Who wants to read ancient books made of metal? Scientists, that's who! And some of them are very excited to get their hands on these particular ancient metal books, which might "be more significant than the Dead Sea Scrolls."

Emphasis on might. The codices, made of sheets of lead and bound with rings, like a Trapper-Keeper, or a very heavy Lisa Frank binder, could potentially be "the major discovery of Christian history," according to "scholar of ancient religious archaeology" David Elkington. According to Elkington, and the Jordanian government, the books were discovered in a cave by a Jordanian Bedouin sometime in the mid-2000s; the problem is that they are currently in the possession of an Israeli Bedouin named Hassan Saeda, who says his family has had them for centuries.

What is in them, exactly? According to Raiders of the Lost Ark, probably some kind face-melting ghost. But besides that, almost anything (slash fan-fiction, probably). Elkington is convinced that the books are Christian in origin because he thinks he's identified various crucifix symbols, and because the Book of Revelation mentions sealed texts like these. The only thing is, there's a good chance they're forgeries, according to The Daily Telegraph:

Israeli archaeological sources have been dismissive of the find, suggesting that Mr Saeda has appeared "every few years" trying to sell the codices. They said examinations had shown them to be forgeries.

Ah, well. As long as Robert Langdon is in them I'll still read them.

[BBC; Telegraph]