As well as being exciting to read, The Copper Scroll was extremely thought provoking. Haven't we all wondered about the Ark of the Covenant and when it would be revealed? Haven't we all, including the Jewish people, wondered about the mysteries of ancient Israel? And, haven't we all experienced a foreboding of the end times? An excellent read!

This is a series that mixes politics and prophecy. It is a fictional account of how the problems which are occurring in the world today can play out taking into account what the Bible predicts.

Another great book using religious texts to provide wonderful insight into what may be going on in the world. Many of the fictional events have become actual reality!

If you are interested in action-packed political thrillers, mixed with current events & biblical history you would love the entire series. I highly recommend all the books. I have read 1-4 and will order #5 immediately upon completion of book #4.

is how I think Joel writes his books. I love authors who write how they feel and how the story goes. In his 3rd book I was pretty shocked to see that, yeah, the Battle of Gog and Magog DID happen and changed the world... forever! This one is no different with the finding of the scrolls, the treasure, and the Ark. THAT was a shock!!

This book has the classis Joel fast action, the classic Joel in-detail research, the classic Joel end of the world storyline. I'm telling you that if you haven't read this series you are really missing something special. I'm going to wait a bit on 'Dead Heat' because I don't want to finish this series just yet.

Maui H.S. "The only book I have read worse than this was a very bad POD author. This is not to put down POD. Most POD books are written much better than this one.
I cannot believe a brick and mortar publisher edited and published this trashy novel.
There is little plot. The action is trite and cliche without a hint of suspense. I will admit the novel does have somewhat of a plot.
The plot is ruined with trite and sappy dialogue. This novel could be the result of a first year college student the dialogue and scene setting is so bad. The action is wimpy and completely unrealistic. I didn't feel any empathy for the characters at all. The characters were two dimensional wimpy and sappy like the dialogue.
If the book wasn't bad enough the reader or in my case, listener, has to put up with born again christian propaganda ad nauseum. This was my first and probably my only Joel Rosenberg novel. The editor should have been fired for letting this one go to print."

I found this book very easy to read, and was intrigued by the concept of the Copper Scroll and following the clues to an ancient secret. It seemed a little like "National Treasure" in that aspect. The unfolding of the mystery was well done.

The story in other aspects was not as well done. There was a little that felt like "24" mixed in, some "Left Behind," and lots of personal drama and dialogue.

I expect the main characters in a book like this to stretch believability, but the husband and wife team are way past believability.

I do recommend the book, and enjoyed reading it. The disappointing elements of this book, however, have made me think it is time to put this series down and move on to something else.

A little slow at first if you haven't read his previous books. But very entertaining and well written. Keeps you glued to the book to finish.

Copper Scroll is probably my favorite in the series. Filled with intrigue and unexpected events, once again the plot seems to be taken from current events. I never knew a "copper scroll" existed, until this book, and became more interested after finding out more about the actual artifact from a Google search. You certainly need to start with the first book, but this book makes the whole series more than worthwhile.

The Copper Scroll (Political Thrillers Series #4)

The story was entertaining and well-paced. My only complaint is that the buyer should be aware that the book is somewhat preachy. I was not aware that this series could be classified as Christian Fiction. I don't have a problem with religious books, only when they are not advertised as such.

Another page-turner from Joel Rosenberg. You must read the first three in this series first (The Last Jihad, The Last Days and The Ezekiel Option), but once you do you won't be able to put this one down.

Excellent, I think it is time for everyone to get in touch with God and learn where humans are heading..

Excellent Prose to bring Bible Prophecy to life. Should encourage one to read the Biblical references to validat what Joel is saying.

I was a little let down with this novel however I read Soft Target by Conrad Jones after and that is fantastic. its a real firecracker of a story that will challenge your views of Islamic Fundermentalism and question just why these people are prepared to die for their beliefs.

I found this title, The Copper Scroll, while searching Amazon for items 'similar' to the Steve Berry books that I've been reading. Like Mr. Berry's books, author Joel C. Rosenberg has taken a fabled religious cache of riches, this time the 'Temple Treasures' of Jerusalem, and built a political thriller around them.

The discovery of The Copper Scroll is nothing new to readers...having been unearthed in 1956, the scroll details ancient hidden riches, placed in unknown hiding places, thousands of years before. For fifty years since the discovery of the scroll, many have tried, unsuccessfully, to locate all the buriel places of the treasure. But despite all the failed efforts, the search continues.

The unearthing of the treasures would surely be the penultimate victory of those who seek to rebuild the Temple in Jerusalem, the third such undertaking, and keep the treasures safely within the Temple's walls. But of course such a treasure entices many to seek its whereabouts simply for their own gain, which leads to many deadly confrontations, political maneuvering, and betrayals along the way.

Ex-CIA operative Erin McCoy and her recently wedded husband, Jon Bennett, the former senior advisor to the President (and featured characters in past stories by the same author) find their idyllic honeymoon interrupted by a terrorist bombing in Washington, followed by the brutal slayings of a group of archeologists and scholars who all had one thing in common..the pursuit of the Temple Treasures, using the famed Copper Scroll as their guide.

Erin and Jon get caught up in a chase that takes them from Spain to the Middle East in an effort to track down the killer(s) of some of their long-time friends, and to solve the mystery of what lies at the end of the trail that the Copper Scroll seemingly lays out.

Political figures from the newly re-formed Middle East nations (following events in 'The Ezekiel Option') also play into the story as they chase down the Bennetts, at first trying to capture and kill them, then realizing that perhaps the Bennetts are the ones to unearth a treasure beyond imagining that has eluded even the most well-connected and well-outfitted searches.

With a decidedly Christian pen in hand, Joel C. Rosenberg has crafted an interesting thriller for this outing with his well-traveled and often shot at protagonists. Though not as well written as Steve Berry's adventures, in my opinion, the story still holds a reader's interest well enough to reach the ultimate conclusion. And while the ending, though 'Hollywood' in its styling, wasn't quite as satisfactory to me as other similar books, it still tied up the intertwining threads of the book well, and left the door open for another sequel to come, which has since been published.

Not the best religious artifact thriller I've ever read, but not the worst.

Outstanding again. Once I started to read this book, I literally could not put it down. Finished it in one day. Then the depression started to set in. I wanted more. Fortunately I pre-ordered Dead Heat, so my wait would not be too long. The intricate weaving of fact with fiction brings this book to life. The events might be on the evening news. Thank you for sharing your gift for writing, and your passion for Israel Joel Rosenberg.

I'm very glad that I didn't purchase the book--I borrowed the unabridged audio book from the public library. This was my first time reading Rosenberg, and I had chosen it thinking that it was a historical fiction/political thriller. I started the CDs open minded, hoping to hear a good story.

My primary issue with the Copper Scroll, right from the start, is that the writing style is absolutely awful. The wording and flow are child-like, and my jaw kept dropping as I listened, thinking, "someone actually published this???" Also, Rosenberg has difficulty with being concise and choosing his prose and dialogue for best emphasis and effect.

I am also unhappy with the way the characters and their relationships are presented. Bennet and McCoy (both the character descriptions and their dialogue) are so idealistic, sappy, and cloying that I continually cringed. Their relationship is written like a simplistic, idealistic teen romance novel. Other characters (the world leaders, for instance, or even peripheral characters like the helicopter pilots) follow national, religious, and ethnic stereotypes that made me angry.

Although I am uncomfortable with the religious aspect of the book, the author has the right to write what he wishes and I chose to pick it up off the self.

I will read almost anything if the writing style is worthwhile and creative. Unfortunately, that makes this book absolutely NOT worth my time. Again, I am very glad I didn't spend my money on this.

Non Stop Action. Fourth in the Joel Rosenberg's Series. Highly suggest reading the previous books prior to this one to understand the continuous adventure.

Keeps you on the edge of your chair. When I am reading Joel's books I expect to turn on the news and see these stories being reported; they are so plausible and real. All of Joel Rosenberg's books would make great movies.

Joel Rosenberg's "The Copper Scroll" is a fascinating book, the fourth of a series, but it can also be read as a stand-alone book. For anyone aware of today's current events, it is a must read in the light of Bible prophecy from the book of Daniel.

The Copper Scroll is the first book I have read by Mr. Joel Rosenberg and while I thought it was entertaining and parts were interesting I would not rate it as a must read. I think reading The Ezekiel Option would have been helpful for some additional background on the characters and the situations they find themselves in.

The Copper Scroll takes place after the War of Mog and Magog which is referenced in Ezekiel 38-39 and is set in a world where Israel's enemies have been destroyed, such as Russia and many of the Middle Eastern countries. The plot relations to modern times and potentially future events were interesting items to consider especially a rebuilt Iraq and its rise to power and attempt to consolidate the Middle East into a Super Power. The differences between Europe and the United States were also interesting but I thought this friction could have been developed a little more.

At times the interactions between the main characters was somewhat over the top but overall the book is a very fast read that is entertaining and after looking further at Mr. Rosenberg's website I think I will read The Ezekiel Option (Fiction) and Epicenter: Why Current Rumblings in the Middle East Will Change Your Future (Current Events).

This is taken right from today's headlines, it is a must read!! The whole series just grips you by the throat and carries you along and when you're done you just sit there and go "what just happened" I wanted more when I was finished with the last one!! Come on Joel, start writing, I can't wait!!!

If you are a Joel C. Rosenberg fan, then this is a must read. I was not a fan of fiction books, but Rosenberg's dipiction of current events with what could come make his books an excellent read. I recommend all his books to everyone I know.

Did you know that there really is a copper scroll that exists as part of the Qumran scrolls? It details a treasure map for an enormous treasure. This book is non-stop intricate action and relationships. Imagine searching for the treasure map to the Hebrew Temple treasures. Do they find them? You have to read the book...

One view of end-times. There are others, however, the Copper Scroll makes for good reading. A fine
thriller and I found it hard to put it down. Therein lies the one problem with the book: I had finished
in a couple days and was disappointed that it was over.

Having no particular religious or political ax to grind, and never having heard of Joel Rosenfeld, I approached Copper Scroll in the same frame of mind as I approach any novel. The premise is certainly intriguing, and I enjoy reading about religious history, whether fiction or nonfiction. So I don't have an agenda to push when I say I couldn't make it first the first quarter of the story. The writing is just too sophomoric, sounding like some of the short stories high schoolers churn out. The golly gee, we're so in love sugary sweetness, the super powers of the "good guys" and the dastardly evil of the "bad"; too much for me. Just not my cup of cardamom tea, I guess. I got tired of James Bondian adventures a long time ago.

My 4th Rosenberg novel with heroes Jon Bennett & Erin McCoy. Book 2 (The Last Days) probably had the most exciting action. The Ezekiel Option, book 3, had the most awesome ending. This one is a treasure hunt a la National Treasure, albeit with global geopolitical implications. I kept wondering where financier Jon Bennett got some of his skills such as using a syringe, rapelling down a vertical cave, using automatic weaponry, etc. His kick-butt ex-CIA wife Erin I could see doing these things, but Jon? Suspend a little of your need for utter realism while you ride the end times roller coaster with these two and a large cast of politicians, assassins, and scientists. Irreligious folks, beware; the Christian salvation message is made clear and accessible in this story.

This is the 4th book in the series by Joel Rosenberg and it is fantastic! I have read all of these and also his nonfiction book, Epicenter. Joel is not only a very talented writer, he is also very knowledgable about how current world and political events line up with Bible prophecy. I highly recommend this and all of Joel Rosenberg's books. I would also highly recommend his DVD of Epicenter. I am eagerly awaiting # 5 in this series!

Very interesting read. I always like Mr. Rosenberg's books as they not only entertain but also inject history with a dash of current events. A contemporary novel with a Da Vinciesque treasure hunt twist. Bad guys, current political intrigue, a race to find a lost treasure and voilà you have a good suspense thriller. The plot was excellent, my only critique was the story line was a tad weak. A little too much shoot-em-up bang bang by ex-government operatives. I mean how do retired out-of-play government agents get access to so much classified information and use of top secret spy toys? Mr. Rosenberg needs to scale back on this or bring back the 2 protagonists, Jon and Erin Bennett, into full government employ. That would give a little more credence to the story. But hey, I'm nitpicking here. The plot was good and I like how Mr. Rosenberg educates his readers on Jewish history and the Temple Mount.
Basically, the plot revolves around the rise of Iraq as a world economic superpower, and the increased Israeli pressure to rebuild the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem. Between the two global forces is the hunt for the Temple's massive treasure and the Ark of the Covenant. The Copper Scroll is the treasure map and like in the Da Vinci code Jon and Erin are on the hunt. Unlike many of today's Da Vinci lite books the Copper Scroll actually delivers in the end.
The Copper Scroll is the 4th book in the Rosenberg middle east political saga. You can get by without reading the prior 3 but it could cause a little confusion at times. Mr. Rosenberg does a good job of keeping the reader updated from the previous books but still it can cause some confusion. The ending is excellent and of course lends itself to another book in the mega saga.
No gratuitous violence, language, or sex.
Good read, recommended.

I have read all of Joel Rosenberg's books now (including the new Epicenter). Each book was fascinating and brought you up to current events and our world problems today. This book was very good and I could not put it down; however I was disappointed in Joel swaying from bible facts (as the story centers around the scroll and finding the ark. It was beginning to sound like one of Jennings "End Times" books on the last half of his series which I no longer could purchase or read. Hope Joel doesn't sway too far away from the bible facts on his next book due in March 2008 "Dead Heat".

As usual Joel Rosenberg writes a fast-paced novel full of things that could be today's headlines.

This last book in the series leaves you wanting to read the next one but where is it? I've read the series and enjoyed this one the most. Having traveled in Israel I could picture in my mind's eye many of the places described in this novel. It is a very interesting premise.

I purchased this book because I like mysteries based on historical events or puzzles (DaVinci Code, Romanov Prophecy, etc.) and the discovery of the Copper Scroll is a documented find in the same geographical area as the Dead Sea Scrolls. I have also read the Left Behind Series and a few other end times books. I did not think the book was in the best of either genre. I found this book's events to be too contrived to hold my attention and be believable. I would have liked more surprises; the plot twists were predictable. I did enjoy it anyway.

Having read the other books in this series by Joel C. Rosenberg, this has to be one of his best. He is an amazing author who uses biblical scripture to tell a story and he has a way of predicting events before they happen. This is a must read for all.

I would love to see Jon and Erin become characters on the big screen.

This was my first book in this series, and that did not turn out to be a problem. A lot certainly happened in the previous book - death of tens of millions in the "Firestorm" - but that did not really detract from my enjoyment of this book. The action pulls you in from the very first page (or since I listened to the audiobook, the very first word). The pace is excellent, with the main characters John and Erin moving rapidly around the world a small step ahead a large contingent of ruthless killers. The dialogue is believable although often somewhat stilted.

The biggest problem with the book is its overwhelming preachiness. It detracts from the action and the pace and is not believable. For example, the Israeli archaeologist Natasha is hiding from the killers and starts to think that maybe she should "embrace Jesus". Using logic appropriate for a 5-year old, she convinces herself that Jesus must be the Messiah and decides that she has to convert. It would even have been a little more believable if the rocks parted and she saw God, but this part was just laughable. Sadly, because it was an audiobook, I could not easily skip ahead like I would have in a book.

Another part that bothered me is the implicit suggestion that Muslims in general are evil. All of radical Islam had just been incinerated in the previous book's Firestorm, and now in this book, the main villains are the unified state representing nearly all of the world's remaining Muslims. Jews fare better in the book but only because they are (in the book) more likely to convert to Christianity.

So, bottom line, if you are looking for a thriller with a (very) heavy dose of religion, this is the book for you.

This is a read 'till you drop book!Once started you hate to put it down for anything.It is an all encompassing book-romance,thriller,Biblical story,historical novel,and a few laughs,and more!It reads like a Sherlock Holmes mystery only better!A man and a woman,entwined around a mystery that they have to solve,given clues by a mystery man with unlimited resources,that begin (and could end) with a contest between the man and some unknown,the man's life or winning a clue towards his finding a known specified priceless Biblical item. I LOVED IT! AND I never read this type of book!

A great book from the beginning to the end... I can't wait for the next one. Another reviewer said to read the other first - yes, you SHOULD read the others first! I highly recommend this book!!!!!

I began THE COPPER SCROLL with high expectations because of my past experiences with Joel C. Rosenberg's books. He didn't disappoint. From the opening scene I was captivated by a political thriller almost lifted from the pages of today's Middle East news.

Marcus Santini, an FBI agent with the counter-terrorism division, thinks he spots a man on their watch list and follows him. During the pursuit, he receives a series of photos and positively identifies the terrorist while riding a train in Washington, D.C. But Santini's phone battery dies before he can give his specific location. Following on foot, the agent tries to detain him, but the subject in question disappears into the crowd. A short time later, the terrorist heists a van and drives it into the Willard Hotel near the White House. The explosion is deafening and kills a couple of people in the lobby, including George Murray, the chief archeologist for the Smithsonian Institution. Later in the story, readers learn that Murray is one of the few people in the world who has the professional expertise to unlock a copper scroll that hasn't been read in centuries.

THE COPPER SCROLL picks up the story and characters from THE EZEKIEL OPTION several months after its ending. At a church in Winchester, Virginia, Jon Bennett and Erin McCoy are getting married and many White House and foreign dignitaries are in the audience. Dr. Eliezer Mordechai, former Mossad chief and author of the document known as the Ezekiel Option, walks Erin down the aisle. As the ceremony concludes, the various pagers sound to alert officials about the Willard hotel explosion near the White House.

Erin chooses Ronda, Spain, for their honeymoon, though it's interrupted by the news that Dr. Mordechai has been attacked and is barely alive in Israel. The couple moves quickly to his bedside, and before he passes away they promise their friend to find them and stop them --- except they don't know "them." Erin and Jon visit Dr. Yossi Barak and his daughter Natasha at the Shrine of the Book, which preserves and studies the Dead Sea Scrolls. They learn about the Copper Scroll and then travel across the border to Amman, Jordan, to view it.

The following is a key paragraph that reveals the novel's adventure, with Dr. Barak speaking about one line of information on the scroll: "Ever since we first opened and translated the Copper Scroll in 1956, there has been a raging debate among scholars about the meaning of Line 64. Some believe this second Scroll is merely a duplicate, an insurance policy of sorts, lest the original was lost or destroyed. But others --- myself included --- believe the second Scroll, which I have dubbed the Key Scroll, is actually the more important of the two because it alone unlocks the mystery of the Copper Scroll. If we're right, whoever finds the Key Scroll will find the Second Temple treasures, and not a few Jewish scholars believe that when the Second Temple treasures are discovered, it will be time to build the Third Temple."

This paragraph is pivotal because the remainder of the book is about the race to locate the Key Scroll before it falls into the hands of the evil opposition. It will reveal the hidden location of the treasures from Solomon's Temple --- including the Ark of the Covenant, which is one of the greatest ancient treasures yet to be discovered.

This entire political thriller is told over a 12-day period and hooks the reader immediately from the opening pages. If you like this type of fiction, you will enjoy THE COPPER SCROLL.

--- Reviewed by W. Terry Whalin

The Copper Scroll is the newest thriller by Christian author Joel Rosenberg. Before reviewing the book, I want to say that this is the first novel I have read by this author. Perhaps I did myself a disservice, because, while not completely necessary, you should read the Ezekiel Option before reading this book. The Copper Scroll is falls into the end-times genre (Left Behind series), and thus it operates in a different world under different circumstances. In this new world, Islam followers and holy sites have been destroyed everywhere. Russia and Iran have just been defeated in a war with Israel, their defeat attributed to God and prophecy from the book of Ezekiel. The events of the EZEKIEL OPTION are referenced often. I don't think it is necessary for you to have read all books before this one, but I recommend it. Previous books would probably give you a frame of reference for the world these fictional characters are operating in.

The book opens with a thrilling chase. An FBI agent spots a man on a terrorist watch list. Before the agent can catch him, the terrorists succeeds in blowing up the lobby of an elegant Washington DC hotel. The CIA thinks that the President was the target, when in reality it was an archeoligist meeting with an agent about a book. Soon another archeoligist is killed. Newlyweds Jon and Erin Bennett are soon on the case, trying to find out the reason one of their friends died. They soon discover why, and the chase is on to find the Copper Scroll. The Copper Scroll is believed to contain the hidden location of the treasures of the 2nd Jewish Temple, and possibly even the Ark of the Covenant. I won't go into any more detail. If you need to know more, then read the book. Rosenburg covers it all.

While there are various subplots, the book's primary focus is a treasure hunt. John and Erin spend days chasing down scrolls and treasures while avoiding the thugs that are hot on their tail. At this point the story somewhat bogs down. Characters often go into lenthy speeches of explanation to tell the reader the history of an artifact or why the Bible should be interpreted a certain way (shades of the Da Vinci Code). Also, any time a code was broken, John, Erin and friend Natasha, would read a Bible scripture then all agree on its obvious conclusion, when I'm thinking how did they get that out of that. (Kind of like in the movie NATIONAL TREASURE). Also, I don't know how I feel about creating a fiction novel out of so much Biblical scripture.

If you're considering this book, then I recommend you start at the beginning of the series. The characterization in this novel is poorly done. Rosenburg never tells the reader anything about John or Erin Bennett, the two main characters, and none of the minor characters receive any characterization either. I assume it was all done in earlier novels in the series.

excellent book. Very face paced. Get started and can't put in down.

Would be an okay book if the author hadn't thrown in religion. If I'd known about the orientation of the main characters, I would not have chosen this book.

This is pretty good fiction, which means it is better than most everything you will run across. Though I have been a student of Eschatology for over thirty years I found myself reading the tale with the Bible open. I am looking forward to the next offering in this series.
Dr. Michael L. Ford
Jonsquill Ministries