S02 · E08

True Cross of Christ

Gates searches for the True Cross. This relic, said to have mystical healing powers, has been lost for 2,000 years. Gates visits Jerusalem, Israel and Istanbul, Turkey, to find if the cross or fragments of it still exist. The cross was cut into three pieces on the orders of Empress Helena. He examines this legend at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in the Old City where the tomb of Jesus is located and where he was crucified. Then he learns more about crucifixion in Tel Aviv, and discovers ancient cross wall carvings at the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem.