Aarons rod by Michael baum.
During the archaeological excavations of Lachish in 1938, James Starkey discovers a copper scroll in a clay cylinder buried under a pyramid of skulls dating back to the Assyrian conquest in the 7th Century. The contents of the scroll are so sensitive that he hides the find in a cave at Maresha where his body is found the following morning.
A good read with good characters. 4*.

I could not finish this book. The first quarter is spent extolling the genius of the characters. Almost, as if, to make me feel stupid. There is over explained back story for three character, who when seated together, have the same personality and manner of speaking. This book was just plain confusing.

Aaron's Rod is extremely well written. The plot is creative but plausible and character development is great. The novel is written in a style reminiscent of the late 1800s and early 1900s. My only knock is the story takes longer to play out than really needed.