The Source was published by Random House in 1965. The novel uses the conceit of an archaeological excavation at a fictional tell (Tell Makor, in modern Israel) to structure a narrative spanning from prehistoric worship through the development of monotheism, the Roman period, the Crusades, the Ottoman Empire, and the founding of the State of Israel. Each chapter begins with the discovery of an artifact and then narrates the era that produced it.
The archaeological frame gives the novel its distinctive structure: unlike Hawaii, which moves chronologically forward, The Source oscillates between the modern excavation and the ancient past, creating resonances between historical periods. The deepest layer (a fertility goddess figurine from 9000 BCE) and the most recent (a battle in the 1948 Arab-Israeli War) illuminate each other.
The novel is Michener’s most intellectually ambitious: it traces the development of religious thought from animism through polytheism to ethical monotheism, arguing that this is humanity’s greatest intellectual achievement — and that the land of Israel is where it happened.
Collecting The Source
First edition (Random House, New York, 1965): Boards with dust jacket.
Market values:
- Fine in dust jacket: $100–$300
- Very good: $40–$100
Projected values (2026–2036): Strong appreciation. The Source is widely considered Michener’s finest novel and the most successful literary treatment of Holy Land history.
The Archaeological Frame
The tel (an artificial mound formed by successive layers of habitation) is Michener’s perfect structural device. Each archaeological layer corresponds to a chapter set in a different era, from prehistoric worship through Hellenistic Judaism, Crusader violence, and Ottoman decline. The interplay between the modern archaeologists excavating the site and the stories of the people who lived there creates a temporal depth unmatched in popular historical fiction.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a tel? A tel (also spelled “tell”) is an artificial mound in the Middle East created by the accumulated remains of successive settlements built on the same site over centuries or millennia. Excavating a tel reveals layers of civilization, with the oldest at the bottom. Michener’s fictional Tell Makor is based on real archaeological sites like Megiddo and Hazor.