Professor Shen was purely an academic; his understanding of the metal fragments was not deeply rooted. Or rather, he recognized their value, but the extent of that value remained nebulous. In contrast, he was far more absorbed by the content of the Ten Commandments.
After all, the Bible does not explicitly record the precise text of the Ten Commandments; the current ten articles are classifications summarized by later generations, meaning various versions of the commandments do not entirely align.
“Odd.”
After studying them for a moment, Professor Shen indeed spotted an issue: “Peculiar.”
“What’s peculiar?”
In an instant, Yu Feibai pressed him with visible curiosity.
“These ten commandments differ slightly from the versions I am familiar with,” Professor Shen said, puzzled. “The general meaning is fine, but some key phrases seem different from the current renditions.”
“Differences are normal; it’s like ancient literary Chinese, where one character can have several meanings,” Yu Feibai dismissed the concern.
“No, no, it’s different.”
Professor Shen shook his head, not elaborating on the discrepancies, and returned his focus to the study. Moments later, his expression grew increasingly grave, tinged with surprise.
“Old Qian,”
After a long pause, Professor Shen ventured, “Could I borrow this artifact for a period of research? I sense these Ten Commandments texts are remarkably concise, perhaps an extremely archaic version…”
“How archaic?” Yu Feibai asked casually. “Do you mean perhaps Moses’ own handwriting?”
“Ah…”
Professor Shen paused, then chuckled wryly. “Moses lived over three thousand years ago. Legend says the tablets he inscribed the Ten Commandments on are stored in the Ark of the Covenant. But around 500 BC, the Ark vanished. So, the exact inscription is impossible to verify now.”
“However, based on the general patterns of how commandments evolve, any text that is concise, with very few modifiers, must belong to an earlier version,” Professor Shen mused. “The writing on this metal piece fits that description perfectly, which is why I suspect this version predates others. Of course, this requires further study to confirm the final conclusion.”
“Wang Guan, what do you think?”
Under Professor Shen’s expectant gaze, Old Qian found it difficult to decide and deferred the authority to Wang Guan. After all, this was something he had brought back; he naturally had the right to determine its fate.
“A copy would suffice?”
Wang Guan spoke with a hint of apology. “As for the original, I plan to take it to a research institution for optical dating to determine the era of this metal fragment.”
“Excellent idea.” Yu Feibai immediately agreed and even volunteered to handle the task.
Professor Shen felt some regret but did not press the matter. After meticulously photographing the replica, he tactfully rose to depart. Old Qian surprisingly did not detain him, instead urging Yu Feibai to hurry the item off for testing.
“So urgent?”
Yu Feibai was surprised, muttering to himself, “We just got back…”
“Quickly now.”
Old Qian pretended not to hear, instead instructing, “Call me immediately once you have the results.”
“Understood…” Yu Feibai nodded, motioned Wang Guan out, and directly contacted an authoritative scientific facility. After scheduling the appointment, they presented the item for testing upon arrival.
With nothing else to do, they could only wait patiently for the outcome.
At that moment, Yu Feibai voiced his curiosity. “Why do you think Old Qian was in such a hurry? He kept pushing us to get this tested, as if he urgently needed to know the item’s precise age.”
“Old Qian certainly has his reasons for acting that way,” Wang Guan stated calmly. “Don’t overthink it. Since it had to be tested anyway, what difference does being early or late make?”
“That’s not what I…” Yu Feibai shook his head. “Old Qian seems to value this artifact highly; I feel like it’s even more precious than we initially imagined.”
“So what if it is?” Wang Guan replied unconcernedly. “You haven’t exactly been sheltered from rare treasures.”
“True, very true.” Yu Feibai agreed wholeheartedly, then sighed dramatically. “It’s just a pity to only see them—they aren't mine. The greatest tragedy in the world is precisely this…”
As Yu Feibai indulged in self-pity, the test results arrived.
A researcher walked out with an expression of astonishment, handing the two a file of documentation.
“What’s the verdict?” Yu Feibai glanced casually at the dense script, feeling annoyed, and asked directly, “What era is this from?”
“Over three thousand years ago!”
The researcher didn't play coy, expressing shock mixed with awe. “An alloy from three millennia ago; its composition is incredibly complex. It would be best to conduct a comprehensive analysis…”
“Three thousand years!”
Yu Feibai froze for a moment, then snapped back to attention. “Are you certain it’s truly three thousand years old?”
“Of course.”
Hearing Yu Feibai’s doubt, the researcher naturally showed displeasure. “We use the most professional instruments, verified repeatedly, minimizing error to the smallest possible degree before generating the written report. How could we be wrong?”
“We believe you, certainly,” Wang Guan quickly interjected with a smile, understanding Yu Feibai’s shock. “He is simply a bit surprised.”
“Surprise is warranted,” the researcher nodded in understanding, seizing the opportunity to add, “Which is why a full examination is even more crucial. If permitted, we should scrape a few powder samples…”
“Scrape powder samples?” Yu Feibai’s demeanor instantly shifted. “Give me the item back right now! If there is any damage, see if I don’t smash this place to pieces.”
“If you don’t consent, you don’t consent, why be so violent?”
The researcher muttered, but under Yu Feibai’s fierce glare, he wisely retrieved the metal fragment and presented it with both hands. Only then did Yu Feibai nod in satisfaction.
After repeatedly checking to confirm the artifact remained entirely unaltered, Yu Feibai eagerly rushed out, leaving Wang Guan to handle the payment.
“Hurry, hurry up!”
Soon after leaving the building, Wang Guan saw Yu Feibai waving from the car. As soon as Wang Guan got in, before the door was even closed, Yu Feibai impatiently hit the accelerator and sped away.
“No need to rush so much.”
Wang Guan quickly fastened his seatbelt and advised cautiously, “Calm down, calm down! Safety first, safety first…”
However, given the traffic conditions in the capital, even if Yu Feibai wanted to race, he couldn't. Still, he drove with an expression of excitement. “Now I finally understand why Old Qian was so anxious. It seems he had a premonition about this, which is why he urged us to get it tested.”
“Mm-hmm,” Wang Guan nodded repeatedly.
“Something three thousand years old—even with a century’s margin of error, that’s negligible,” Yu Feibai mused. “This means this metal piece could very well be an artifact of Moses? Even if not, it must be related somehow.”
“Whether it’s Moses’ relic or not, it is undoubtedly a holy object of Judaism,” Wang Guan’s mood was also good. He smiled. “Think about it: under the conditions of that era, who other than high-ranking Jewish officials, or a king or great noble, could fabricate something this exquisitely detailed?”
“Exactly.” Yu Feibai felt this deeply, and his driving sped up. Furthermore, he surprisingly encountered few red lights, so they soon returned to the grand residence. He jumped out of the car without even locking it and ran into the living room to deliver the good news to Old Qian.
“Just as expected.”
Upon hearing the report, Old Qian remained calm, showing little shock or surprise, perhaps only smiling faintly, satisfied with the sharpness of his intuition.
“Old Qian, did you already suspect something like this?” Yu Feibai asked curiously.
“It was merely conjecture…” Old Qian paused, tapping lightly on the coffee table for a moment, then suddenly looked up. “Wang Guan, have you ever heard of the Zionist Organization?”
“What?”
Wang Guan was momentarily startled, then nodded. “I have. It’s the organization formed by dispersed Jews aiming to return to their homeland in Palestine and re-establish the State of Israel.”
“If so, then you should know that during World War II, Jews suffered persecution from the Nazis in Germany, leading them to desperately want to flee Europe. At that time, some even contacted the then-Republic of China government, seeking to immigrate to China…”
As he spoke, Old Qian sighed with emotion. “But sadly, due to various factors, the ROC government rejected the proposal. Otherwise, perhaps after the founding of New China, the great Chinese family might have gained an additional member.”
History allows no 'what ifs.' Old Qian shook his head and continued. “Of course, large-scale immigration was impossible, but accepting a few hundred or a thousand people was feasible. Compared to a nation of hundreds of millions, a few hundred or a thousand people would be but a drop in the ocean, quickly submerged without causing any ripple.”
“However, after the founding of the PRC, due to diplomatic policy, our country did not recognize certain humiliating treaties, and foreigners residing in China were repatriated. But some people chose not to leave, willing to stay and support China’s construction. We naturally welcomed and sincerely thanked them. Among these foreigners were, of course, Jewish people.”
At this point, Old Qian smiled. “I knew a Jewish scholar back then and maintained close contact for a period. Through him, I learned something about Judaism. That’s why, when I first saw the metal fragment, I became suspicious, and hearing that the inscription was the text of Moses’ Ten Commandments, my suspicion solidified.”
“Now that it has been scientifically verified, there is no longer any doubt.”
For a moment, Old Qian showed a flicker of excitement. “That scholar once mentioned that Moses recast the Ten Commandments and inscribed them on stone tablets. However, the so-called ‘stone tablet’ might be a later translation, not necessarily meaning literal stone. In other words, the commandments could have been inscribed on another medium…”
“Like this metal fragment?”
Yu Feibai understood immediately and laughed heartily. “I thought the same! When you think about it, how heavy would it be to fit a massive stone tablet into the Ark of the Covenant?”
“Of course, all this is just his speculation,” Old Qian shifted his tone. “What the truth is remains difficult to determine without solid evidence…”