Nuttin' But Books: The Copper Scroll

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❤Author Interview: Nicholas Teeguarden, Author of 'The Copper Scroll' #authorinterview

Nicholas Teeguarden is the award-winning author of Masa Chronicles: The Copper Scroll, a biblical-archaeological thriller blending international suspense, ancient mystery, and faith-driven storytelling. His debut novel is a ChristLit Book of the Year Finalist, a Titan Gold Medal Winner, and has earned praise from readers for its gripping pace and moral depth. Nicholas hosts Teeguarden’s Writing Room, a weekly series chronicling his creative process and the ongoing development of the Masa Chronicles. He resides in Oklahoma and is currently working on the next book.

╰┈➤Visit Nick’s website at www.nickteeguarden.com.

Connect with him at the following social networks:

╰┈➤ X: https://twitter.com/nickteeguarden

╰┈➤ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61579248636306

╰┈➤ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nickteeguarden

╰┈➤ BookBub: The Copper Scroll: Masa Chronicles (The Masa Chronicles Book 1) by Nicholas Teeguarden – BookBub

╰┈➤ Goodreads: Masa Chronicles: The Copper Scroll by Nicholas Teeguarden | Goodreads

╰┈➤ YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCF_TUwTK0lQI0eu6_6QEyYQ/

I am so excited about your new archaeological thriller, The Copper Scroll. Why did you choose to write a book for this genre in particular?

I’ve always loved Indiana Jones–style adventures and grew up on stories about lost artifacts, ancient sites, and ordinary people pulled into something much bigger than themselves. Writing an archaeological thriller let me play in that same sandbox and, honestly, I set out to tell the kind of story that would entertain me first, if I’m having fun on the page, there’s a good chance readers will too.

Can you give us a book blurb so others will know what it’s about?

Joshua “Masa” Bennett, an Army veteran and archaeology grad student, travels from Arkansas to Jordan to study the most mysterious of the Dead Sea Scrolls: the Copper Scroll, a cryptic list of buried treasure.

What begins as academic research spirals into a high‑stakes chase from Qumran to Masada to Capernaum, as Joshua and his team uncover artifacts that shed new light on Jesus through the eyes of the disciple Andrew, while ISIS, modern Templars, Mossad, and church power brokers compete to control or erase the truth.

Can you tell us a little about the main characters in your book?

Joshua “Masa” Bennett is driven by faith, trauma from his Army years, and a lifelong fascination with the scrolls his grandfather told him about.

He’s joined by Noa, a sharp Israeli researcher who challenges him at every step, and Amina, a courageous Palestinian journalist; along with mentors like Father Nance and Rabbi Cohen, they’re forced into an uneasy alliance as the world closes in around their discoveries.

Where and when does this book take place?

The Copper Scroll is set in the present day, moving from the University of Arkansas to Amman, the Jordan Museum, and on through the Judean desert—Qumran, Masada, the Dead Sea, and Capernaum.

Those are the real landscapes of the Copper Scroll and the Dead Sea Scrolls, so using modern timelines and real sites lets the thriller feel like something that could happen tomorrow.

They say all books of fiction have at least one pivotal point where the reader just can’t put the book down. What is one of the pivotal points in one of your books in this series?

One major pivot comes when Joshua’s team finally uncovers artifacts tied to Andrew’s testimony about Jesus, and the implications begin leaking to the wider world.

From that point on, every choice they make—who to trust, what to reveal, what to hide—ratchets up the danger, because multiple powerful groups realize what’s at stake and move to silence them.

Does your book carry a message?

Yes, it does. I tried to weave real tension and real support between groups who, historically, would be on opposite sides—Israelis, Palestinians, Western Christians, local communities—because they all have skin in the game around these sites and stories. Underneath the thriller, there’s a quiet message that people who might normally be enemies can still work together when they share a like‑minded focus on truth, protecting lives, and honoring the past.

What's your next project?

Next is the release of my new novel, The Boy from the Vines, planned for next month. At the same time, I’m about halfway through book two of The Masa Chronicles, which follows Joshua into the fallout of The Copper Scroll and a new layer of historical intrigue.

Where can we pick up copies of 'The Copper Scroll'?

Readers can find The Copper Scroll here:

Thursday Book Spotlight: The Copper Scroll by Nicholas Teeguarden

A lost scroll. A deadly secret. A race across the Middle East—where every clue could be fatal…

The Copper Scroll follows historian Joshua “Masa” Bennett as he journeys into the heart of the Middle East in an attempt to unlock the secrets hidden within the legendary Copper Scroll. Just as he begins making progress, disturbing warnings and shadowy sightings reveal that other powerful forces are also closing in: Templars, ISIS operatives, and government intelligence groups, each hiding their own motives for uncovering what the scroll may reveal.

Drawn deeper into a world of danger, deception, and spiritual tension, Masa must navigate hostile territory, shifting alliances, and a truth far more explosive than he ever imagined. As past and present violently intersect, he realizes the stakes extend far beyond archaeology, the secrets of the Copper Scroll could alter geopolitical power and shake the foundations of faith itself.

A blend of international suspense, ancient mystery, and truths long buried beneath history, The Copper Scroll delivers a gripping thriller for fans of Joel Rosenberg, Dan Brown, and archaeological adventure stories rooted in real-world intrigue.

*****

Genre: Archaeological Thriller/Suspense/Action Adventure
Sub-genre: International Mystery & Crime
Pages: 230
Paperback ISBN: ‎ 978-1509264681
Kindle ISBN: 979-8999106025
Publisher: Independent
Formats: Paperback, Kindle, Audiobook & Kindle Unlimited

⤷Read sample here.

⤷The Copper Scroll is available at Amazon.

*****

╰┈➤Here’s What Readers Have To Say!

“The Copper Scroll: Masa Chronicles, authored by Nicholas Teeguarden, is extraordinary piece of literature that has made a significant impact on me. The last time I felt this level of excitement about a book was while reading the Bible for the first time, a bold comparison, but one that underscores the author’s exceptional God given talent!” – Louise Jane, CEO The Christlit Book Award

“The Copper Scroll is more of a quest for truth than a treasure hunt. I recommend this book to lovers of historical books with a bit of danger, and it put me in the mood to find out about Qumran myself.” – Mary Clarke for Readers Favorite

I’d recommend The Copper Scroll to anyone who enjoys historical mysteries wrapped in modern storytelling. If you like a blend of Indiana Jones energy with a more thoughtful, personal core, this book will hit the right notes. It would appeal to readers curious about archaeology, faith, or just a good chase story where the stakes feel both grand and intimate. It left me thoughtful, a little breathless, and eager to see where Masa’s journey goes next. -Literary Titan

*****

╰┈➤Read if you love…

Ancient Secrets

Modern Thrills

Intriguing Historical Details

Secrets That Connect the Past With the Present

High-Stakes Quest

Keeps You Guessing

Excerpt:

Joshua “Masa” Bennett hummed the Villines Trio’s familiar refrain, “I’m going all the way, I made up my mind…” as he drove toward the University of Arkansas. The song, a staple from his Lincoln church, bookended his commute, its quiet grace a lifeline since his Army days tromping biblical lands. No atheists in foxholes, they say, and Masa carried that faith into civilian life, fueling his master’s in archaeology. Today felt routine, just another class, but a spark flickered beneath it, a path to mysteries buried for centuries, secrets that could shake faith’s foundations. The lecture hall buzzed with late-afternoon chaos. High ceilings arched overhead, intricate moldings catching golden light through tall, narrow windows. Dust motes danced in the beams, stirred by restless students shifting in tiered rows of scarred desks with etched initials, coffee rings, and doodles of bored minds. Chalk dust bit the air, mingling with the musty scent of old books and the hum of flickering fluorescents. At the front, Professor Thaddeus Luke commanded the room, his wiry frame dwarfed by a blackboard scrawled with frantic chalk lines and gray hair flaring like a storm cloud as his voice boomed with passion.

Joshua sat near the back, his lean frame hunched over a desk that creaked under his weight. His leather backpack, a frayed relic from his grandfather’s desert-wandering days, slumped against his leg like a loyal dog. Dark hair fell into his eyes as he scribbled furiously in a notebook already thick with ink: sketches of jagged cave mouths, snatches of Hebrew script, arrows darting between wild theories. Around him, classmates slumped in their seats, some doodling aimlessly, others sneaking glances at their phones beneath the desks. A girl two rows ahead twisted a strand of blonde hair around her finger, whispering to her neighbor with a smirk. Joshua barely noticed. His world was the blackboard, the professor’s words, the tantalizing riddle unfolding before him.

Professor Luke’s chalk scratched against the board as he recited from the Copper Scroll, his tone reverent yet edged with excitement. “Item four: ‘In the cave of the pillar that is in the valley of Achor, which is near the house of the washer, dig three cubits: there are twenty-two talents of silver.’” He paused, turning to face the room, his eyes glinting behind wire-rimmed glasses. “Discovered in cave three at Qumran in 1952, this scroll stands apart from the Dead Sea manuscripts. Sixty-four locations, each a cryptic promise of treasure, not scripture, not prophecy, but a map. A cipher waiting to be cracked.”

– Excerpted from The Copper Scroll, 2025. Reprinted with permission.