This year's SophiaQuest expedition, Indonesia.2005, was a resounding success. Our Travelers, Kerry and John returned home safely in mid June, mission accomplished. They ventured to the equatorial archipelego of Indonesia in search of the origins and meaning of a pair of palm leaf--lontar--manuscripts that had remained a steadfast mystery for decades.

And found them. Late-breaking information unexpectedly led them to the interior of Lombok, one of the 15,000 islands woven into the cultural tapestry that is Indonesia. There they found some of the last living souls of the Tetua--Holy Men schooled in the old languages indigenous to that area. With our local SophiaQuest Agent, Komang, serving as translator, they learned the answers they had been searching for. And, as is often the case, new questions were raised.

• The Master Manuscript was found to be a centuries-old Muslim teaching. A teaching in the Asmarandana-song form on the life of Nabi Yusuf. For us Westerners, Nabi Yusuf is also known as Joseph, great-grandson of Abraham from the Biblical Book of Genesis. It was at the Pondok Pesantren Mardhotillah Madrasah in Mas Bagik on Lombok that the MS came to life. There, on June 1, 2005, the Song of Nabi Yusuf, which had slept quietly for centuries, was once again lifting through the light of a tropical afternoon as it was performed live for our cameras.
  
  
• Clues to the nature of the Apprentice Manuscript, which was in too poor a condition to make clear copies of while state-side, began to resolve themselves during the expedition as well. Kerry had brought with him some drawings of the curious symbols that appear in the MS and showed them to the Holy men he encountered in the islands. It was the consensus that the symbols indicated that the Apprentice MS was a book of Magic. Whether White or Black Magic could not be determined without having the complete text. We are working now to arrange for the preparation of digitally-enhance copies of the Apprentice MS to be forwarded to one of the Balinese Balians that befriended John and Kerry for interpretation.

From their home base in Ubud, Bali, Kerry and John also traveled to the ancient Bororbadur and Prambanan temples and recorded the eruptions of Mt. Semeru on volcanic Java. Bali itself provided some of the most enlightening moments for our Travelers. With the assistance of Komang, a native Balinese himself, they were privileged to be invited into the lives and homes of the charming Balinese people as they went about their day-to-day lives. Often mystical, always engaging, the Balinese are a truly beautiful people. Whether meeting with local Balians--village Shamans, being the guests of honor of the village Dalang--Holy Puppet Master--at a funeral ceremony puppet show, or working with local Pande silversmiths and Holy Kris makers, our Travelers found themselves welcomed at every turn.

For more details, with photos and videos, please check out the Indonesia.2005 weblog. Kerry and John were able to keep us updated from the field as the story developed, sending pictures and video along the way.

As we sift through the information collected, some of which has never been seen by Western eyes, new mysteries are rising to the fore. We will be evaluating them over the coming months in preparation for the next SophiaQuest Expedition.