What is the main conflict in The Source; a Novel by James A. Michener?

The story begins with an archaeological dig in the 1960s that takes place at the mythical site of Makor, near Jerusalem. Many artifacts are found, including a Roman temple, basilica, synagogue, mosque and castle all on the same site. Each section of the book corresponds to a different period in the history of the site and some chapters may be several thousand years apart. The book is basically the story of the different people who lived in and around Makor from primitive times up until the 1960s. Each of the chapters in the book relates to one or more of the artifacts found at the site and tells the story of that artifact and the people that lived at the time. In each case, one of the characters in the chapter had some contact with the artifact and the chapter explains how the artifact came to be found at the site.