Wars heroes I don’t have “a bad feeling about this”.

I found this scene in the script and it does seem to coincide with my memory (I’ve added my own emphasis on the specific part I’m referring to):

EXTERIOR: TATOOINE — DESERT WASTELAND — DAY.

A death-white wasteland stretches from horizon to horizon. The tremendous heat of two huge twin suns settle on a lone figure, Luke Skywalker, a farm boy with heroic aspirations who looks much younger than his eighteen years. His shaggy hair and baggy tunic give him the air of a simple but lovable lad with a prize-winning smile.
A light wind whips at him as he adjusts several valves on a large battered moisture vaporator which sticks out of the desert floor much like an oil pipe with valves. He is aided by a beatup tread-robot with six claw arms. The little robot appears to be barely functioning and moves with jerky motions. A bright sparkle in the morning sky catches Luke’s eye and he instinctively grabs a pair of electrobinoculars from his utility belt. He stands transfixed for a few moments studying the heavens, then dashed toward his dented, crudely repaired Landspeeder (an auto-like transport that travels a few feet above the ground on a magnetic-field). He motions for the tiny robot to follow him.

As further support of this I did some research on Youtube and found some additional deleted scenes from the movie. One in particular showed Luke talking with Biggs and other friends on Tatooine about seeing a battle going on above them. They look in his binoculars and tell him he’s mistaken and Biggs says “I tell you Luke, the rebellion’s a long way from here”. Although this scene wasn’t in the movie the fact that it was filmed lends credibility to my belief that a scene with Luke looking up at the sky does, or did, exist. I guess we won’t know for sure until September 16th when the blu-ray edition is scheduled to be released. I’ll have to find a friend that has a blu-ray player.

Memory 3

Location: Luke’s X-wing fighter
Point in storyline: During the Death Star battle. Biggs’ ship has just been blown up.
What I remember seeing: Not so much what I remember seeing as what I remember hearing. When Luke sees his friend’s ship has been destroyed and Biggs killed he pauses for a moment, pain on his face, and he says, “We were a couple of shooting stars”.
Current status: UNCONFIRMED! In the past I have asked several Star Wars fans and even the Star Wars website if Luke ever spoke that line. No one recalls it. They invariably say the same thing, that either my memories are false or I am remembering scenes from other movies.

In the script I located a scene that contained the phrase “shooting stars” but apparently my memory may actually be wrong. I thought it was Luke but it was in fact Biggs that referred to the two of them as shooting stars and it was during their reunion in the hangar bay before the Death Star battle. The script shows this:

BIGGS: I’ve got to get aboard. Listen, you’ll tell me your stories when we come back. All right?

Luke laughs and shakes his head in agreement. He heads for his ship.

So although I didn’t recall the exact phrasing, location in the movie, or speaker of the line I did remember that there was a shooting star reference to Luke and Biggs which is not in any version of the movie currently available.

I believe it can be conclusively stated that for the most part my memories of those scenes were accurate (although memory 3 is not exactly as I remembered it). Since today is the first time I ever saw the original script I think it’s safe to say that I did actually see those scenes in the movie in 1977.

So question # 1 has been answered. This leaves us with the question of how it was that I saw a different version of the movie? That is the puzzle that remains to be solved. Perhaps I saw a pre-release version or maybe I was part of a test screening audience or possibly I’m unknowingly part of some conspiracy. I don’t know. I asked my parents about it and they don’t recall. My hope is that one day it will be solved and I can finally put my mind at ease. I just hope it’s not a long, long time from now.

Their discovery would become known as the Dead Sea Scrolls. Bible enthusiasts and just about anyone who’s familiar with the Bible has heard them. If not, here’s a summary:

A total of 11 caves in the area were found to contain scrolls, mostly in fragment form, for a total of 972 documents. These are typically divided into three categories. About 40% of the scrolls are considered “Biblical” manuscripts, 30% are “apocryphal” or “psuedepigraphical”, and 30% are referred to as “sectarian” manuscripts.

The caves were numbered based on the order of their discovery. Items found were numbered according to which cave they were located.

Perhaps the most curious item of all was #3Q15 found in Cave 3 on March 14, 1952. It is known as the Copper Scroll.

I had heard of the Dead Sea Scrolls a number of times over the years but hadn’t done any research myself. If I had I would have found out about the copper scroll sooner. Instead it came to my attention through the fiction novel of the same name written by Joel C. Rosenberg. I googled it and was pleasantly surprised to learn that the scroll actually exists.

All of the documents found in the Qumran caves were written on either papyrus or parchment with the exception of the copper scroll which was written on, you guessed it, copper. A long sheet of copper mixed with a small amount of tin. It was extremely corroded and could not be unrolled without destroying it. It took about three years before a safe way was found to open the scroll. By cutting it into 23 strips the contents of the scroll could finally be fully viewed.

There is some speculation regarding the scroll’s date but most experts place it’s creation between 25 and 135 AD. The words were mostly likely written using a hammer and chisel method and are in a form of Hebrew that is different from other scrolls found in the caves. Also unlike the other documents the scroll did not contain literary work but rather a list describing 64 different locations. Locations where treasures of gold and silver estimated to weigh several tons were hidden. The last entry apparently refers to the location of another scroll that contains additional information about these treasures.

The opening lines of the scroll say this:
In the ruin of Horebbah which is in the valley of Achor, under the steps heading eastward about forty feet: lies a chest of silver that weighs seventeen talents.

As you can see, the reference is somewhat obscure. Adding even further to the mystery is the appearance of two or three Greek letters at the end of seven of the Hebrew sentences. Here are some additional lines of text taken from random parts of the scroll:

~ In the tomb of the third section of stones there is one hundred gold bars.

~ Forty-two talents of silver coin are in the proximity of the black stone at the threshold at the sepulchral chamber.

Curiously, of all the Dead Sea Scrolls, this is the only one made from any type of metal, presumably so that it would last a long time. However the text assumes that the reader would have intimate and recent knowlege of the locations. Because of the obscure references it would seem that the intent was for these items to be retrieved relatively soon after they were buried or hidden. It would appear that all of it is located in the same general area, perhaps a small village or a specific section of a larger city. Why the author chose to use copper to list the locations instead of papyrus may never be known.

Have any of the items listed been found? The general consensus is no. In 1955, three ceramic vessels containing a total of 561 silver coins were found under a doorway at the Qumran excavation site. Some argue that this is one of the treasures listed but there is no evidence to support this.

Where the treasure came from and who it belonged to is still a mystery. Experts continue to look for these answers. As you would expect, several theories have been offered.

Some believe that the items listed refer to Temple treasure hidden before the destruction of the Jerusalem Temple in 70 AD. Historical writers of the time such as Josephus however indicate that the treasures were still in the Temple when it fell to the Romans. Perhaps some were removed and the scroll was created to keep track of them.

One man, Jim Barfield believes that the scrolls refer to Tabernacle treasure, hidden for safekeeping before the previous destruction of the Jerusalem Temple at the hands of the Babylonians in 425 BC.

Since the scroll was found in a cave that contained other scrolls attributed to the Qumran community, one theory is that the treasures listed belong to them. It is difficult to explain however why a community characterized as abstaining from the possession of wordly goods would have amassed such a large fortune of gold and silver.

There are several other theories some which seem plausible and others that have no basis of fact to support them.

Is it a hoax? Some seem to think so. Someone certainly went to a lot of trouble to create the scroll. If it truly is a hoax, who was it supposed to fool? Surely the author didn’t have in mind sheep herders two thousand years in the future.

What do I think? I think the scroll is real. The fact that it lists the location of supposed hidden treasure is fascinating. Add to that the addition of Greek letters at the ends of several of the Hebrew lines and it reminds me very much of a puzzle you might find here on ClueChaser. It’s very clever.

But I have my own theory regarding the existance of the actual treasure. I doubt anything is still at the locations suggested by the scroll. My guess is the scroll has served it’s intended purpose. The treasures were buried and the scroll was created to record the locations. A short while later it was used to find and recover the treasures. A scroll made of copper would have value and perhaps it was unwise to simply throw away so instead it was discarded in the back of the closet, or in this case the back of a cave.

Perhaps one day we will know the truth behind the Copper Scroll. Until then we can only wait and let our imaginations run wild. Regardless it is certainly worthy of the title of “Ultimate Puzzle”.

The Legend

The story goes something like this. Oak Island is located off the coast of Nova Scotia, Canada. One day in 1795 a teenager named Daniel McGinnis made his way to the island to explore it. He happened upon an oak tree (one of many on the island) which caught his eye because hanging from one outstretched limb was an old pulley. The type used to raise and lower heavy items. It was situated directly over a large circular depression in the ground. Realizing what this might be he returned the next day with two friends, Anthony Vaughan and John Smith. They began digging with picks and shovels. It was clear by the marks on the side of the hole that it had been dug my men and then refilled. . At the 2 foot mark they hit a layer of flagstones. They removed them and continued digging. At the 10 foot level they hit wood. Visions of pirate treasure danced in their heads. There were many stories circulating during that time of treasure belonging to the infamous pirate Captain Kidd being buried on some island. The wood turned out to be oak logs. Removing the logs revealed a two foot gap and then more dirt. As they continued digging they found another layer of logs at 20 feet and again at 30 feet. At this point they realized they needed more help and more equipment so they left the island with the idea of returning to finish what they started.
It would be 9 years before they returned. This time they were accompanied by Simeon Lynds, a businessman. He provided the labor force and financial backing to continue the dig. They found the site as they had left it. They began digging. At 40 feet they found a layer of charcoal. At 50 feet they found a layer of putty. At 60 feet, a layer of coconut fiber. At the 90 foot mark they discovered a stone tablet inscribed with symbols. These symbols were later translated to say “40 feet below, two million pounds lie buried.”

A few feet below the tablet the tunnel began to flood. Unable to bail the water from the tunnel faster than it filled the group gave up.
In 1849 the Truro company formed and dug the tunnel back down to 86 feet where it again flooded. At that point they sank a drill into the pit. The”pod auger” passed through a spruce platform at 98 feet, a 12-inch head space, 4 inches of oak, 22 inches of what was described as “metal in pieces”, 8 inches of oak, another 22 inches of metal, 4 inches of oak, another spruce layer, and finally into clay for 7 feet without striking anything else. It was believed that the auger passed through two 4 inch thick chests stacked on top of each other and filled with gold metal of some kind. Some of the stories mention a foreman named John Pitblado, who carefully examined an object that was caught up in the bit and then put it in his pocket. He soon disappeared and never returned to the island but apparently tried to purchase it, without success. No one knows what he had found.
Because the water in the pit couldn’t be removed fast enough an attempt was made to dig a second hole parallel the first and then tunnel over. It failed when that hole also filled with water.

Later they would discover a drain system had been dug into the island and that the island itself contained an artificial beach. The drain consisted of 5 channels spread out like fingers and dug into the clay under the beach. They were lined with rocks, grass and coconut fiber. This in effect created a filtering system that kept the drains clear of debris all through the years. The 5 channels eventually converged together and provided the water that filled the pit 500 feet away at a depth of 95 to 100 feet. A clever booby trap. All attempts to block the channels failed.

There are many more details but in the interest of time I will just cover the highlights. Over the next 150+ years many more attempts were made by several companies to dig down to the treasure. So far all have failed. The treasure remains at the bottom of the aptly named Money Pit waiting to be discovered.

For more details on the history of the Oak Island you can check out the website http://www.oakislandtreasure.co.uk/

Theories

There are many theories as to what lies at the bottom of the pit and there are numerous websites dedicated to proving each theory. Some of the more popular ones are:
Captain Kidd’s treasure – By far the most popular theory but as more information is gathered, this is quickly becoming less likely.

Combined booty of several pirates – An interesting theory presented by a fellow named Samuel Goodman. He believes there are seven maps that when put together reveal the exact location of the treasure. He says he’s linked the five maps he knows of together but does not have the final two.

The lost treasure of the Knights Templar – recent findings on the island point to symbols and such used by Freemasons including a giant cross.

Hidden documents belonging to Francis Bacon - You may already be familiar with the idea that William Shakespeare didn’t have the education and ability to write the works that are attributed to him. Some suggest that they were actually written by Bacon and the proof for this lies at the bottom of the Money Pit.

Other theories that have less information to support them include
Inca Treasure
French crown jewels
Aliens

As the dig continues with no treasure found and no end in sight many are beginning to think that nothing lies at the bottom of the pit. The website http://www.criticalenquiry.org/oakisland/OI_chapter1.shtml
is probably the most detailed of the sites I found that insists it is all a clever hoax. The strongest argument for this is the lack of historical records prior to 1860 that can support the details of the story. It also explains how the Oak Island treasure story contains elements that are shared by many made up tales of the time (discovered by kids, treasure “just out of reach”, etc).

What do I think?

I remember when I was 6 or 7 years old I watched a documentary on TV that suggested Noah’s Ark had been found on Mount Ararat.

They mentioned that pieces of petrified wood of the same kind the Bible says the ark was made of had been found. In addition to that a jet fighter pilot passing over the mountain had taken pictures of the ark. Then mysteriously the pictures disappeared. To make matters worse the mountain was smack dab in the middle of two hostile countries and if anyone climbed the mountain to investigate it would spark a war. I recall being excited about this and frustrated that there was no concrete proof of the ark’s existence. I distinctly remember that I was munching on fig Newton cookies while watching this program.

I thought about that documentary from time to time over the years and wondered if any progress had ever been made. Then about a decade later I mentioned the program to a friend of mine during a conversation we were having. The very next day I’m flipping channels and what do I see? The same documentary playing again. I couldn’t believe it! So what did I do? I went to the cupboard, grabbed the fig Newtons’, plopped down in a chair and watched it again. Noah’s Ark and fig Newtons. Nostalgia swept over me. To this day I can’t think of one without thinking of the other.

After several minutes I realized that the program was exactly the same as it was the first time I saw it. All this time had passed and nothing had changed. No progress had been made; no new revelations had been discovered. It was then that I realized that it was likely a hoax.

That’s kind of how I feel about the Oak Island mystery. When I first heard about it I was excited and captivated by the fact that there could be hidden treasure at the bottom of the pit. As time goes on and I read more about, the similarities to the Noah’s Ark documentary begin to show. The missing stone tablet. The mysterious item plucked from the auger bit and pocketed, never to be seen again. The lack of historical records prior to 1860. Items discovered that may belong to the original pit creators or perhaps just things left behind during the intervening years. I sure want there to be something there. No one likes to have the wool pulled over their eyes. In the case of the Oak Island Money Pit only time, and a whole lot more money, will tell.