Joel C. Rosenberg is a bestselling political thriller author who frequently writes about international relations between the United States and the Middle East. He also includes Christian or Biblical themes in the Joel Rosenberg books in order by incorporating elements from scripture as events unfold.
Who is Joel Rosenberg?
Joel Rosenberg is the author of many political thrillers as well as nonfiction books. In addition to writing books, he is also the founder and editor-in-chief of two news and analysis websites about the Middle East, and the host and executive producer of The Rosenberg Report.
He is also the founder of The Joshua Fund, which is a Christian charity to provide support and aid to the Middle East. Rosenberg has dual U.S.-Israeli citizenship along with his wife and children. They live in Jerusalem and two of their four sons served in the Israeli Defense Forces.
Collectively, there are more than five million copies of his books in print. His first nonfiction book, Epicenter, has also been adapted into a documentary.
Joel Rosenberg Books in Order
The Last Jihad Books
Joel Rosenberg’s debut introduced senior White House advisors Jon Bennett and Erin McCoy in the first book of The Last Jihad series. This series is complete and the books should be read in publication order to follow the political maneuvers and fallouts.
In the first book Jon Bennett and Erin McCoy must try to forge an Arab-Israeli peace treaty, foil a terrorist plan to assassinate the President of the United States, and somehow save the world from utter destruction.
- The Last Jihad (2002)
- The Last Days (2003)
- The Ezekiel Option (2005)
- The Copper Scroll (2006)
- Dead Heat (2008)
David Shirazi Books
Joel Rosenberg’s next series follows CIA operative David Shirazi. Once again, these books should be read in order of publication to follow the chronological timeline of events.
In the first book David has been tasked by the President of the United States to discreetly destroy Iran’s nuclear weapons program by leaving no trace of American interference. There are rumors swirling that the Mahdi, or the Twelfth Imam, has arrived and millions believe in the Islamic messiah. Tensions are mounting and failure could result in a global war.
- The Twelfth Imam (2010)
- The Tehran Initiative (2011)
- Damascus Countdown (2013)
J. B. Collins Books
The third series in the Joel Rosenberg books in order follows J. B. Collins who is a foreign correspondent for the New York Times. When he learns that ISIS, a splinter cell of al-Qaeda, has acquired a cache of chemical weapons within Syria, he knows he needs to chase the lead of this story.
There are many questions swirling around, but the president’s upcoming visit to the region might be the catalyst for disaster. Collins knows that terrorists are already trying to destroy the Iraqi and Syrian governments, but can he discover the truth before a genocide occurs?
- The Third Target (2015)
- The First Hostage (2015)
- Without Warning (2017)
Marcus Ryker Books
Next, Joel Rosenberg introduced the character of Marcus Ryker. These books begin by closely following events unfolding in Russia. Again, each book features a new threat to contend with, but these books are best read in publication order to follow the chronological sequence.
In the first book the American president is distracted by the rising tensions in North Korea and Iran, but a new threat is emerging from Moscow. The Russian president is consolidating power and silencing his opposition while planning a strike that could destroy a NATO alliance. Thankfully, U.S. Secret Service agent Marcus Ryker has his eyes on the threat and will do anything to protect his country.
- The Kremlin Conspiracy (2018)
- The Persian Gamble (2019)
- The Jerusalem Assassin (2020)
- The Beirut Protocol (2021)
- The Libyan Diversion (2023)
- The Beijing Betrayal (Expected: March 11, 2025)
Standalone Book
Rosenberg’s only standalone novel is historical fiction that harkens back to the Second World War. Under the Nazi regime Jacob Weisz and his family, who are Jewish, are under serious threat. After a horrible night of violence, Jacob joins a rebel group, but it all goes terribly wrong when Jacob is captured and sent to Auschwitz.
Jacob needs to escape the death camp and tell the world about the atrocities that are taking place. To do so he will need to rely on his wits and a God he is not quite certain he believes exists.
- The Auschwitz Escape (2014)
Nonfiction Books
Joel Rosenberg has also written several nonfiction books which expand on the political themes he includes in his thrillers.
- Epicenter (2006)
- Inside the Revolution (2009)
- Epicenter Study Guide (2009)
- Inside the Revival (2010) (Out of Print)
- Implosion (2012)
- The Invested Life (2012) (With T.E. Koshy)
- Israel at War (2012)
- Enemies and Allies (2021)
Anthologies
Finally, Rosenberg has also written the foreword to one anthology throughout his career which features writing from different evangelical Christian writers about the conflict in the Middle East.
A Summary of Joel Rosenberg Books in Order
Below you will find the summaries for two series from the Joel Rosenberg books in order: The Last Jihad and David Shirazi. These descriptions will help demonstrate how Rosenberg includes biblical and Christian themes in writing his political thrillers.
The Last Jihad Books
1. The Last Jihad
Jon Bennett is a former top Wall Street strategist who has become a senior White House advisor, but he is about to face his toughest challenge yet. Saddam Hussein has sent assassins to kill the President of the United States as terrorists spread carnage across London, Paris, and Riyadh.
Bennett must forge an Arab-Israeli coalition against Iraq with his partner Erin McCoy to save the U.S. and other Western nations. The key to peace will be a billion-dollar oil deal off the coast of Gaza. However, before the treaty is signed, an Iraqi Scud missile launch is foiled by Israeli commandos and evidence is found that indicates the next attack will target Washington, New York, and Tel Aviv.
The result is an ultimatum from the Israeli Prime Minister to the President of the United States. They must level Baghdad in one hour, or else Israel will. Bennett and McCoy must use all their savvy to somehow save the world from total destruction.
2. The Last Days
Baghdad is in ruins as Osama bin Laden is dead and Saddam Hussein is buried. Jon Bennett, along with his CIA partner Erin McCoy and the U.S. Secretary of State have arrived in the Middle East to meet with Yasser Arafat, the Palestinian leader.
The goal is to sign an Arab-Israeli peace plan. Black gold has been found in the Mediterranean and the wealth of oil and natural gas offers unprecedented riches for every person in Israel and Palestine. The American message is that both sides must put aside their history of hostilities to sign the treaty.
If both sides agree to cooperate fully, and only then, the United States will support the peace treaty by underwriting billions of dollars of venture capital.
3. The Ezekiel Option
With Saddam Hussein and Yasser Arafat dead, the American president is trying to establish freedom and democracy throughout the Middle East. But then new evils appear. A dictator is rising in Russia and Iran is building nuclear weapons.
It is a new Axis of Evil, with Moscow and Tehran leading the charge. Jon Bennett and Erin McCoy must confront the possibility that the world is rushing to an apocalypse that was prophesied more than 2,500 years ago.
4. The Copper Scroll
In June 1956 a Dead Sea Scroll was found that described treasures worth billions of dollars to the east of Jerusalem and under the Holy City itself. Many believed that the Copper Scroll could lead to the discovery of the Second Temple treasures and the construction of the Third Jewish Temple. But the scroll’s code was never cracked.
Furthermore, experts warn that if Israel rebuilds their temple in Jerusalem, it will unleash a war of biblical proportions. This is the reality that Jon Bennett and Erin McCoy find themselves facing as their confront a new threat propelled by ancient mystery.
5. Dead Heat
Oil prices are surging, a new dictator in Iraq is gaining power, China is threatening Taiwan, North Korean forces are preparing to strike south, and Israel is rebuilding the Third Temple. The world is set for war.
Amidst the high tensions, American president James MacPherson’s second term is ending and the new presidential election is likely to be the most fiercely-contested in American history. Then the Secret Service uncovers a terrorist plan to assassinate one of the candidates, but they don’t know which one.
Can the US stop the terrorists before millions are dead?
David Shirazi Books
1. The Twelfth Imam
Iran’s president has promised to destroy the United States and Israel. The prime minister of Israel is adamant that Iran’s nuclear sites must be targeted before it’s too late. But the American president is trying to manage peace negotiations and avoid a preemptive strike.
There are also rumors swirling of a mysterious religious cleric who claims to be the Islamic messiah, the Mahdi or the Twelfth Imam. News of his miracles and healings are spreading throughout the region like wildfire.
CIA operative David Shirazi has a near impossible task, but he was born for this moment. He must enter Tehran and use any means at his disposal to disrupt Iran’s nuclear weapons program, while leaving no trace of American interference. The consequence of failure could be an apocalyptic new war.
2. The Tehran Initiative
David Shirazi is a native Farsi speaker who escaped Iran with his family in 1979. Now he is an elite CIA operative. The president of the United States has just given him the mission to sabotage Iran’s nuclear warheads before either Iran or Israel can launch an attack.
The world is teetering on the edge of disaster. That’s because Iran has conducted its first atomic weapons test and millions of Muslims around the world believe that their messiah, the Twelfth Imam, has arrived on earth. Leaders in Israel fear that Tehran is under the Twelfth Imam’s spell and will launch a nuclear attack of disastrous proportions.
The White House fears that Jerusalem will strike first and launch a preemptive strike against Iran. An action that could cause the entire Middle East to go up in flames and the global economy to collapse. David Shirazi must stop it before it’s too late.
3. Damascus Countdown
Israel launched a strike against Iran and destroyed all of their nuclear sites along with six of their nuclear warheads. As a result, the Twelfth Imam ordered a full-scale retaliation. The President of the United States, William Jackson, is also threatening to support a resolution from the U.N. Security Council condemning the Jewish State for unprovoked and unwarranted acts of aggression.
Meanwhile, David Shirazi is undercover within the Iranian regime. He has just intercepted information that the two remaining Iranian nuclear warheads have been moved to an undisclosed location. David is facing threats from the ongoing missile strikes and increasingly hostile governments in multiple countries.
Final thoughts on Joel Rosenberg books in order
The Joel Rosenberg books in order are political thrillers that also involve Christian themes and prophecies. The best way to read his books is by following the publication order of the series, so that you can follow the chronological timeline of events as they unfold across a global stage.