Most of the problems in the early stages of history were based on religion and the book explains what happened in a society as different religions developed and came into existence. Most of the emphasis is on Makor and how the people, especially those of the Family of Ur, existed. The book is rich in the teaching of the traditions and cultures of the various religions that existed in that area from paganism through the development of Judaism, Christianity and Islam and how they interacted. In each case, one of the characters in the chapter had some contact with the artifact and the chapter explains how the artifact came to be found at the site. Each of the chapters in the book relates to one or more of the artifacts found at the site and tells the story of that artifact and the people that lived at the time. The book is basically the story of the different people who lived in and around Makor from primitive times up until the 1960s.

Each section of the book corresponds to a different period in the history of the site and some chapters may be several thousand years apart.

Many artifacts are found, including a Roman temple, basilica, synagogue, mosque and castle all on the same site. The story begins with an archaeological dig in the 1960s that takes place at the mythical site of Makor, near Jerusalem. Some characters, places and events are historical, others are fictional. Michener is a voyage through history, focused on Israel and the Middle East.

The Source by James A. Michener