"Karim's pulse throbbed as he listened for footsteps. When he heard none, he put on his backpack and carried the object to the entrance of the cave. Only then could he see what it wasâ€"a tall, round clay jar sealed with cork. He unfurled the linen to find what appeared to be a scroll made of fragile papyrus. The script reminded him of Hebrew, square in appearance and probably read from left to right but less cluttered, with fewer dots than Hebrew script. After rolling up the scroll, he placed it in the jar. The sun was almost all the way down, but he could still see. He turned and saw a middle-aged man rushing toward him. The man wore an army green shirt and pants. "I'm the only one who has permission to excavate these caves. You'll need to give me that jar." "No, I don't." The man lunged at him. Karim sidestepped and narrowly escaped the thrust. "I'm afraid you have no choice."' Excerpted from The Galilean Secret by Evan Drake Howard All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.