Transcription
It’s orthodox holy week, and I'm here in Jerusalem. And in just a few days, all of this is gonna happen. On the day before Easter, Theophilus III, patriarch of Jerusalem, will enter the inner tomb of Jesus alone. He’ll recite a prayer, and a flame will miraculously appear, lighting this lamp. It’s a monumental event in the orthodox world, but completely unknown in the west. So I've come to better understand it and, really, to see if it's true.
In part one, we covered the history, and talked about why science on either side hasn't really been able to support or disprove the miracle. I also pretty closely replicated the supposedly miraculous property of the fire by passing my arm and face through a normal flame. If you haven't seen it yet, the link to part one is in the description, and I highly recommend you watch it first. But today, there's so much more to uncover! Including something I found that I think is legitimately the most revealing moment in the entire history of the miracle.
But where else can we start besides the church of the holy sepulcher! So, here it is, the 1700-year-old site of Jesus’s crucifixion, burial, and resurrection. And this is the Edicule. Let's go inside. Even though it's done a lot, you're not really allowed to film in there. I played it cool but was able to get a couple of pics. You can see dozens of candles and lamps, and while it's too dark to tell, the roof is actually pretty high. This entire upper area is basically hollow. And here is a little secret compartment, which is the only place in the entire edicule you can see the actual bedrock. It’s all been chiseled away and covered by marble and stone slabs. I tried to film a bit more, but this is when the priest in charge literally hits my arm. He screams at me to turn off my camera and get out. And fair enough. I sort of expected this to happen, but I got the footage I wanted.
Ok, I'm back here at the Book of James Jerusalem studios. Where it’s a little easier to discuss some of these sensitive issues. And you probably think I'm gonna talk about all the places you could hide matches or lighters in the tomb, but that’s not what I’m gonna do. We established in part one that the searching of the edicule and the police pat down clearly don't happen anymore, but I don't believe it’s really about that. Yes, we are absolutely going to return to the theory that this lamp is used to bring in the fire, and I have uncovered some amazing video that I’ll show later on. But now I wanna talk about the priest that hit me. And again, I'm not mad. But it was such a perfect example of the emotion and tension that surrounds the sepulcher and culminates with the holy fire.
These are Arab, Greek Orthodox Christians, who every year before the fire march through the city. It dates back hundreds of years and is essentially a big taunt towards the other churches. This is their miracle, and they are the true Christians… and they want everyone to know. As we discussed, the church is divided between different denominations who sometimes physically attack each other over the rights to a certain location. The law that governs these rights is called the status quo, and comes from 1757 when the ottoman empire ruled Jerusalem. I actually went to look at this scale model from the 1860s which was commissioned by the sultan himself to help keep track of who owned what in the sepulcher. As you can see, it’s pretty crazy. Courtyards cut in half, chapels shared depending on the time of day. It’s a mess.
Now, many people are familiar with this famous ladder that’s stood here since at least the 1720s. No one can move it because that would imply ownership. But another, more interesting ladder is this one. It’s a Catholic ladder, but those aren’t Catholic lamps; there used to be Catholic lamps there, but the wall was destroyed by an earthquake about 200 years ago. But if they don't put the ladder there, they lose the right to (and you don't give up your right to anything in the holy sepulcher).
Ok, this is all interesting, but it’s not about the holy fire. But I think it really is. If it’s not a miracle, you need a motive. Why might the patriarch and clergy have created this miracle centuries ago, and why do they hold on to these claims today? I'm really starting to understand the importance that territory, tradition, and competition may have in answering this question. But first let’s go back inside the tomb.
I said I wasn't going to talk about hiding matches, but I am gonna talk about hiding a person. In 1926, a Greek priest named Father Mitrophanes claimed to have somehow wedged himself on a shelf in the upper darkness of the edicule just before the miracle. He stated he saw the fire appear and that a blue orb transformed into flame above the stone where Jesus was laid. It’s an incredible and very popular account. It was even made into a children’s book. But the important thing is that this was actually the very first time anyone described the flame as blue.
After Part 1, the biggest question or comment I got from people was about blue flashes and floating orbs that are supposed to happen moments before the fire descends. Well, historically, before 1926, you don't hear about them. But there are a couple from the mid-90s that everyone points to as proof of spontaneous candle lighting and blue flashes. Clearly, a fireball and a few candles all the way up on the second floor of the church are burning… and it’s definitely before the patriarch has even come out of the tomb. But there’s an extremely simple explanation. What they are seeing is the fire that’s been passed through the small portholes on either side of the edicule. You can clearly see it here. This is done to quickly get the flame to the various chapels around the church. The runner flies up the stairs, lighting lamps on the upper level. It’s done so quickly that they get upstairs before the patriarch even gets out of the tomb. Which is why so many assumed these fires to the side of the edicule or high in the church were spontaneously lit. But the answer is simply these holes.
As far as the blue flashes go, there isn’t as clear an explanation as the portholes on either side of the edicule. But, I also don't personally see anything other than camera flashes. Some do appear more blue in these videos, but they are also coming from more recessed areas of the church. Also, the reason videos from 1994, 95, 96 seem to show this is because the current dome of the sepulcher, with an oculus letting in light, wasn’t completed until 1997. In the end, I believe the combination of video quality and how dark the sepulcher used to be are the causes of any bluish camera flashes. I've searched everywhere for any clear video of blue orbs or candles lighting spontaneously lighting. But while people have sent me links claiming to be proof, they’re usually one of these videos or another, even more grainy and inconclusive one. But I'm happy to see any other examples.
And this applies to everything I've talked about. The last thing I want is for anyone to think I'm trying to disprove the holy fire. I know I've spent most of my time trying to explain how different aspects of the fire are, well, explainable. But that’s because in everything I've read and watched I see potential explanations. And there really isn't a counter-argument I can present because a miracle, by definition, cannot be explained. And that’s ok, it could still be a miracle. And I need to go see it, no matter what anybody says or any video shows, this moment could really destroy any doubts I may have.
Obviously, I’ll have my candles with me, and the number one goal is to feel the flame for myself. But I've also brought some equipment. I'm gonna test the temperature of the fire and look for any electromagnetic fields. In part 1, we talked about physicist Andrei Volkov, who believes the fire is a form of cold plasma. And if there’s any truth to this, the flame should show a spike on my EMF meter. It should also be significantly cooler than a normal fire. In 2016, Russian priest Gennady Zaridze claimed to measure the temperature of the flame 4 minutes after it descended. At that time, it was 42 degrees Celsius, significantly below a normal candle. So, I’ll be checking that as well.
But here’s the thing, it’s always a fight to get inside the church for the holy fire, but this year the Israelis just announced that for safety reasons they’re only letting 1800 people. Instead of the normal 10,000. Two years ago, 45 ultra-orthodox Jews died in a stampede in northern Israel, and in 1834, hundreds were killed during a panic at the holy fire. And the authorities are understandably terrified of 10,000 people with torches in a small building with one exit. But, the Christians are furious, and I'm definitely discouraged, but I'm gonna try anyway. And no matter what, I’ll still be within 100 meters of the church, and be able to light my candle within 2 or 3 minutes of the flame descending, so all of my tests will be well within the 33-minute threshold we’re looking for.
Ok, so there are police barricades everywhere; I just had to bargain with one to actually just get back in the city, but I've walked all over, and I think I've found a route to the church. But I can't hang out there, because there are nothing but police there right now. So, we’re gonna take a break and try again in a little bit. See, I can’t even go down the main road here. Alright, let’s try again. I pushed through here, my shoe came off, I grabbed it somehow. What’s going on over here, I don’t know what’s going on, but I got through and a bit closer. I’ve never seen anything like this. Ok, I don’t know how much more I’m gonna push it, because I was literally climbing over people… I had no choice, they were pushing me over each other, and I made it within about 100 yards of the church, down there, so this might be as close as I get. At this point, I’m kind of happy to be alive.
Well, it seems like I’m stuck here. That’s actually an ancient sealed door called the Patriarchs gate that goes right into the Sepulcher. Right on the other side of all this, this souvenir shop, is the Sepulcher. So, right here in the heart of the Christian quarter, surrounded by local Christians, I don’t think there’s anything wrong with that. I’ve just run down the street; it’s literally been 5 minutes since the fire came out, and we’re gonna do a couple of these tests. Alright, I’ve got the EMF meter… And nothing. Now let’s do the temperature. We got well into the 600s Celsius and then it kind of went out, but really hot is the point. Let’s do this one more time.
-Hi, am I in your video?
sorry.
No, no, no, it’s fine.
-Hello everyone! Is it burning? It’s starting to get hot.
-Mine got hot from the beginning
-Oh no, that’s not hot
-It’s dripping like crazy
Yeah, it is.
-I can’t get it near
I mean it’s supposed to be 33 minutes, it’s been maybe 10 minutes.
-No it changes, it changes, sometimes it’s 1 minute, sometimes it’s 2 hours.
OK, that was very cool; that was Nun Christina, who has a really popular YouTube channel. So we did some experiments together, to be honest though I think her most famous video is one that says “Holy Fire Doesn’t Burn Paper” and then after a couple of seconds it starts burning the paper, but you know that’s ok. I’m gonna link her channel in the description, and you should all go over there and take a look.
Alright, so now I’m in a much quieter part of Jerusalem, and yeah, that was wild. Didn’t get in the church, which I’m sure most of you are disappointed about, as I am as well. But I was still able to test the fire well within 33 minutes, and there’s nothing that says it has to be in the church. It’s not like Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, when you cross over the seal it’s no longer magical, so I’m confident I did all I could. Alright, let’s go back to the studio.
So, that was an amazing experience. But in the end, the fire was a normal temperature, did not show any spikes on the EMF meter, and felt very similar to my experiments back home. It’s time for something I consider to be real proof. In part one, I zeroed in on the theory that this silver lantern might be used to sneak a flame into the tomb. It’s taken inside after the door is unsealed, just moments before the patriarch enters. On the way out, the priests clearly block the view, and I also found this interview with an Armenian bishop who plainly states this lamp is how the fire is lit.
-and they light their torches from the lit oil lamp on the tomb
-they light it from the oil lamp?
-they light it from the oil lamp that is put here, yes
-stop the camera, stop the camera, stop the camera!
But for all the political reasons we’ve discussed, it was more than reasonable to doubt his accusation. But, there’s another interview. This one with the man who puts the lamp inside the tomb. His name is Archbishop Isidorus, and he’s the Orthodox guardian of the sepulcher, quite a high position in the church. Last year, Greek journalist Demtrius Alikakos interviewed Isidorus. He starts gently but quickly asks about the little detail of the miracle.
-the details of the miracle are known to very few
-ok, they don’t know a “little” detail
He then presses him a bit further.
-you leave the lamp on the tomb, then what do you do?
-should I say it on camera?
-I will ask you, you go in the tomb, light the lamp, and leave it for the patriarch, it is so?
-it is so
And there it is. The man with the lamp clearly stating that the fire is not a miracle and that it’s already lit when the patriarch enters. It’s a detailed interview, about 25 minutes in total. He goes on to explain that two candles are lit “for safety” and that he believes the patriarch does have a lighter on him just in case. I’ll put a link in the description. I really recommend watching the entire thing. After his revelation, the archbishop acknowledges the religious sensitivities and the impact his confession may have on people. But he insists that when he found out the truth it had no impact on his faith. To him, the holy fire is still a miracle. But in the sense of the Eucharist. The holy fire is sanctified through ritual and prayer the same way, bread, wine, holy water, or holy oil is sanctified. No one thinks that the oil or water was miraculously created, but it’s holy nonetheless.
Well, no matter what, it’s a stunning interview; I mean, this is the man who goes inside the tomb and lights the fire. But however conclusive this may be, it’s still difficult for many to believe. Or more accurately, not believe. Why would someone make up this miracle, and why do they continue the show today? So let’s paint a picture, using everything we’ve discussed throughout these two videos. Going back to the 4th-century pilgrim Egeria, we know there was no Easter miracle in Jerusalem, just a normal fire-lighting ceremony you saw at every other church. We don’t get a miraculous holy fire until at least the 9th century. So what happened in between? Well, war, sectarianism, and Islamic conquest happened. Imagine you’re the patriarch of Jerusalem in the year 800. In the last few decades, the people have begun to speak Arabic instead of Greek, convert to Islam at a much higher rate, and Christian persecution has significantly increased. The Easter ritual becomes an opportunity to show the Muslim conquerors that your religion isn’t something to be messed with. The ceremony of the patriarch blessing the flame inside the tomb morphs into something more. The result of this little fib is an increased level of respect and protection for the Christian community. And over the centuries, this is only reinforced. The Latin crusaders come in 1099, the Byzantine empire fell in 1453, and in the 1850s, the Crimean war was fought between the Catholic/Protestant west and Orthodox Russia over who is the protector of the holy land. The miracle was a tangible claim to territory and power. There are countless events throughout the history of Jerusalem that directly threatened Christianity in general or the Orthodox church specifically, and so many coincide with the major evolutions of the miracle. And it only takes one man, in this case our hypothetical patriarch from some time in the 9th century, to stretch the truth a bit and say that the fire is really a miracle.
If you were Patriarch Theophilus, who went into that tomb today, entrusted with the enormous responsibility of carrying on a centuries-old tradition that countless eastern Christians treasure, would you really decide it’s your job to put an end to all of it? But I hate to sound like I’m chalking the whole thing up as some political tool. Being able to see and participate in it really is a highlight of my life, and I’m not even Orthodox… and I am far from convinced that there is anything miraculous about it.
So there it is, I guess… But I accept that as hard as I tried, maybe I wasn’t open-minded enough, maybe as some have said it’s only the true believers who can experience the miracle. But for now, all I can say is real or not, I absolutely loved it, and God willing, I will be back…. And we’ll see what happens then. Thank you all so much for watching. I hope these videos, at the very least, reminded you to be interested and open-minded no matter what side of something you may be on. If you had fun, please hit the like button, leave me a comment, and I’ll see you on the next one, thanks again.