The discovery of ancient clay tablets inscribed in an unknown language by a forgotten culture in the Negev desert sets off a race against time to acquire them and decipher their prescient meaning. As translation of the inscriptions begins casting doubt on the origins of the three Abrahamic religions that arose in the Middle East, conflicts arise between Daniel, the archaeologist conducting the dig, Ariel, the Orthodox Jewish army colonel tasked with constructing the desert military base where the tablets were unearthed, and Aleksandra, an atheist intelligence analyst assigned to report on construction progress. As word of the discovery spreads, the Vatican, a sect of ultra-Orthodox rabbis, an American journalist, and members of a shadowy cabal each seek to either suppress or exploit the inscriptions’ dangerous revelations, with potentially catastrophic results.
Unfolding across the globe in Paris, Istanbul, New York City, Greece, Israel, and Turkmenistan, this archaeological thriller delves into ancient history, philosophy, religion, mythology, and physics, leading to a surprising perspective on the human condition.
Jeffrey Bloomstone: “I’m in awe of Bryony’s developmental editing of my adventure thriller. She quickly wrapped her mind around the complicated 177,000-word story and came back with an 85-page report with astute and insightful suggestions, along with helpful comments throughout my manuscript. Her engagement, enthusiasm, praise, and gracious delivery of constructive guidance made her an absolute pleasure to work with. Bryony far exceeded my expectations. I highly recommend her.”