Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon is summoned to deliver a lecture in the U.S. Capitol Building. Upon his arrival, he discovers a gruesome object—a severed hand—bearing five symbols. The hand leads him to a hidden world of Masonic secrets and ancient wisdom. Langdon's mentor, Peter Solomon, a prominent Mason, is kidnapped, and Langdon must decipher the symbols to save him. The journey takes him through the labyrinthine history of Washington, D.C., uncovering esoteric knowledge and confronting a formidable adversary.