First century CE, Roman Palestine: Yehuda Tauma believes he's found his lucky break when he finds a valuable pearl on the floor of the temple of Jerusalem where he works as a scribe. Convinced that his position at the temple only serves to maintain the network of corruption and greed that he eschews, Yehuda and his bodyguard Ioannis set out for a new life in Damascus. But when they come upon the body of Yehuda's adopted father and mentor outside the village of Armageddon, Yehuda vows to find the killer and uncover the reason he was killed. Ever loyal, Ioannis promises to accompany Yehuda on his avenging mission. As the two men search for the killer, they meet surprising allies and treacherous adversaries along the way. Yehuda and Ioannis must unravel the intricate secret messages and visionary clues left behind by the dead man-while trying to stay alive themselves.

Renegade scribes, revolutionary cells, temple spies, oppressive tyrants, and visionary prophets and priestesses collide in this mystery of the volatile first century in the Middle East.

"The mystery itself is gripping enough-unfurling slowly, tantalizingly-but the history provided as a backdrop to the fictional narrative is mesmerizingly real.--Kirkus Reviews

"[a] subtle blend of genres with mystic elements...the 'whodunit' storyline and some well-chosen characters keep the book entertaining and very enjoyable...reads very easily for such an intellectually stimulating novel."--Historical Novel Society