The Source is an historical novel by James A. Michener, first published in 1965. It is a survey of the history of the Jewish people and the land of Israel from pre-monotheistic days to the birth of the modern State of Israel. The Source uses for its central device a fictional tell in northern Israel called "Makor" (Hebrew: "source"). The Book follows the story of the Family of Ur from the age of cavemen to modern times, with its descendants now living in the Galilee—though, naturally, they themselves are not aware of the ancient antecedents revealed to the reader by the all-knowing writer.