Shadows from the Walls of Death, printed in 1874 and measuring about 22 by 30 inches, is a noteworthy book for two reasons: its rarity, and the fact that, if you touch it, it might kill you.

Noah’s Ark sits on top of Mount Ararat in a 1570 painting by artist Simon De Myle. Getty Images Scientists collected nearly 30 rock and soil samples from the area of the “ruins” and analyzed ...