Ancient sealed books, discovered in a Jordanian cave, may shed new light on the early years of Christianity.
The books, each with five or six lead leaves bound by lead rings, were apparently discovered in northern Jordan sometime between 2005 and 2007.
This lead leaf shows a fruited palm tree, which scholars say is a symbol for the heir to the House of David, together with the eight-pointed star indicating the messiah.
The leaves, which are mostly the size a credit card, contain text in Ancient Hebrew, most of which is in code.
A spine of one of the books. Dr Zaid Al Saad, director of Jordan's Department of Antiquities, says the books may have been made by the followers of Jesus a few decades after his crucifixion.
Book with the detail of a menorah on the left. Dr Al Saad believes the books' discovery to be "as important as the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls".
Book with the spine laid flat. David Elkington who, with his wife Jennifer, is trying to get the books safely into a Jordanian museum, thinks they could be "the major discovery of Christian history".
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