The Copper Scroll    by Joel C. Rosenberg Order:  USA  Can Tyndale, 2006 (2006) Hardcover, Audio, CD     Reviewed by Tim Davis Following in the aftermath of The Ezekiel Option (the spell-binding, roller-coaster reading experience which followed The Last Jihad and The Last Days), author Joel C. Rosenberg continues his explosive, Biblical prophecy-based saga in the exciting, action-packed thriller The Copper Scroll. The novel begins on January 9th - in an unspecified year but apparently in the very near future - and the horrific one-day Ezekiel's War is over. Iran and Libya (and many other hotbeds of Arab-Islamic radicalism) have been destroyed by Israel. Mecca and Medina no longer exist. Elsewhere, other countries (including Russia, Turkey, Germany, and Austria) are still reeling within their smoldering wreckage. However, the seemingly apocalyptic war 'wasn't the end. It was just the beginning.' Iraq had been spared, and that country's leader, President Al-Hassani, is now wasting no time secretly reorganizing what remains of the Middle East and Europe. If Al-Hassani is correct, his new alliance will dominate the world and thoroughly subordinate western (non-Islamic) capitalist societies - as well as finally obliterate Zionist Israel. But a significant problem in the form of an enigmatic archeological discovery threatens to undermine Al-Hassani's plans. Now he must take ruthless action. In the meantime, Eli Mordechai (former Mossad chief and author of the prophetic memorandum that predicted the devastating one-day war), Dr. George Murray (the chief archeologist for the Smithsonian Institution), Professor Barry Jaspers (an archeologist who has been collaborating on a book with Murray), and a number of other prominent archeologists have been working on a provocative mission, and they have been poised to unlock the secrets of the Copper Scroll and finally make 'the most spectacular archeological find of all time.' Found in 1956, the Copper Scroll seems to have described 'unimaginable treasures worth untold billions buried in the hills east of Jerusalem and under the Holy City itself. In the years that followed, scholars came to believe that the Copper Scroll could be history's greatest treasure map, one that could not only lead to the treasures but pave the way to the building of the Third Jewish Temple.' Moreover, the Copper Scroll has the power to radically change the temporal and spiritual world and thoroughly determine the future. When several of the archeologists die violent deaths in apparently unrelated incidents, the President of the United States - because of his respect for Eli Mordechai - calls upon the services of two of his White House advisors, Jon Bennett and Erin McCoy. Although recently married and on their honeymoon in Spain, Jon and Erin are, of course, quite willing to answer the president's call for action and to investigate the incidents - especially since one of the murdered men was their very good friend. Jon and Erin immediately travel to Israel where they secretly confer with Prime Minister Doron and Dr. Yossi Barak (a prominent Israeli archeologist). Thereafter, within the space of less than ten days, the newlyweds - guided by Hebrew scriptural prophecy and their own evangelical Christian faith - will find themselves drawn into an eschatological race against rapidly diminishing time - and a race against an aggressively rising tide of terrifying threats and murderous violence - in order to discover and set into motion the incredible secrets and powers of the Copper Scroll. Exciting and thought-provoking, The Copper Scroll builds upon ancient prophetic suggestions actually found in Hebrew scripture and recent archeological discoveries, and it becomes a very successful fictional rendering of end-times prophecies. As Joel Rosenberg's ever-growing legions of faithful readers already know, this author's novels have an uncanny way of anticipating actual events. That in itself is for many people sufficient reason to read Rosenberg's latest novel. Through the author's adroit and imaginative use of plotting, characterization, and settings, this Rosenberg thriller is certain to become - among the constantly growing market of readers of Christian fiction - another popular and critical success. Note: Opinions expressed in reviews and articles on this site are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of BookLoons. Find more Mystery books on our Shelves or in our book Reviews