The Copper Scroll
By Joel C. Rosenberg Thorndike Press Large Print (2006)
ISBN 10: 0-7862-9148-6
ISBN 13: 978-0-7862-9148-9
Genre: Thriller - Christian Fiction
Reviewed by Sheldon Ztvordokov - January 2, 2007
The Copper Scroll continues the Christian messianic, end-times thriller begun in The Ezekiel Option. Written by Joel C. Rosenberg, this is a fast paced, well-wrought story that begins not long after the end of 'Ezekiel's War', a war that left large portions of the world in ruins, and millions of people dead. In these novels, America is, without reserve, the good guy. As a result, the U.S. did not suffer in the war and little appears to have changed in the day-to-day routine of most Americans. Jon Bennett and Erin McCoy have survived their experiences in Russia and are in the process of getting married, James MacPherson is still the President, and Al-Hassani, the President of Iraq, has moved forward with his plans to recreate the glory of Babylon and to make it the center of Iraqi power.
As this story unfolds, 'The Jews' are working toward the building of the Third Temple in Jerusalem, and Al-Hassani has launched Operation Black Box, a plan designed to prevent them from succeeding. As a number of prominent archaeologist and historians are assassinated, the newly married Bennetts soon discover that their deaths are related to an attempt to decipher the Copper Scroll. This scroll was discovered in the 1950's and it is prophesied that should the scroll's code be broken, it will lead to an unbelievable treasure that will be used to build the Third Temple. As important, if the scroll can be deciphered, it will give the location of the Ark of the Covenant. There are, however, forces that don't want the temple rebuilt, and they'll do whatever it takes to ensure that the scroll's code is never broken.
Filled with suspense and intrigue, The Copper Scroll is an action-packed thriller that used Biblical prophecies to propel the story and to preach about the Second Coming. While I feel that Rosenberg overplayed the Christian, religious elements in this story, at its heart it is a decent end-times thriller that will keep you turning the pages until the very end. However, non-Christian may be turned off by the stories over reliance on Christian dogma, and his derogatory treatment of anyone, especially if they happen to be Jewish or Muslim, who is not a professed 'believer' of his Christian messiah.
Each succeeding book by Rosenberg seems to be taking on deeper religious overtone, which will delight some readers and disappoint others. From my own standpoint, the more religious the books become, the less I like them as his preaching slows down the action and can be irksome to wade through. Overall, however, I really liked the main story and all the action in The Copper Scroll, and I was interested to see if Jon and Erin would manage to break the code and if it would truly lead to the building of the Third Temple. I highly recommend The Copper Scroll to all of Rosenberg's fans.
Related Reviews:
The Ezekiel Option, by Joel C. Rosenberg.
In this, the third book in the Jon Bennett series, the prosperity and peace that was so promising in The Last Day is quickly giving way to a possibly apocalyptic scenario as a nuclear armed Russian-Iranian coalition, bent upon the destruction of Israel, begins to take a prominent place on the world stage, both politically and militarily.
The Last Days, by Joel C. Rosenberg.
The sequel to The Last Jihad, this novel follows Jon Bennet as he attempts to finalize his 'oil for peace' deal between the Israelis and the Palestinians, a deal that may be forever off the table when a Palestinian civil war erupts.
