Dr. Hogrogian was considered an eccentric and patronizingly called a "mystic,"without any understanding of what the word meant. But the few who came toknow him were clear that he was indeed a mystic, one whose powers of mind blended with keen intuition and certain innate psychic capabilities. The aged professor was, however, a striking example of humility, the kind that can only beforged in a lifetime of inner spiritual effort. He never put forth his unusual talentsand brilliant learning unless they could benefit another person, and even then itwas with an unassuming aura that often veiled his profound contributions. Despitea serious heart condition and a laundry list of physical ailments, the professor wasin the tower again on this night. Sitting at the small wooden table in the corner of a room jammed with books, he was leaning over yellow, water-stained pagesattempting to decipher the fading print.Something was different on this cold winter night. Never before had the professor remained in the tower at such a late hour. Never before had his shriveled skeletonof a body been wracked with an intensity that bordered on frenzy. Before him laywritings dating back to the first century A.D. The words were in Hebrew. Dr.Hogrogian slowly, relentlessly moved his finger across the page from right to left.In an excited whisper, he translated the ancient words to himself."
And there shall be two.
.."The trembling finger stopped and remained on the end of the sentence, shakinglike a reed in a howling wind. The aged professor turned to his battered briefcasethat sat open on the desk next to him. With his other hand, he rummaged throughthe mess of papers and books and pulled out a shiny, brand new paperback whichseemed oddly out of place in this mortuary of whithered works. He fumbledthrough it, searching for a passage he had marked in ink the day before. The topof his balding head turned a scarlet red. His worn and wrinkled face suddenly began to beam with a youthful energy, a momentary Indian summer peeringthrough the late autumn of his life. The book was the latest publication on thefindings of the Dead Sea Scrolls. Lost for centuries and accidently found in cavesnear the sight of the mysterious Essene sect, these treasures were only now being published for the general public.He read from a chapter on one of the most intriguing scrolls to be pieced together,the "Manual of Discipline." It contained both the way of life and the teachings of the esoteric community at Qumran in the heart of the Judean desert, not far fromthe wilderness where John the Baptist had called his people to spiritual renewal."Another Messiah..." the old man murmured in awe. "There is to be another Messiah for our time..."He threw the book down and pulled from his pocket the morning edition of thelocal paper. Spreading the newspaper out before him, he turned to the back pageof the second section. His finger once again undertook its scanning efforts, this2
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