World Notes & Quotes

Millennium Fever Hits Holy Land

THE WASHINGTON POST, Nov. 8—As the millennium approaches, skirmishes are breaking out in the Holy Land on a number of fronts, including the precise location of a number of biblical events, the Post reported.

“The debate over the location of the site of Christ's baptism is developing into a political-economic struggle. Mohammed Waheeb, a Jordanian archeologist, cites Wadi Kharrar in Jordan as the site, while Israeli archeologists propose a site on the Israeli side.

Also, “… disputes are arising over the sites of miracles and the administration of the holy places. For instance, certain factions have objected to Israel's suggestion to build another door in the Basilica of the Holy Sepulcher to provide a fire escape. Elsewhere, there are arguments about the precise location of Cana, where Jesus turned water into wine, the identity of Mount Sinai, and the proposal of one Israeli businessman to build a submerged platform in the Sea of Galilee so that tourists can ‘walk on water,’” the Post reported.

Billy Graham and Jimmy Carter Oppose Sanctions

RELIGION AND ETHICS NEWSWEEKLY—Evangelist Billy Graham and former President Jimmy Carter are seeking ways to raise awareness of the suffering of the Iraqi people caused by U.S. sanctions, according to a report on the PBS TV program. The sanctions have been in place since the 1991 Gulf War provoked by Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein's invasion of Kuwait.

Carter told the program that he has been building relations with Christian and Muslim leaders in Iraq through The Friendship Force, an organization founded by Carter and his wife, Rosalynn, which arranges reciprocal visits among people of various countries.

Carter contacted Dr. Graham and the two agreed that they should meet with religious leaders from Iraq, which they did on Sept. 25 in the U.S.

The two are also considering co-writing a newspaper opinion piece about the situation and may send their sons on a high-profile visit to the country, Carter said.

Carter's son Chip is the vice president of The Friendship Force, and Franklin Graham assists his father in his worldwide preaching ministry.