When a quirky archaeologist finds ancient Viking parchments containing runes and riddles, his mundane life is changed for good. As he embarks on a dangerous quest to discover their origin, he finds himself plunged into the heart of an ancient religious conspiracy, fighting for his life. From Egyptian tombs and antiquarian bookshops in modern day Egypt to the year 1013--when Viking warriors raided a tomb and unknowingly stole the greatest secret of the Old Testament--he is led on a mystifying trail of clues through past and present alike. With powerful forces fighting against him, will he be able to succeed in unveiling a religious cover-up when the consequences of failing are fatal?

A masterful concoction of history and intrigue, referred to by critics as "the Norwegian "Da Vinci Code"" A golden relic, containing an ancient manuscript that could change the course of history, has been hidden in a monastery, but nobody knows where. One determined man sets out to find this sensational artifact and to trace its origins. His quest takes him to a scientific intelligence organization in London, a Middle Eastern outpost, and a Crusaders' castle in a French village, as layer by layer he reveals the religious mysteries inside the Shrine of Sacred Secrets.