All language subtitles for Expedition.Unknown.S14E06

[Josh reading]

["We wish you a merry
Christmas" music playing]

The story of Santa
is one we think we all know.

But where did it come from?

This legend that glows
long before Santa

and Saint Nick were the same.

It was Nick, a mere mortal
who started the flame.

So who was this guy,

the first man
with the sack?

To discover the answers
we need to go back.

["Carol of the Bells"
music playing]

[Josh] Almost 2000 years
to a pre Santa time

when Nick was a bishop.

In his miracle Prime.

It said he saved
a poor family,

by giving them gold.

And rescued those
drowning from
an ocean so cold.

Did he resurrect children
who were pickled and dead.

Or invade the dreams
of the emperor

to dance in his head.

His life also holds answers
to mysteries we share,

like leaving
gifts out of sight

or hanging stockings
with care.

To unravel the legends.

Saint Nick left clues behind.

His body was buried
forever enshrined.

But there's a twist
in the tale

that leads us back to today.

You see, his tomb was invaded,
his bones spirited away.

His grave
was robbed twice.

Believe it or not.

And his final location
is argued a lot.

Some say he's in Bari
or is it in Venice he rests.

One guy is convinced
that he's in the Midwest.

Can his bones be examined?

Can we help crack the case?

And could DNA
finally give Santa a face?

The search for Saint Nick
and his bones is my mission.

So let's find the fellow

behind our
Christmas traditions.

[narrator] The past
is all around us.

Oh this is crazy.

[narrator] A world of mystery.

-[Josh] This is a plane.
-[man] Yeah.

Ha-ha!

[narrator] Danger.

We are about
to be underwater.

Whoa!

[narrator] And adventure.

[Josh] It's just
straight down.

[gasping]

[Josh] I travel
to the far corners
of the earth

to uncover
where legends end.

[shouting, laughs]

And history begins.

Let's punch it.

I'm Josh Gates,

and this is...

[Josh reading]

If you were
to close your eyes

and summon the world
of Santa Claus,

You'd almost certainly
picture yourself

standing on freshly
fallen snow
at the North Pole.

And not well here

But it turns out
the legend of Santa

or Noel Baba,
as he's known
in these parts,

begins nearly 4000 miles
from Santa's workshop.

Here on the edge
of the Mediterranean.

Welcome

to Turkey.

This rugged spit of land
in the Mediterranean Sea

is Gemiler Island,
the place of boats.

It is said that sailors
stopped here

for divine blessing
on their way to the Holy Land.

But it is also known
as Saint Nicholas Island.

And that's because
about 1700 years ago,

a famous bishop
by that name

was reportedly
laid to rest here.

The centuries old
rumor says

that this long
abandoned church,

still sporting a set
of stunning mosaic floors,

is the original
burial place of the man,

who would eventually
become Santa.

There's just one small issue.

There is absolutely
no physical evidence

that he was ever
interred here.

And this
is the problem

with the historical
Saint Nick.

He's intertwined
with the world's most

heartwarming holiday legend.

So to find the man
behind the man
in the red suit,

we have to follow
a very faint trail.

One that leads
to the mainland.

My Christmas wish comes true
in the form of a lift

from some local fishermen.

From here, it's a trip
along the rugged coast

and through the mountains.

To the historic
town of Myra,

home to the haunting
cliff cut tombs

from when this was a region
known as Lycia.

It was near here
that a boy was born

two well off Greek
Christian parents,

At that time,
being Christian

was a dangerous,
even fatal calling

because the religion
was forbidden

by law in the Roman Empire.

This ancient city
was clearly constructed

at a time of pagan gods

with temples to Artemis

and a soaring Greek
theater built to sing

the praises
of many deities,

But all that changes

when Constantine
becomes emperor in 306

and the Roman Empire
embraces Christianity.

Suddenly, in the middle
of his life,

a man named Nicholas
is free to preach.

To learn how a simple priest
became a global phenomenon.

I'm meeting author
and Saint Nicholas
biographer Jeremy Seal.

Nice to meet you.

[Jeremy] Nice to meet you too.

[Josh] And I take it
from walking around here

that this was once
a pretty bustling place?

[Jeremy] Yeah,
an important place,

connected by its port
at Andriaki,

just down the road
to all the big cities
of the period.

So we're talking about
Alexandria to the South,

Jerusalem to the south,

and then north to Rome,
Constantinople--

-The North Pole
-[Jeremy] And indeed
the North Pole.

-We won't forget that.
-Absolutely.

Which brings us
to Saint Nicholas.

Indeed it does.

You wrote the book on him?

-I did, indeed.
-[Josh] Literally.

[Jeremy] Yes, literally.

[Josh] I have
a lot of questions.

-And so you
should have. Yeah.
-[Josh] Yeah.

First of all, I can't find
much biographical information

for him from when
he was alive.

Nothing at all.
To be honest with you.

-[Josh] Yeah.
-And the earliest references

that we can rely upon
really from a couple
of hundred years later.

[Josh] Those accounts
suggest that
a young Nicholas

lived a quiet life.

Until Christianity is embraced
by the Roman Empire.

And it seems like
when that happens,
his life takes off.

Yeah, I mean, he becomes
at a very early age

the bishop here at Myra.

So suddenly he's
catapulted to prominence.

[Josh] It is said that
he distributes his parents

considerable wealth
to the poor and becomes

a zealous advocate
for Christianity.

Time passes
and an older Nicolas

attends the famed
Council of Nicaea

in the year 325,

where bishops come
to debate the nature
of the Holy Trinity.

When one bishop
suggests that Jesus
was not equal to God,

Nicholas physically
assaults the delegates.

So Nicholas is the person
who stands up.

slaps him down,
and because of that--

Sorry, literal--
literally slaps?

Literally slaps him.
Slaps him around the face.

It is so said.

And because of that,
ends up spending
some time in prison.

So he's a man who clearly
stands for his principles,

he knows what he thinks.

I think we can certainly
say that much of him.

Santa means business.

[Jeremy] Indeed he does.

-Right.
-[Jeremy] Indeed
he does. Yes.

And then we get
all of these story...

-Yeah.
-...about his miracles.

-[Jeremy] Yeah.
-And there are a lot
of these stories

Exceptionally so.

One of which
actually might connect

to how you celebrate
Christmas today.

-Really? Okay.
-[Jeremy] Yeah.

The story is called
The Three Daughters.

[Josh] The story goes
that an impoverished nobleman
lacks the dowry with which

to marry off
his three daughters.

And in desperation,
considers selling them
into prostitution.

Until Nicholas
miraculously intervenes,

dropping three
bags of gold

through the family's
open window.

Giving them
an anonymous present.

So this worldwide
cultural tradition

now of giving gifts
on Christmas night...

Yeah.

Comes from this man
trying to save three women

from a life of desperation.

Believe it or not, it does.

But hold on to your hat

-because it gets even
crazier than that.
-Okay.

[Jeremy] In the version
that I've told you,

he gives the gifts
through the window,

but there is a moment
in the 1300s
when that changes.

Where Sir Nicholas
is not putting

the bags of gold
through a window,

but he's actually dropping
them down a chimney.

That's it. We just
solved Christmas.

-We can go-- We can go
back for Christmas now.
-We can go home now

Exactly. Yeah

And there are lots
of elements like that.

You think about
the Christmas story

and in fact, you can
trace all of them

to at some point,

as this story
kind of develops

-and changes and shifts
over the centuries.
-Right.

One of the elements,
of course, is the idea
of stockings.

And I think that
goes back to shoes.

[Josh] In some tellings
of the story
of The Three Daughters,

the gold coins land
in one of the girl's shoes

or even in their laundered
socks drying by the fire.

Which eventually become
stockings hung by
the chimney with care.

An incredible story.

This is just one
of a huge
number of stories

associated with Nicholas,

which take very
different approaches
to the man.

Right. There are a lot
of stories about him
that involve miracles.

There are, indeed,
you've got stories,

particularly about his role
as a protector of sailors.

[Josh] As paganism gave
way to Christianity,

the functions
of the old gods

were adopted
by patron saints.

And Nicolas got one
of the sweetest
gigs in Christendom.

As the patron saint
of those at sea,

with stories of him
miraculously saving
drowning fishermen.

And that probably
helps his story
spread even further.

I think so.
It's kind of viral

because they go out
in the world, of course,
and they talk.

Sailors are the ones
that initiate this
telephone game.

That's what makes
them go viral.

-Indeed. Exactly, exactly.
-Going all over the world.

-Exactly.
-Incredible.

That is why,
if you look at the map now,

you will see Saint Nicholas
attached to capes, headlands,

ports, churches
and churches and ports

all over
the Christian world.

That's incredible.

[Josh] Saint Nicholas, though,
isn't just remembered

as miraculously
protecting fishermen.

His resume is much
broader than that.

There's a story
that he casts a demon
out of a tree, as one does

and that he somehow
resurrects three dead boys

who were murdered
and pickled in a barrel.

-[Jeremy] He resurrects--
-[Josh] He resurrects
these pickled boys?

[Jeremy] These pickled boys
who are lying in a barrel.

And hey, here's the thing
about the barrel,

the visual representation
of the barrel,

comes to the notice
of brewers,

who, because of that
made Saint Nicholas

the patron Saint
of brewing.

[Josh] So because he's
supposed to reanimate

three dead pickled boys...

-[Jeremy] From a barrel.
-[Josh] ...from a barrel
from a barrel...

-[Jeremy] Importantly. Yeah.
-...he becomes
the patron saint

of beermakers?

Exactly that.

And because he
looks after children,

he becomes the patron
saint of children.

Who else is he
the patron saint of?

Because of the
three daughters,

He's the patron saint
of unmarried people.

And actually prostitutes.

Not to mention,
wrongly imprisoned criminals
and perfumers.

-People who
make perfume?
-[Jeremy] That's it.

-Sure.
-[Jeremy] Yeah.

[Josh] This is what
makes him unique.

He's like a saint
for all seasons.

[Jeremy] Exactly.

He's like a blotting paper,
and all these ideas
basically bleed into it.

Amazing. So how do we
unravel the mysteries
of who he really was

and where he
physically ended up?

Well, it's kind of like
any good police case.

And as in any
good police case,

you've got to start
with the body.

Okay.
Where's the body?

Come with me.

[Josh] Jeremy leads me
beyond the ruins

to a palatial
house of worship.

Wow.

What a stunning space.

This is amazing.

Welcome to the
Church of Saint Nicholas
in Myra, Josh.

It's a very, very
important place,

very important
in the Christian story.

Very important
in Saint Nicholas story.

When does
all of this date from?

Well, Saint Nicholas
dies in about 340 AD.

-Okay.
-[Jeremy] He's born
in 270,

so we take him to be
about 70 years old

and we assume that
there would have
been a church here.

Uh, for which
he was the bishop.

-So he would have been
ministering here.
-[Jeremy] Indeed.

[Josh] After his death,
the church becomes a shrine.

Today everywhere you look,
there's iconography.

Including frescoes depicting
Nick's divine interventions

And according
to historic sources,

Nick was buried
inside the church.

Making this building
an important pilgrimage site.

And all of this
grand architecture

that gets built up
over time.

It's not just because
Saint Nicholas

was a bishop here, right?

-[Jeremy] No, it's because
he was buried here.
-Right.

So now what
should be a simple
follow up question?

Where is he?

So there have been
recent excavations
right here.

And while they
did get down to earlier
levels of the church

and they found some
beautiful mosaics,

for example,
they did not find a crypt.

So if he wasn't
buried right here,

where was he buried?

-Well, let me show you
where the pilgrims go.
-[Josh] Sure.

Let's follow
the pilgrims, please.

So here we are,
Josh, the popularly

accepted sarcophagus
of Saint Nicholas.

[Josh] Okay.
And we do have this

really a grand, ornate
marble sarcophagus here--

From the right period.

-From the right period?
-[Jeremy] Yeah.

Okay. Now I can't
help but notice
one glaring problem.

It does appear to be
slightly broken into.

Yeah, the front is missing,
so it's worth saying,

that even though
Saint Nicholas

was buried somewhere
in this church.

He's not here now,
and that is because

the bones
of Saint Nicholas
were stolen.

I'm sorry.

Santa's bones
are missing.

They are indeed missing.

Santa's bones
are missing?

They are indeed missing.

[Josh] I'm with historian
Jeremy Seal

in the ancient ruins of Myra
in modern day Turkey.

We're learning about
the true story
of Saint Nicholas.

The historical bishop
who inspired

the legendary Santa Claus

here in the church
that was once his tomb.

There's only
one thing missing.

The remains
of Saint Nicholas himself.

They were taken
by a group of sailors

from the city
of Bari in Italy.

Okay.

The Italians,
like all Christian sailors,

were fond of their
patron saint,

and decided
to steal him.

It's not exactly Danny Ocean
at the Bellagio, either.

They smash open the tomb
and take the remains.

One sailor named Mateo
even jumps into the crypt.

Crushing a few
of the smaller bones
under his feet.

The rest sailed
triumphantly

with the [clears throat]
skeleton crew, back to Bari.

[Jeremy] The account
is very well attested

by a well respected
scribe called Nicephorus.

Who writes in great detail
about what happened.

He describes it
as a great triumph
for the sailors.

Why? Why do this?

There's probably
a few reasons.

The main one,
of course, is that relics.

in this period
are very highly regarded.

[Josh] The word "relic"
this case means

pieces of actual
human remains.

In the time
of the Crusades,

the relics
of a Catholic Saint,

would be a major draw
for pilgrims
and other tourists.

We have Santa's village.

They had Santa's bones.

So if this all did happen,
is this our sarcophagus?

Is this the one that
the sailors from Bari
broke into?

It's tempting
to think that

but I don't think so.
Have a look at it.

The first thing
you notice on the top

is that there are two
now beheaded figures

which suggest it must
have been the sarcophagus
of a couple.

-So, Mrs. Claus?
-[Jeremy chuckles]
Yeah, very good.

Very good.

The thing is that
actually Saint Nicholas

was famously
celibate and single.

Sure. Of course.

The second one,
is that the accounts
describe

the sailors breaking in
from the top.

It's a vault,
based in the floor,

and this clearly isn't
that the breaking in
is from the side.

So if he wasn't buried
in front of the altar

and he's not buried here,
where was he buried?

Come with me.

[Josh] It seems that Santa
has been down more

graves than chimneys.

Jeremy thinks there's
another location

in Nicholas Church
that befits the saint.

This is the last
possible contender

as the burial place
for Saint Nicholas.

You see the slab
below us.

There's some Greek here.

You're seeing it.
You're seeing Greek.

You're seeing Greek
of the period.

And while it's a little
bit broken up,

so it's hard to read
exactly what it says.

The word grace is clear,
which suggests to us

it could be
the embodiment of grace

-or the place of grace.
-[Josh] Right.

Some suggestion
that this was, at the very
least, the resting place

of an important
and significant figure.

[Josh] But if Nick
was here, he's not now.

Scans of the floor
in this section,

have not revealed
his crypt.

Okay, I'm quickly l
earning that the search

for Saint Nicholas
is not straightforward.

It's going to be
full of dead ends.

It's going to be
full of contradictions.

There are some who believe
that he never left the church

that he's still here,
which suggests that

the Italians took
the wrong bones.

What do you think?

-I think the Italian's
got the right bones.
-[Josh] You do?

The accounts,
they are very detailed,

and that persuades me.

But if you want
to prove it,

-you're gonna
have to go elsewhere
-Elsewhere?

Like to Italy?

Like to Italy.
That would be my
best suggestion.

Thank you, sir.

-I really appreciate
it, Jeremy. All the best
-Pleasure.

[Josh] Jeremy has
given me exactly
what I wanted this Christmas.

A mystery.

Did Italian sailors
truly take the bones
of Saint Nicholas?

And what might they tell us
about the mortal who
became a legend?

To find out, I follow
the path of Saint Nicholas

stolen remains 780 mile
s as Santa's sleigh

flies to the coastal
Italian city of Bari.

Where I arrive under cover
of darkness,

Well, it is well before
dawn here in the historic
city of Bari.

But even in the dark,
this place makes
an impression.

Between the
massive city walls.

And the imposing
fortifications.

It's clear this has
always been a place
worth defending.

Bari is and has been
for centuries

a crucial Italian port
on the Adriatic Sea.

But since the alleged bones
of Saint Nicholas

arrived here in 1087,

It's also been
a holy city.

And as I make my way
down into the old town,

it's clear I'm not
the only pilgrim here.

A little crowded.

Turns out Saint Nicholas,
very popular here.

Once the people of Bari
reportedly got their hands

on the saint's remains,
the city set about erecting

a building worthy
of housing them.

One hundred years
later, in 1197

they finished this,
the stunning

Basilica of Saint Nicholas.

It may seem a little
early to go to church,
but this morning

it's the most
popular place in town.

You know, when we think about
celebrating Old Saint Nick?

We think, of course,
December 25.

But here in the city of Bari,
it is today.

The early morning
of December 6,
that really matters.

This is the feast
of Saint Nicholas

when thousands of people
cram into this square

to commemorate
Nicholas's death

nearly 1700 years ago.

Even at this early hour,
it's a party

with plenty of chances

to grab a Saint Nick Selfie.

Thank you, Saint Nick.

Grazie.

You can even
say hi to his more
modern incarnation.

There he is, Santa Claus.

Everybody, I found him.

Not just Saint Nick,
Santa Claus.

And because it's Italy,
there's food.

And that food is good.

Well, that's that.

The best hot chocolate

that I've ever had
in my entire life.

And the best donuts.

I'm never
leaving this town.

There's even a Christmas
tree lighting

that's verging
on a Vegas style light show.

Christmas trees
aren't directly tied

to the historical Saint Nick,

putting greenery
inside dates

all the way back
to ancient Egypt.

And later by various cultures
to celebrate the solstice.

But you can thank
the Germans

for putting entire
trees indoors.

They set up paradise
trees around Christmas time.

Meant to evoke
the Garden of Eden.

The practice spread
throughout Europe,
and the world.

Most intense tree
lighting ceremony ever.

[crowd cheering]

[whoops]

Merry Christmas.

Once the tree is lit
and dawn approaches,

the basilica doors open
and the mood turns reverent.

More than
a thousand people

file inside
for a special mass.

Honoring the saint
who became Santa.

[priest reading]

[Josh] Mass concludes

and the parishioners
file out

with the church's statue
of Saint Nicholas in tow.

From here it will be
paraded through

the streets of Bari
for all to see.

I, however, stay behind
as the sun rises,

to meet
the current steward

of Saint Nicholas Church
and possibly his bones.

Father Giovanni Distante.

Father, Distant.

Buongiorno.

Buongiorno.
Very nice to meet you.

The morning mass
was beautiful.

[in Italian]

[in English] Fantastic.

A pilgrimage of love
of the whole city

of Bari towards
its patron saint.

Yes, I have many questions
about Saint Nicholas.

[in Italian] Let me show you
the place that will
answer them.

Please.

Father Distante
is giving us access

to the lower level
of the church.

The subterranean crypt
below the altar.

[Father Distante in English]
This is the tomb
of Saint Nicholas.

[Josh] So this
is the actual tomb.

[Father Distante]
This is where
his bones have laid

since sailors
brought him to Bari.

[Josh] Wow!

This tomb has
been here for almost

a thousand years
with great respect.

Are we certain that
these are the bones
of Saint Nicholas?

[Father Distante] Absolutely.

The bones were placed
in this tomb in 1089,

shortly after they
arrived in Bari.

They've been here
ever since.

And then, of course,
there's the holy manna
to consider.

I've heard of this manna.
Tell me about this.

This is a a liquid
that is produced
by the bones?

[Father Distante] Correct.

It exudes from the bones
of the saint.

[Josh] Manna originally
referred to the edible,

resinous substance

with which God
sustained the Israelites

during their 40 years
wandering in the Sinai desert.

In more modern times, though,
manna refers to a substance

with a divine
origin or purpose.

Like a liquid that exudes
from the bones of a saint.

[Father Distante] We extract
the manna periodically,

and mix a few drops
with blessed water

to share Nicholas's
blessings with the world.

This is for me.

Aw. That's very, very
nice of you. Thank you.

So some manna of my own.

Now will it
make me younger?

[Father Distante]
It's a question of faith

and faith
can move mountains.

One thing about
the manna that is special

is that it's pure
fresh water.

We're able to extract it
from this hole

that goes down
into the crypt.

That's where the manna
is extracted from.

Does this opening
look down into the tomb?

[Father Distante]
Yes. Would you like
to take a look?

[Josh] What happens next
takes my breath away.

We are being given
access to peer beneath
the crypts, altar.

And to look down into the tomb
of Saint Nicholas himself.

[whispers] Okay, let's see
what we can see.

This is incredible.

You can actually see
way down into the tomb,

Oh, and there
is a bone down there.

You can see a bone
in the liquid.

There is a bone there.

Oh my word.

In Bari Italy's
Basilica of Saint Nicholas.

I'm talking
to Father Giovanni Distante

who has granted me
an exceedingly rare privilege

with my own eyes.

I am gazing upon what may be
the bones of the saint

who would become
Santa Claus.

In the nearly 1000 years
this has been here.

Has it been opened ever?

The church was undergoing
preservation work in 1953

and for a time
we opened the crypt.

And then
a few years ago,

a doctor was able
to examine the remains

from outside the crypt
with a special camera.

I can arrange for you
to speak with him.

[Josh] Thank you
very much.

I really appreciate it.
This was really,
really special.

While physical access
to the supposed
Saint Nick is impossible.

Fortunately, one man
has had the opportunity

to see the remains
up close and personal.

Bari's chief medical examiner,
Professor Francesco Introna.

I have read that you
might know more about
these bones

than anybody else
alive today.

Yes, that's true.

I have seen them.

-You have seen them?
-[Francesco] Yes.

We had the opportunity
to look into the crypt.

We sent
the camera inside

Like a snake
camera, inside.

A snake camera
that we use in medicine.

Wow. What did you see?

I can show you
if you like.

-You can show me?
-Yes, absolutely.

Oh, this is awesome.

We are getting a once
in a millennium view.

Inside the purported tomb
of Saint Nick.

I follow
the camera's image

as it snakes down
the narrow hole.

And into the crypt itself.

Are these all bones?

[Francesco] Yeah,
these are all bones.

And what you see
that is shining is the manna.

-[Josh] That's the liquid,
right?
-[Francesco] Yes.

[Josh] Oh, and then
is that a rib bone?

A rib. This is ribs.
This is a vegetable.

-Part of vertebrae.
-[Josh] Wow!

Incredible.

I cannot believe
how many remains
are in here.

[Francesco] And now
you can see
the major part

of the skeleton
that is the skull.

Oh, my God.

The entire
skull is there.

[Francesco] The entire
skull is there

The man that would
become the inspiration

-for the story
of Santa Claus.
-[Francesco] Absolutely.

We are looking
at his skull.

-Absolutely.
-How is it possible?

That skeletal remains

that are 1700 years old

that are sitting in liquid

are not
completely dissolved.

It's impossible
to explain,

I think it's a miracle.

-[Josh] A miracle?
-Yes.

You're not supposed
to talk like that.

You're a scientist.

I am a scientist.

But I believe
in Saint Nicholas.

-There you go.
-[chuckles]

[Josh] And Saint Nick,
the miracle man appears
to have struck again

with bones
sitting in liquid

that have defied
decomposition.

This video is the last time
anyone saw the bones,

but not the only time.

They were physically
examined once

in the 1950s.

During construction work
on the building.

1953 they come out
of the crypt,

and a report is commissioned
on them. Correct?

[Francesco] Yes.
This is a report
of Professor Luigi Martino

[Josh] Wow!

So let's talk about
the conclusions
from his study here.

What does he say
about this individual?

What does he learn
from the examination
of these bones?

We learned several
important things.

First, all the skeletons
and all the bones

that are in Bari
belongs to just one man.

-That's huge.
-[Francesco] That's huge.

Okay check.

Second thing
that we have learned

is that we know
that this

this-- uh, this man
died when he was 75

80-years-old.

Okay, that's a big check,

because this generally
aligns with

-the age of Saint Nicholas.
-[Francesco] Yes.

[Josh] So that information
checks off some big boxes.

Are you convinced

that these are the remains
of Saint Nicholas?

I swear.

[chuckles]

You're 100% convinced.

[chuckles] Yes.

When you put all of these
bones together,

how much of the skeleton
is accounted for?

Around 80%.

[Josh] The report
by doctor Luigi Martino

described each and every
identifiable bone.

Most of the skeleton
is here,

but a few critical pieces
are missing.

Among them,
the left pubic bone,

his right ribcage
and left jawbone.

Where do you think
the other 20%
could reliably be?

Venice, for example.

-Venice?
-[Francesco] Venice.

[Josh] In the year 1100,
another expedition of sailors

raided the original tomb
of Saint Nick in Myra, Turkey,

this time from Venice.

And while the sailors
from Bari

had taken most
of the bones.

What was left, it is said,
was grabbed by the Venetians

and taken back
to be venerated.

So it's possible that

Saint Nicholas
is also in Venice,

Could be.

[Josh] If the bones
in Venice complete

the missing 20%
of the skeleton in Bari,

it would all but prove
that both groups
of sailors did in fact,

steal parts from the same
skeleton in Myra

and that it may well be
the real Saint Nick.

So I bid arrivederci
to Doctor Introna.

And fly 450 miles north

to a place that's literally
swimming in history.

Welcome to the floating city.

For a millennium,
this was the seat

of one of the world's
great maritime powers,

a nexus of trade,
art, architecture,

and powerful
religious forces

that gave rise to one
seriously beautiful place.

In a world that looks
increasingly the same,

there truly is no
place like Venice.

Over a hundred islands
clustered in a lagoon,

that occasionally rises
higher than anyone
is comfortable with.

There are no cars here.

The only streets
are these canals,

which are
the city's lifeblood.

Venice is not
a charming mix
of the old and the new

It is old
and it is magnificent.

Like Bari,
Venice is a city of sailors.

Saint Nicholas
Primary Fan Club.

Also like Bari,
when the sailors

reportedly brought back
some of Saint Nick's remains,

they needed
a place to put them,

which was right here.

But not so fast.

All right. Well behind me
is the Church
of San Nicolo al Lido.

But unlike
the basilica in Bari,

where I could get
within inches of their bones,

access here
is much more restricted.

So much so that
I am actually not allowed

to appear
on camera inside.

But I have received
a blessing from on high

to send a camera in.

So let's see
what they've got.

[Evan] Okay.
I'm rolling. Here we go.

[Josh] My director
of photography,
Evan B. Stone,

passes through the main doors
into the church's interior

for rare filming access.

at the end of the marble
lined apps,

his camera
spies a high altar

containing a sarcophagus.

That reportedly holds the rest
of Saint Nicholas remains.

A plaque attests
to the claim,

and historical
sources tell us

that a Venetian expedition
did, in fact, sail to Myra.

Unfortunately for them,
the Venetians got to Turkey

13 years behind
their rivals from Bari.

According to legend,
the Venetians hold the monks

guarding the rest
of the remains
at knife point,

swipe the bones
and hightail it back
here to Venice.

But did it really happen?

Did they get the remaining
bones of Saint Nick?

The answer to those questions
is waiting for me

outside the church,
down one of the dark,

winding canals of Venice

At the Libreria
of Aqua Alta.

That's where I'm meeting.
Historian Alessandro Trabucco.

Alessandro.

-Hey I'm Josh.
-Hello.
Nice to meet you, Josh.

Great to meet you. Wow.
This place is incredible.

Man, this is so beautiful.

This is called
High Tide Library.

And this is
a famous bookshop.

Here we have in Venice.

[Josh] It's no secret
that Venice
has a flooding problem.

The lagoon, too,
routinely rises
far above street level.

Aqua Alta has come up
with a novel solution.

Putting their merchandise
in bathtubs.

And even a gondola
to protect the books.

when the tide
gets extra high.

So we've got a lot
of history around us here.

Let's talk about
some history.

I'm here
investigating this idea

that the bones
of Saint Nicholas

may be here in Venice.

So let's start with this.

How did the
get here, supposedly?

So supposedly,
they were taken
by the Venetians.

They arrived there
in Myra, in Turkey

in the year 1100.

So that's a great story.

The question is,
How do we know
that it's true?

Since the year
1100 or so

have these bones
been studied
scientifically?

Only once. In 1992,
they were removed,

and they were studied
by Dr. Luigi Martino.

The same guy who studied
the bones in Bari in the 50's?

[Alessandro] Yeah.
Yeah, yeah, sure.
The same guy.

And so what did
Martino find?

I show you.

[Josh] This is
Martino's report?

-[Alessandro] This is.
-Wow. Look at this.

This is what
he finds?

[Alessandro] Yes.
These are the fragments.

[Josh] So this is not at all
what I was expecting.

These are like tiny,
tiny pieces.

[Alessandro]
Like a puzzle pieces.

[Josh] Like puzzle pieces.

Unlike the large specimens
in the Bari crypt,

the bones in Venice
are quite small.

In theory,
this makes sense.

After all, these would merely
be the leftover fragments

from a crypt
already broken into

and trampled on
by the sailors from Bari.

So now the million
dollar question.

Does the study reveal
whether the bone
fragments here

in Venice complement
the remains in Bari?

Meaning do they
go together?

Yes, they do.

-[Josh] They do?
-They do.

[Josh] Dr. Martino was able
to piece together

the fragmented
remains here in Venice.

When looked at
against the bones

that were studied
in the crypt in Bari

something incredible
becomes immediately clear.

They fit together,
almost completing
the skeleton.

I mean, this is huge
because it means

that these are parts
of the same individual.

And if sailors from Venice
and sailors from Bari

grabbed parts
of the same individual

from this tomb in Turkey.

It's very likely
that it's Saint Nicholas.

I mean, it really,
probably is him.

[in English]

-He's here.
-[Alessandro] He's here.

-And in Bari.
-And in Bari.

And also in the States.

-Also in the States?
-Yes!

Okay.

A part of Saint Nicholas
could be in America.

Yes.

How?

[in English]

Okay. That would
be incredible.

This is a twist
many churches around

the world claim
to have holy relics.

But the idea that
a piece of Saint Nick

ended up in America,

seems farfetched,
even for Santa.

Still no stone
or bone unturned.

Having revealed
that Saint Nick

is almost certainly split
between Bari and Venice.

Is there really a chance
that a piece of him

ended up in Chicago?

Here in the windy city,
the temperature is brisk

and Christmas
is in the air.

In a way, it's appropriate
that my search

for Saint Nicholas
should lead here.

Because so much of his
evolution into Santa

happened right here
in the United States.

And like all
things in America,

Santa turns out to be
a bit of a melting pot.

Okay, roll the package
while I look for my gloves.

[exhales]

Our New World Christmas

borrows quite a few
characters from the old.

The Dutch are the ones
who give us
the name Santa Claus

from their name
for Saint Nicholas,
Sinterklaas.

Elves were common
in Norse and German
mythology.

Over here, we put them
to work as free labor
in Santa's toy factory.

Speaking of the Germans,

their belief
that the baby Jesus

or Chris Kendall
brings gifts.

Gets repurposed
as Santa's other alias,

Kris Kringle from England.

Charles Dickens's
Ghost of Christmas present

becomes Father Christmas.

A master of ceremonies
whenever the season
rolls around.

And here in Chicago
that season is freezing.

I feel like I'm
at the North Pole.

Oh, yeah,
the North Pole.

Back in the
mid-19th century,

there was a ton
of interest

in the ill fated
Franklin Expedition

to the Arctic,
and because of that,

pop culture decided
to give Santa
a magical new home

at the North Pole.

Then there's
the Rosetta Stone
of Christmas,

the 1823 poem,

a visit from
Saint Nicholas.

You know, "'twas the night
before Christmas"
et cetera, et cetera.

Most of the Santa
we know and love

is in these 56 lines.

Including the first
appearance of his reindeer.

Well, eight of them anyway.

During the Civil War.

artist Thomas Nashe
uses Santa

as a union symbol,
complete with his
iconic red suit.

And early
in the 20th century,

illustrator Haddon Sundblom

turned the jolly old elf
into a pitchman for Coca Cola,

and the image stuck.

The Midwest even play
s a role in the holiday
lore when, in 1939,

a copywriter working
for the headquarters

of the Montgomery
Ward Department store

right behind me,
came up with a stroke
of marketing genius,

Robert L. May scribbled
a now iconic holiday tale

that introduced the world
to Santa's Ninth Reindeer.

That's right. Rudolph
is from Chicago,

and he will not stop
talking about it.

We get it.
You like horrible pizza

and hot dogs
without ketchup.

Enough already.

Despite the city's
high profile,

the purported bone
of Saint Nick
I've come to see

is not in a historic
museum or cathedral.

Instead, I make my way
to the suburb of Morton Grove

and the church, known
as the Shrine of All Saints.

Here to greet me
is the shrine's rector

and chief collector,
father Dennis O'Neill.

I'm Josh.
Nice to meet you.

Hi Josh. I'm Dennis.
Welcome to the shrine
of All Saints.

Thank you so much.
This is a really
remarkable space.

And when we say
the shrine of all saints,

I do see a lot
of saints here.

Along the wall.

Yes. There are the relics

of over 3100
different saints.

I'm sorry. it sounded
like you said, 3100.

Indeed I did.

How? Ha-- ha--
How did this come to be?

I collected them.

You personally
collected them?

Yes.

Wow. So this
is a lifelong mission.

It has been.

Dennis leads me
through the collection.

Look at all of this
amazing material.

Thousands of relics
that he has saved
on behalf of the public.

From every
saint you can name.

And likely
some you can't.

This is a reliquary
that belonged

to a Latin
Patriarch of Antioch

It is part of the skull
of Saint Barbara,

heel bone
of Saint Polycarp.

Uh, and a right finger bone
of Saint Ignatius of Antioch.

[Josh] Wow.

There's even one
from another of the saints

in Nicholas era

-Saint Helena.
-And this is a bone
of Saint Helena.

I'm sorry,
The Saint Helena?

Mother of Constantine.

Mother of the
Emperor Constantine.

This is a foot bone
from Saint Helena.

[Father O'Neill] That's right.

[Josh] But even
with a roster like this,

Saint Nick
is still the headliner.

And so here he is,
the man himself.

That is Saint Nicholas.

-[Josh] This is meant to be
a bone from Saint Nicholas.
-Yes.

-Right in front of us.
-Yes, indeed.

So now you're gonna
have to do some time
traveling with me.

-All right.
-[Josh] We know that.

Nicholas was a bishop
in Myra

-and what's
now Turkey.
-Yes.

-We know his bones
were stolen away.
-Yes.

Taken to Bari
and taken to Venice.

-It seems.
-Yes.

How does one
of those bones end up

in Morton Grove,
Illinois, of all places?

-That's a very good question.
-[Josh chuckles]

-I'll try to provide
an answer.
-[Josh] Okay.

Father O'Neal explains
that he acquired the bone

from church officials,

who in turn got it from
a collection in France.

It has been certified
as authentic

by the Catholic Church.

And while my instinct
is to be skeptical

that a piece
of Saint Nick

is here in Chicago,

it turns out
that this fragment

is from a left pubic bone
and that It is a big deal.

According to Dr. Martino's
examinations

that exact bone is missing
from the remains
in both Venice and and Bari.

So that's a big check

-for this being possible.
-Yes.

Has this bone been
scientifically studied?

Once.

Once when?

On November 4th of 2016.

And what was done to it?

Well, let me show you.

The gloves, please.

Okay.

Father O'Neal gently removes
the bone from its reliquary.

If you can see
on the top there

a hole has
been drilled.

[Josh] Yes, first of all,
I can't believe
I'm holding this.

But this was drilled
into in 2016.

-[Father O'Neill] It was.
-But were they able to do
any DNA testing on it

to actually determine
the individual?

Not yet.

When you say "Not yet",
does that mean
it's being done?

It's about to be done.

-[Josh] It is?
-Yes

So this could settle
the question on Saint Nick.

That's right.

-One little bone.
-One little bone.

Well, let's test it.

Let's do that.

[Josh] To get the DNA tested
Father Dennis and I

head back into
the city to the
University of Chicago,

where we meet scientists
Dr. Georges Kazan

and Professor Tom Higham
from the University of Vienna

So what's the--
what's the--
protocol here?

What we're going to do now
is genetic testing.

-[Josh] Right.
-This is going to help us
validate further

whether or not this
could be Saint Nicholas.

The last few years
have seen big explosion.

The science
of ancient DNA

It just depends on
how much DNA evidence
we can extract

as to how much
we'll be able to put a flesh

onto the bones
of this interesting person.

-So we have our
bone here.
-[Father O'Neill] Yes.

-You will need a physical
sample from this, right?
-[Dr. Higham] Yes.

We do need
some physical material

to actually extract
and amplify the got it.

Got it. All right.

-Father you ready
for this?
-Absolutely. Yeah.

-Let's see what you can do.
-[Dr. Higham] Thanks,
Father Dennis.

-That's brilliant.
-Let's go down to the lab

Here we go. Please.

[Josh] I hope cutting
into Santa's bones
won't reflect on me

for this year's
naughty or nice list,

because I may be
about to end up
with a truckload of coal.

[Josh] Saint Nicholas
is famous for performing
many miracles,

from saving sailors at sea
to protecting children,

to casting demons
out of trees.

It seems there was nothing
he couldn't do.

And some say those miracles
continue to this day

through healing manna,

the mysterious
holy liquid,

that is said to exude
from his bones

Since the 4th century.

and people flock to Bari

from all over the world
to get a venerated vial.

So here's
to Saint Nick.

May his spirit cure
whatever ails you.

You're not suppose
to drink it.

Wasn't aware of that.

-Okay, Josh.
-Great.

Come in here.

So we're going
to be going into

-a clean lab to do
this work,
-Okay.

In an attempt to determine
if a bone from a suburban
Chicago church

belongs to
Saint Nicholas himself,

Professor Tom Higham and I

are about to collect
a sample.

Since it's critical,
we don't contaminate it.

We need to take some
serious precautions.

We don sterile gloves,
masks, hairnets and booties.

We even sterilize
the gloves.

Before putting on
what's known hilariously

as a bunny suit.

All right, We got it.
I just need to pee
before we start.

-Is that a problem?
-[Dr. Higham laughs]

Oh!

[Josh] Finally, we're ready
to enter the clean room.

Meanwhile, Father Dennis
and Georges will observe
from outside the airlock.

Hello, Father Dennis.

Georges, how are you?

[Georges] Good to see
you both.

[Dr. Higham]
This is the ultra
clean room.

We're right in the middle
of the lab now.

-[Josh] Okay.
-[Dr. Higham] Safe enough

so that we can
open the box

-and have a look inside.
-[Josh] Okay,
let's check it out.

-I have to say, just being
in the presence of this...
-[Dr. Higham] Yeah.

[Josh] ...there is this--
this kind of thrill

that we could
actually be holding.

the remains
of Saint Nicholas.

[Dr. Higham]
I know. it's cool.
That's amazing.

-[Josh] It really is. I mean,
it's kind of surreal.
-[Dr. Higham chuckles]

It totally is. I agree.

-[Josh] Okay, so?
-[Dr. Higham] Yeah.

[Josh] Should we
try to extract
Santa's DNA?

-[Dr. Higham] Let's do it.
-[Josh chuckles] Let's do it.

Tom carefully
cuts into the bone,

of which we're aiming
to take 200 mg

finding usable
DNA in a sample

this old is a long shot,

but we're hoping
for a holiday miracle.

[Dr. Higham] All right.
Now let's see if I can
just pop that official.

[Josh] Boom.
Look at that perfect.

Look at that.
Absolutely perfect.
Nice job.

Hopefully that
will be enough.

[Dr. Higham]
Let's weigh it and see.

And then it'll be close.

Yeah, man 208.
Perfect.

[Josh] 208. Yeah.

[Dr. Higham] Exactly
what we wanted.

-[Josh] So enough material
for you to work with.
-It should be yeah.

-[Josh] And now
the hard work begins.
-[Dr. Higham] Indeed.

[Josh] So where is this
sample bound for?

[Dr. Higham] This sample
is going back to Austria

to the University of Vienna.

-Where ancient DNA lab is.
-[Josh] Okay.

[Josh] Well, I'll be
waiting by the phone.

[Dr. Higham] Can't wait
to share it with you.

[Josh] All the best, man.
This is incredible.

[Dr. Higham] Thanks.

[Josh] The sequencing
will take up to six weeks
to complete,

so I return to my headquarters
for a long winter's nap.

Sure enough,
six weeks later,
my inbox pings

and I received the news
from the laboratory.

The DNA in Father
Dennis Relic

is too old and damaged
to be conclusive.

However, Tom and Georges
were able to determine

that this pubic bone
belonged to a man

who died in about 340 AD.

in other words, right around
when Saint Nicholas

is believed to have
gone to that great
toy factory in the sky.

It is astronomically unlikely
that this bone comes

from the correct
time period

and also perfectly completes

a missing part of the Venice
and Bari skeleton.

That is, unless
Father Dennis Relic

is, in fact, authentic.

Like Santa Claus.

I've flown a lot of miles,
and on my holiday mission,

I've discovered the man
behind the mythology.

A remarkable bishop
whose life inspired

traditions that
endure today.

And though Christmas
is a season of miracles,

the deeds
of the historical Nick

are indelibly,
unmistakably human.

A reminder that we should
all protect care for
and give to one another.

We've learned that his bones
were likely stolen,

and we can say
with strong certainty

that they reside in
two Italian cities.

And now, we can add
Chicago to the list.

Getting to know
the real Saint Nicholas
has been an honor

that I'll carry with me
for a lifetime.

One that I'll remember

each time I say,

Merry Christmas to all
and to all a good night.