The Lost Tomb

Book excerpt: Kent Weeks made international headlines when, seventy feet below the surface of Egypt's Valley of the Kings he found the largest and most complicated mausoleum yet discovered, the tomb of Ramesses II's sons. Now for the first time, Weeks shares up-to-the-minute details on the thrilling discoveryand contemplates what the tomb, called KV5, will reveal as the excavation moves forward. Built in the age of Exodus, the tomb could potentially transform ancient and biblical history. Its lower levels, possibly containing mummies of Ramesses II's sons, may shed new light on many of the mysteries of the Old Testament, including the story of Moses and the flight of the Israelites from Egypt. Weeks draws on his own diaries, as well as those of his wife and his foreman, to describe the excitement and risks that surround such a significant find. From floodwaters that threatened the opened tomb and the precarious craw spaces deep within it, to thieving tourists and scorpions, this adventure is not for the weak of heart. Photographs and sketches illustrate the crew's progress and the objects and decorations found in the tomb's chambers and hallways The resulta true-life, impossibly thrilling Raiders of the Lost Arkwill entrance readers from beginning to end.