The Gold of Exodus.

• Author: Kreyche, Gerald F.

by Howard Blum / Simon & Schuster, 1998, pp. 365, $25.00

Reviewed by GERALD F. KREYCHE American Thought Editor, USA Today, and Emeritus Professor of Philosophy, DePaul University, Chicago, Ill.

*** The Book of Exodus in the Old Testament tells of the Jews fleeing Egypt with their belongings, among which was precious gold jewelry. At the foot of Mt. Sinai, and impatient with Moses' delay in getting the commandments, they worshipped a golden calf made from their jewelry. When Moses did return, the calf was destroyed and all gold was cast aside to assuage God's wrath. This book is the story of two American treasure hunters who sought to recover that gold. One was Larry Williams, an American millionaire; the other, Bob Cornuke, a former SWAT-team member. To achieve their goal, they lied, committed criminal trespass, and signed forged documents.

The story is narrated by former New York Times reporter Howard Blum. He describes himself as being midway between a biblical fundamentalist and a sectarian. An interesting writer, he throws in everything including the proverbial kitchen sink. The CIA, Israel's Mossad, and British intelligence agencies all are involved, giving a sense of international intrigue, albeit somewhat exaggerated at times.

The first problem faced by Williams and Cornuke was to find Mt. Sinai. Traditionally, it was believed to be located on the Sinai Peninsula. Others thought it was in Saudi Arabia, where the mountain was known as Jabal al Lawz.

After much research involving satellite imaging, consulting biblical scholars, and their own reading of Exodus, they felt the site was in Saudi Arabia. After encountering difficulty in gaining entrance to that...