Based on a novel. A controversial historian and a brilliant archaeologist are separately pulled into a deadly conspiracy after uncovering evidence that the Temple of Solomon may be a myth, threatening the foundations of modern religion and drawing the ire of a shadowy, ancient brotherhood.

SYNOPSIS:

Based on the novel by Lebanese author Karim El Koussa.

Series developed by Pierre Lapointe and Nick Tarabay

Pilot written by Pierre Lapointe

The story opens in a dark, abandoned mansion where a battered and exhausted Maya Deeb is being interrogated by a mysterious man in a high-end suit. She confesses to being pursued by an ancient brotherhood and when pressed, admits she killed her former lover, historian Paul Khoury.

Six months earlier in Beirut, Lebanon, architect Hiram Melki claims to have "cracked the riddle" of King Ahiram's tomb. His friend, Father Joseph, finds Melki decapitated with a "Y" symbol carved into his chest.

Father Joseph discovers Melki’s research notes hidden inside a hollow statue of the Virgin Mary. As Major Kanaan investigates, Father Joseph feigns ignorance of the notes and the possible motives behind the ritualistic murder. Back at his rectory and suspecting he is under surveillance, the priest arms himself with a Vatican-issued handgun. He places Melki’s notes in an envelope addressed to Maya in Heidelberg, Germany.

In Heidelberg, archaeologist Maya Deeb proves her grit by smashing a fake artifact sold to a Russian mobster, revealing it as a forgery containing modern lead pellets and exposing an inside job within his organization.

Meanwhile, Paul Khoury (Nick Tarabay - SPARTACUS: House of Ashur) travels from Boston to Montreux for a conference with his business partner, Marwan. At the Eden Palace Hotel, banker Mathias Erisman warns Paul that his research on the Temple of Solomon is a "threat to mankind" because it challenges the religious structures guiding society. Paul refuses to suppress the truth. Despite receiving a note warning there is "no room for error," Paul dismisses the threat.

At the Chateau de Chillon, Paul delivers his lecture. He argues that the biblical Temple of Solomon never existed in Jerusalem and that the descriptions in the Old Testament are actually references to the Phoenician Temple of Baal-Melkart in Tyre. He claims the story was propaganda created by scribes to glorify Solomon's kingdom, causing an uproar in the audience.

Leaving the lecture, Paul and Marwan are driven away in a black SUV. The driver suddenly shoots Marwan. Paul engages in a violent struggle with the assassin, causing the vehicle to crash through a guardrail and plunge off a cliff. Paul is thrown into a ditch, battered and bloodied. His eyes spring open.

THE PHOENICIAN CODE