In 1910, Amelia and Emerson travel to Ottoman Palestine to stop an English adventurer from conducting a reckless search for the treasures of the Jerusalem Temple beneath a site sacred to Muslims, Christians and Jews. British officials also suspect that the expedition conceals German intelligence activity.
While the older Emersons investigate in Jerusalem, Ramses is working at Samaria and becomes suspicious of two unusual travellers. His discovery links the archaeological venture to a wider espionage problem, forcing the divided family to exchange information across hostile territory before careless excavation or deliberate provocation causes political violence.