IN THE SANDSWEPT HEART OF AN ANCIENT LAND WAITS THE LAST GREAT TREASURE...Treasure priceless beyond mere money. The Menorah: the seven branched lamp, true symbol of Judaism, believed lost, destroyed, two thousand years ago. Now rumour has become fact. Ancient scrolls have been discovered attesting to its survival, hinting at its final hiding place. For the Israelis, no sacrifice is too great to ensure its safe homecoming. But some of Israel's neighbouring states have very different ideas. Caspar Laing, a brilliant young professor of Semitics, is brought to Israel for a secret and highly dangerous mission: to decode the scrolls and locate the prize. His only problem - staying alive long enough to do so...