Jack Stanton, an American businessman, makes a pilgrimage to war torn Israel in hopes of rekindling his Christian faith. Stanton, along with an old college buddy and a new "Friend, " an attractive professor of religion and philosophy, uncover the secret of a mysterious scroll. The scroll makes startling claims that the Gnostics were the original followers of Jesus, and that they retained secret knowledge of Jesus that was not included in the Bible. This is a combination of Dan Brown, Elaine Pagels, and Timothy Freake. Davila's story will appeal to anyone curious about an alternative history to the origins of Christianity. A study guide for group discussion is included.