Milad has always dreamed of the exciting life of a sailor, but his first voyage as a ship's boy brings more than he ever imagined: pirates, treasure, spies, a mysterious stowaway, a dangerous journey from the wilds of Africa to the pyramids of Memphis, and a meeting with the great King Solomon. Milad joins a fleet of Phoenician mariners on an expedition to Ophir, deep in Africa. But before they reach their destination, the fleet is attacked by the notorious pirate Kallabos.
So begins a great adventure, as Milad and the wise navigator Hakim must save a casket of sapphires from falling into the hands of the pirates. They carry it to the African shore, then begin an overland journey back to Jerusalem, pursued by Kallabos and his men. They travel through the wilds of Africa, enduring thirst, attack by ferocious animals, and the marauding pirates, before a final confrontation among the tombs of Memphis.
