The theological thrill ride, darting from Israel through Europe to the United States, focuses on Dr. Max Train, a leading genetic scientist from Syracuse, New York. Max was once a devout believer in God, but now lives a faithless life following the brutal slaying of his beloved wife and four-year-old autistic daughter twelve years ago.
Years after the widely publicized trial during which Max is rightfully found innocent of his family's murder, pinned on him by corrupt dark forces, Max vacations in Israel. During an earthquake outside of Jerusalem, he discovers what appears to be the Cross Jesus of Nazareth was crucified on nearly two thousand years ago. A mysterious explosion destroys the cave where Max had secretly extracted the ancient artifacts, killing, Train believes, his best friend Dr. Luke Gardner and two graduate students he was in Israel with. Moments later, Max's body is hit with a sea of bullets as the morning sun begins to rise over The Holy Land.
Max may hold the fate of mankind in his hands. If this is the True Cross and Christ was cloned from the remaining blood stains and hair remnants on the cross, would government and religion become obsolete upon His Second Coming? If the blood stains and hair are those of Jesus, then what does this say about the long held belief Christ rose whole and entire upon his resurrection? Where would the battle lines be drawn between the advances in science and the beliefs of religion? What effect would this knowledge have on one's faith and beliefs?
In the hallowed halls of the Vatican a righteous Cardinal, Anselm Mugant, hears of the discovery in Jerusalem. Without the Pope's knowledge and in clear opposition to all Catholic teaching, the wayward prelate will stop at nothing - even murder - in his bid to prevent human cloning. Mugant soon enlists the services of the internationally rumored assassin known simply as The Scorpion to track down Max and silence him with death. The Scorpion, a onetime penitent of the Cardinal, is a force of pure evil and who challenges life. He forces this same challenge onto Max as he casts a deadly shadow over his praised soul and every move he makes. Adding intricate subterfuge to the plot is the existence of Mugant's ‘Fifth Crusade’, individuals with great power and reach devout to the Cardinal. Together, Mugant launches an all-out attack to find the ancient artifacts in Train's possession, and prevents the genetic scientist from doing the unthinkable in his eyes - announcing to the world a cross containing bodily remnants could indeed be the True Cross of Jesus of Nazareth - and clone the body of Christ!