About the Book
Book: Masa Chronicles: The Copper Scroll
Author: Nicholas Teeguarden
Genre: Christian Fiction Action/Suspense
Release Date: October 7, 2025
When American grad student and Veteran Joshua Bennett lands in Amman, Jordan, he thinks he’s chasing academic glory. What he finds instead is a centuries-old mystery that’s been waiting for someone reckless or desperate enough to uncover it.
At the center of it all is the Copper Scroll, a cryptic Dead Sea artifact rumored to hold clues to an ancient treasure buried deep in the Judean desert. But Joshua soon learns it’s no ordinary scroll.
Hidden symbols, coded phrases, and whispers of a “shepherd’s path” point to something far more significant and far more dangerous.
As the clues mount, so do the warnings. A silent observer in the library. A cryptic priest with a knowing smile. A message slipped into Joshua’s backpack: The shepherd’s path is not for the faint-hearted.
A cryptic priest and a rabbi jump in to help understand uncovered information. As Mossad agents, Templar knights, and ISIS operatives close in, Joshua and his allies race to unravel the truth. But who seeks to unearth it, and who will kill to keep it buried?
Excerpt from the Book
The final exam came two weeks later, and Joshua tore through it with a fierce, quiet focus. The room was stifling, the air thick with the scratch of pencils and the rustle of turning pages. His pen danced across the booklet, spilling answers about the Dead Sea Scrolls’ historical context, their scribal peculiarities, their glimpses into Second Temple Judaism. He described the Essenes’ rigid purity laws, the War Scroll’s apocalyptic fervor, the Community Rule’s stark discipline details he’d memorized as easily as breathing. But when he reached the essay question, “Discuss the significance of the Dead Sea Scrolls in understanding Second Temple Judaism,” his thoughts swerved to the Copper Scroll.
He pictured its cryptic lines, the promise of silver and gold hidden in desert caves. What if it wasn’t just treasure? What if the Essenes had encoded a warning, a prophecy of Rome’s invasion, a plea to preserve their legacy? His pen hovered, ink beading at the tip. He could weave it in, stake a claim no one else dared. But doubt crept up that Professor Luke might dock him for straying off topic. Joshua exhaled, opting for caution, and penned a meticulous analysis of the scrolls’ sectarian insights. Yet in the margins, he couldn’t resist a quiet rebellion: Copper Scroll Essene code? Cave 4 link? A dare to get Luke’s attention.
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About the Author
Nicholas Teeguarden writes faith-fueled thrillers that explore the intersection of history, belief, and discovery. His debut, The Copper Scroll: Masa Chronicles, follows archaeologist Joshua “Masa” Bennett across the Middle East in a race to uncover one of history’s most enigmatic biblical relics. Praised for its vivid realism and clean storytelling, the novel has been honored with a ChristLit Award, a Readers’ Favorite 5-star review, and recognition at the Paris Book Festival.
A veteran whose global service inspires his storytelling, Teeguarden aims to create cinematic fiction that uplifts while it thrills. He is currently developing the next installment in The Masa Chronicles alongside The Teeguarden Writing Room, a growing creative community where readers and writers explore faith, art, and story together.