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The book tells the story of Prince Aziel, a young man of Jewish and Egyptian blood, who is a grandson of King Solomon. Aziel travels to the ancient city of Zimboe with a caravan, where he meets Elissa, the daughter of Sakon, the governor of Zimboe, and a priestess of Baaltis. As they spend more time together, Aziel and Elissa develop a deep connection and fall in love. However, their love is forbidden due to their different faiths and social status. King Ithobal, who desires Elissa for himself, demands that she be given to him in marriage, threatening to wage war against the city if his demands are not met. Aziel and Elissa's love is put to the test as they face numerous challenges, including the disapproval of Issachar, a Levite who seeks to prevent their marriage, and the schemes of Metem, a Phoenician merchant who is willing to do whatever it takes to gain wealth and power. As the story unfolds, Aziel and Elissa are forced to make difficult choices and sacrifices, ultimately leading to a tragic conclusion. Elissa takes her own life to avoid being forced to marry Ithobal, and Aziel kills Ithobal in revenge. The city of Zimboe is destroyed, fulfilling Issachar's prophecy, and Aziel is left to mourn the loss of his beloved Elissa. The story concludes with Aziel finding solace in the thought that there is hope for them beyond the grave, and he sets his face towards the sea of Life, passing into the unknown, ultimately being reunited with Elissa in the afterlife.
A caravan, comprised of people from various nations, arrives at the ancient city of Zimboe after eight months of perilous travel. The group is relieved to have finally reached their destination, where they can rest and trade. Among them is Prince Aziel, a young man of Jewish and Egyptian blood, who is a grandson of King Solomon. As the caravan approaches the city, Aziel lingers behind, taking in the sight of the city's flat-roofed houses and the huge circular building of dark stone. He is joined by Metem, a Phœnician merchant, who has been tasked with protecting the prince. The two men engage in a conversation about the nature of love, gold, and the gods, revealing their differing beliefs and values. As the sun sets, they continue on their journey, but become lost in the darkness, forcing them to wait until the moon rises to find their way again.
Aziel and Metem, lost in the darkness, stumble upon a sacred grove of Baaltis, where they hear a priestess, Elissa, singing a passionate chant to the goddess. Despite the danger of being discovered, they watch as Elissa prays to the moon, seeking wisdom, protection, and love. However, their presence is soon discovered by a black giant who attempts to abduct Elissa. Aziel and Metem intervene, and after a fierce battle, Aziel kills the giant. Elissa is grateful and introduces herself as the daughter of Sakon, the governor of Zimboe. As they walk towards the city, Aziel and Elissa engage in a conversation about her prayer and the symbolism of the events that transpired. Their discussion takes a romantic turn, and they seem to develop a connection. Meanwhile, Metem grumbles about his injuries and the unfairness of being overlooked. The group is soon joined by Issachar, a Levite, who is disapproving of Aziel's presence in the grove with a "heathen" priestess. The chapter ends with Issachar rebuking Aziel for his actions, while Aziel defends himself, and the group proceeds towards the city gates.
The prince Aziel attends a grand feast in his honor, hosted by Sakon, the governor of Zimboe. However, the evening is marred by the presence of King Ithobal, who is revealed to be the uncle of the savage Aziel killed earlier. Ithobal is angry and demands vengeance for his kinsman's death, and it is implied that he had set the savage to kidnap Elissa, Sakon's daughter. Aziel and Elissa grow closer as they converse on the balcony, and she confides in him about her fears of being forced to marry Ithobal. Aziel vows to protect her, and they share a moment of intense connection. Meanwhile, Metem suggests that Ithobal be assassinated, but Aziel rejects this counsel. The evening ends with the arrival of Issachar, who interrupts Aziel's private moment with Elissa, and she takes her leave.
Aziel is confronted by Issachar, who warns him of the dangers of loving Elissa, a priestess of Baaltis, and recounts a dream in which he foresaw Aziel's fate being tied to Elissa's. Aziel is torn between his desire for Elissa and his duty to his faith, and initially decides to distance himself from her. However, after watching Elissa participate in a procession of priestesses, he is drawn to her again. Meanwhile, Issachar plots to keep Aziel and Elissa apart, and enlists the help of Metem, a Phoenician merchant, to deceive Aziel into attending a ceremony at the temple, where a dark sacrifice is to take place. Issachar's plan is to use this ceremony to deter Aziel from pursuing Elissa, while Metem sees an opportunity to gain wealth and power by manipulating the situation.
Aziel attends a ceremony at the temple of El and Baaltis, guided by Metem, where a sacrifice is to be made to restore the health of the lady Baaltis. The ceremony involves a dancer who self-mutilates and claims to be possessed by the goddess, demanding a human sacrifice, specifically the first-born child of a woman. However, before the sacrifice can be made, Issachar interrupts, denouncing the ritual as an abomination and prophesying the downfall of the city. He is attacked and rescued by soldiers. Meanwhile, Metem learns that the lady Baaltis has actually died, and he informs Elissa, who uses this information to stop the sacrifice by claiming to be inspired by the goddess and announcing the lady Baaltis' death. The ceremony is halted, and the priests and spectators depart in a bad mood, having been denied the promised spectacle. Aziel, who had been torn between his desire to rescue the child and his duty to avoid conflict, is thankful for Elissa's intervention, which has saved both the child and himself from potential harm.
Elissa, still reeling from her encounter with Prince Aziel, is faced with the prospect of marrying King Ithobal, who demands her hand in marriage as a condition for sparing the city of Zimboe from war. Despite her father Sakon's reluctance to force her into the marriage, the city's council pressures him to consider Ithobal's proposal, citing the potential consequences of war. Elissa, however, remains resolute in her refusal, and Ithobal, enraged by her rejection, threatens to wage war against the city unless she changes her mind. Sakon, caught between his duty to the city and his love for his daughter, asks for eight days to consider Ithobal's proposal, and Ithobal, warned by his counsellors of the potential danger of refusing, agrees to wait. The chapter ends with Ithobal departing the city, leaving Elissa and the people of Zimboe to ponder their uncertain fate. Meanwhile, Prince Aziel and Elissa share a moment of connection, and it becomes clear that Elissa's heart belongs to him, although their social and cultural differences pose a significant obstacle to their love.
Prince Aziel receives a mysterious message from Elissa, asking him to meet her in the palace garden under a great fig tree with five roots at moonrise. Unbeknownst to Aziel, the message is a trap set by King Ithobal to assassinate him. Meanwhile, Elissa has a vivid dream in which she sees a black dwarf attempting to shoot Aziel with a poisoned arrow under the same tree. She rushes to the garden to warn Aziel, and upon arrival, she sees the dwarf shoot an arrow, which she intercepts with her hand, saving Aziel's life. Metem, a Phoenician merchant, arrives and helps to extract the arrow and applies a makeshift tourniquet to Elissa's wound. As Elissa lies wounded, she explains to Aziel that she did not send the original message and that it was a snare set by King Ithobal. Aziel believes her and is grateful for her bravery in saving his life. Elissa faints, and Aziel is left to tend to her, while Metem goes to fetch an antidote for the poison.
Aziel tends to Elissa's wound and declares his love for her, and they share a romantic moment in the moonlit garden, where they plight their troth. However, their love is threatened by the disapproval of Issachar, who seeks to prevent their marriage. Metem, the Phoenician merchant, agrees to help Issachar by making it impossible for Aziel to marry Elissa, in exchange for a payment of two hundred gold shekels. Meanwhile, King Ithobal, who also desires Elissa, offers Metem a large sum of gold to prevent Aziel from marrying her, and Metem accepts the challenge, demanding a pass that will allow him to travel safely through Ithobal's armies. As Metem returns to the city, he is laden with treasure, and the fate of Aziel and Elissa's love hangs in the balance.
Metem, having accepted bribes from both Issachar and King Ithobal, sets out to make it impossible for Aziel and Elissa to marry by ensuring Elissa is chosen as the new Baaltis, a position that would require her to marry a man of pure white blood and act as a goddess, making her inaccessible to Aziel. Metem's plan succeeds, and Elissa is chosen as the new Baaltis, prompting a grand procession to the palace where she is to be enthroned. Aziel and Elissa are forced apart, with Aziel being told that he can only be with Elissa if he renounces his faith and becomes her husband, taking the title of Shadid. Metem reveals to Aziel and Issachar that he was behind the plot, believing it would save them from a great war and be for their own good, but Aziel is furious and accuses Metem and Issachar of trying to control fate. Aziel declares that he and Elissa are destined to be together and that no barriers can separate them, warning that their plots will only lead to war, death, and misery. Metem, filled with a sense of foreboding, refuses to take Issachar's gold, believing that it is the price of blood, and fears that their actions will ultimately lead to the union of Aziel and Elissa in death alone.
Elissa, now the high-priestess of Baaltis, is borne in triumph to the palace, surrounded by priestesses and priests, while she is overcome with pain and fear, realizing she is lost to the man she loves, Aziel. Meanwhile, an embassy led by Sakon, including Metem and Aziel, meets with King Ithobal to respond to his demands. Ithobal is furious when he learns that Elissa is now the high-priestess and cannot be given to him in marriage, and he vows to tear the city of Zimboe stone from stone and anoint its ruins with the blood of its people. Aziel is nearly captured by Ithobal's men, but he escapes and is told by Sakon that he must leave the city as his presence is the cause of the impending war. Aziel is torn between his love for Elissa and the danger his presence poses to her and the city, and he ultimately decides to leave, broken-hearted, as Sakon warns him that to stay would mean certain death for both him and Elissa.
Aziel visits Issachar and informs him of his decision to leave Zimboe, as his presence is causing trouble in the city. Metem, a Phoenician merchant, arrives and discusses the plans for their departure, which is set to take place on the second night from then. Aziel asks Metem to deliver a letter of farewell to Elissa, who is now the high-priestess of Baaltis. Metem agrees and meets with Elissa, who is sad and fearful, and delivers the letter. She asks Metem to arrange a secret meeting with Aziel before he leaves, threatening to kill Metem if he does not comply. Metem agrees and later informs Aziel of the plan, warning him of the danger. Despite the risks, Aziel decides to meet Elissa, and Issachar, who is informed of the plan, advises against it but ultimately agrees to accompany Aziel to the meeting.
Aziel, Issachar, and Metem secretly meet with Elissa, the high-priestess of Baaltis, in the temple at midnight. Elissa reveals that she has been forced into her role and can no longer bear the worship of Baaltis, renouncing her faith. She tells Aziel and Issachar that she will not continue as high-priestess and is prepared to die rather than make sacrifices or marry King Ithobal. Aziel proposes that Elissa escape with them, and Issachar agrees, on the condition that Aziel does not make Elissa his wife until his grandfather, the king, has given judgment on the matter. They make their escape, but their joy is short-lived as they are soon discovered by the priests of El, led by the Shadid and his daughter Mesa. The priests burst into Aziel's chamber, and he is overpowered, bound, and taken away to the vaults of the temple, leaving Elissa's fate uncertain.
Aziel, Elissa, and Issachar are put on trial for their sacrilegious actions, with Mesa, the daughter of the previous Baaltis, serving as the main witness against them. The Shadid, the high priest, sentences Aziel to death, but offers him a chance to escape punishment if Elissa, as the high-priestess of Baaltis, chooses him as her husband. Elissa agrees, but the Shadid reveals that Aziel must first make an offering to El and Baaltis, renouncing his Jewish faith. Aziel is torn, knowing that to do so would be a grave sin, but is persuaded by the pleas of Sakon, Metem, and the sight of Elissa's impending doom. Despite Issachar's warnings and Elissa's own wishes for him to refuse, Aziel ultimately decides to make the offering, casting incense into the flames and declaring his worship of El and Baaltis. The act is met with a sense of dread and foreboding, as Aziel feels he has committed an unpardonable sin and sealed his own fate.
Aziel, still recovering from his illness, is visited by Elissa, the high-priestess of Baaltis, who informs him that the city is planning to give her up to King Ithobal as a peace offering. She reveals her plan to escape to the tomb of the high-priestesses, where she will hide and threaten to take her own life if she is discovered. Aziel is torn between his love for Elissa and the danger that their situation poses. Metem, the Phoenician merchant, suggests that their best chance of survival is to defeat Ithobal's army and then escape the city. Meanwhile, Issachar's prophecy of doom hangs over them, and Elissa and Aziel share a poignant farewell, with Elissa vowing to remain faithful to Aziel even in death. As Elissa leaves, Aziel is left weak and feverish, but determined to fight for their survival.
Elissa, now the high-priestess of Baaltis, has taken sanctuary in the holy tomb, refusing to be given to King Ithobal as a peace offering. She threatens to take her own life if anyone tries to force her out, and the city's leaders are left with no choice but to prepare for war. Meanwhile, Prince Aziel is visited by Metem, who brings him a message from Elissa, saying that her heart will be with him in the battle and that she is well, but feels doomed. Aziel is determined to fight, despite Metem's grim predictions of the city's downfall. As the army of Ithobal approaches, Aziel and Metem prepare for battle, with Metem believing that the city is doomed due to the prophecies of Issachar and the lack of strong hearts among its defenders. The stage is set for a fierce and potentially disastrous conflict.
The city of Zimboe is under attack by King Ithobal's army, and Prince Aziel is captured and brought before the king. Ithobal reveals that he has taken the city and that its inhabitants are trapped within the temple. He tells Aziel that he will use him as bait to lure Elissa, the high-priestess of Baaltis, out of the tomb where she has taken refuge. Ithobal's plan is to threaten Aziel's life unless Elissa agrees to marry him. Aziel is placed in a wooden cage and taken to a hill overlooking the tomb, where he is to be held as a hostage. Ithobal demonstrates a cruel method of execution, where a prisoner is suspended over a cliff by a rope that is slowly burned through by the sun's rays, and tells Aziel that he will suffer this fate unless Elissa yields to his demands. Metem, a Phoenician merchant, is sent to persuade Elissa to save Aziel's life by giving herself to Ithobal. As the hours pass, Aziel is forced to watch as one of his comrades is executed in this manner, and he awaits his own fate, hoping that Elissa will find a way to save him.
King Ithobal attempts to persuade Elissa to surrender to him in exchange for Prince Aziel's life, and she appears to agree, but instead, she throws herself off a cliff to her death. Aziel, upon witnessing this, breaks free from his bonds and kills Ithobal with an arrow. With Elissa and Ithobal dead, Aziel and his companions, including Metem, flee the scene. As they escape, they witness the city of Zimboe being destroyed by fire and sword, fulfilling Issachar's prophecy. Aziel is left to mourn the loss of his beloved Elissa, but he finds solace in the thought that there is hope for them beyond the grave. The story concludes with Aziel setting his face towards the sea of Life, passing into the unknown, and ultimately being reunited with Elissa in the afterlife.