BPR Mailing List Digest: 06/21-27/98

Philologos
BPR Mailing List Digest
June 21-27, 1998

Digest Home | 1998

To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: News: FYI - Israel in the News
From: bpr-list@philologos.org(BPR)

---------------------------------------------------------------
Bible Prophecy Research and Study List
Study Subject: Revelation 12
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From: research-bpr <research-bpr@philologos.org>

F.Y.I. - Israel in the News
Week Ending: June 20, 1998/26 Sivan 5758
http://www.tzemach.org/fyi

WITHDRAWAL TALKS PROGRESS: Both Israeli and American sources
confirmed on Tuesday that progress has been made in the negotiations in
recent days, and that the gaps between their positions have narrowed.
The two parties have held intensive discussions including telephone calls
between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US Middle East
Coordinator Dennis Ross. It appears that the Americans think they will
be able to convince Palestinian Authority (PA/PLO) Chairman Yasser
Arafat to accept Israel's proposal for a second redeployment. Israel
Defense Forces (IDF) Radio reported that Netanyahu has denied that any
agreement has been reached on the size of the second redeployment,
adding that the inner cabinet is still working on the issue. Israel continues
to demand that the package deal include an agreement on the third
redeployment, a demand opposed by the Palestinians. According to the
JERUSALEM POST, Arafat received a commitment Saturday night (06-20-
98) from US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright that the Clinton
administration will not back down from efforts to obtain an Israeli
withdrawal in Judea, Samaria and Gaza (Yesha) and will work to resume
negotiations toward a final-status solution for the territories. Albright's
message was delivered to Arafat in a letter by US Consul-General John
Herbst Saturday night in Ram'Allah.

Meanwhile, Albright set a deadline of July 24 for Netanyahu to reply to the
American proposal for a second Israeli redeployment in Yesha, MA'ARIV
reported. Netanyahu has ignored previous US deadlines, and the Clinton
administration has not taken action against him. (ISRAEL LINE, KOL
YISRAEL)

ISRAEL SEEKS US GUARANTEE REGARDING PA/PLO STATEHOOD:
As part of any redeployment package Israel seeks a US letter of
assurance making clear Washington's opposition to any unilateral
Palestinian declaration of statehood, HA'ARETZ reported. In return, Israel
will agree to forgo any construction of new settlements, excluding
expansion of existing settlements. In its two years in power, the
Netanyahu Government has never established a new settlement. The
HA'ARETZ government source made it clear that Israel wants a US
commitment on Palestinian statehood to be indefinite, so long as
final status talks are continuing. Other sources say that what is being
discussed is a sort of "side letter" that would be attached to the overall
peace package. Arafat has said that on May 5 of next year, he will
unilaterally declare statehood. (ISRAEL LINE)

RUSSIA SALES MISSILES TO SYRIA: Israeli security sources are
reportedly concerned by Russia's recent sale of Cornet AT-X-14 anti-tank
missiles to Syria. The missiles are a significant improvement to the
capabilities of the Syrian army. The Syrians reportedly purchased 1,000
Cornets, which have a range of 3.5 miles. The sale ends a nine-year
hiatus in weapons transfers between the two countries, and is an
example of what appears to be new Russian assertiveness in exporting
arms to the Middle East. Both Iran and Iraq are potential recipients of
Russian weaponry. (JANE'S DEFENSE WEEKLY, HA'ARETZ)

CHINA CO-OPERATING WITH IRAN, LIBYA ON MISSILES: THE TIMES
of London reports that, according to US intelligence reports, China is
collaborating with Iran and Libya on missile technology. Israeli political
and military officials regard Iran's attempts to acquire nuclear capability
and the missile systems to carry nuclear warheads over great distances
as a major concern and top priority. "Based on separate intelligence data
circulated among senior US officials," THE TIMES says, "reports show
that last summer Iran held discussions with China about the acquisition
of telemetry equipment, a vital component for missile testing." (ICEJ)

JEWISH GROUPS BLAST POPE'S PLANS: Jewish groups are outraged
over Pope John Paul II's plans to meet Friday with a professor of theology
who has accused the Jews of ritual murder.The pope's three-day visit to
Austria was to include a meeting with the Vienna-based diplomatic corps,
whose members include Dr. Robert Prantner, envoy extraordinary and
minister plenipotentiary of the Knights of Malta. In a December 5 article in
the Austrian publication ZUR ZEIT Prantner argued that rather than the
Catholic Church apologizing to the Jews for centuries of antisemitism, the
Jews should apologize for "their deplorable crimes ... against Catholic
children like the holy martyr-child Anderl von Rinn, against adults in the
days before Easter ... and for the blood of murdered Christians, spilled by
Jewish hands, which cries to heaven, too." Efraim Zuroff, head of the
Simon Wiesenthal Center's Israel office, said "this theologian, Prantner,
is basically saying that the blood libel is true - we're in 1998 for God's
sake! This is outrageous. This is taking us back to the Middle Ages." The
blood libel accusing Jews of the ritual murder of Anderl von Rinn took
place in the 17th century and was used to incite pogroms against the
Jews. It was condemned in 1985 as a falsehood by Innsbruck Bishop
Reinhold Stecher, who also banned pilgrimages to the Church of Rinn,
which had become a shrine as the purported place of the ritual murder.
(JERUSALEM POST)

ARAB DISUNITY SHOWS: As they approach their summit conference,
the Arab nations are not quite united. Egypt wants the summit to be held
in Cairo, while the Syrians are demanding that it be hosted by them in
Damascus. The Persian Gulf states, for their part, insist that Riyadh,
Saudi Arabia, be chosen, and demand that the anti-Israel decisions to be
taken be moderate in nature. They are not interested in climbing onto a
high ladder from which they will afterwards have to find a way down.
Syria, on the other hand, says it will not participate in the summit unless
a united and agressive anti-Israel stance is guaranteed. On the other
hand, Iraq and Egypt are making strides towards each other in
anticipation of the summit. Egypt's President Mubarak would very much
like to see Iraq taking part in the Arab meeting. Over the past week,
an emissary from Saddam Hussein met in Cairo with Mubarak. Iraq's
participation promises some radical positions taken against Israel.
(ARUTZ SHEVA)

--- BPR

BPR Web Site - http://philologos.org/bpr

========
To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: Intelligence Report: Weekly Analysis -- June 22, 1998
From: bpr-list@philologos.org(BPR)
Date: Mon, 22 Jun 1998 09:47:06 -0500 (CDT)

---------------------------------------------------------------
Bible Prophecy Research and Study List
Study Subject: Revelation 12
---------------------------------------------------------------

From: owner-bpr@philologos.org

Global Intelligence Update
Red Alert
June 22, 1998

U.S. Search for Rapprochement with Iran Becomes Public

We have been tracking what we have called the realignment of the Middle
East for about a year. Last September, following an Iranian air strike on
Mujahadin bases inside the no-fly zone in Iraq, we came to the conclusion
that intense, back-channel discussions were taking place between Washington
and Tehran. During the recent U.S.-Iraqi confrontation, it was our view
that the critical subtext of that crisis was an emerging entente between
the United States and Iran. It has been obvious to us for quite a while
that the United States has been increasingly interested in improving
relations with Tehran and that Tehran has been using U.S. desires to
enhance its political and strategic position in the region. Iran has been
carrying out a brilliant foreign policy, manipulating U.S. fears of losing
influence to increase its own regional influence.

Last week, the obvious became official. First, Madeleine Albright publicly
declared that the United States was interested in improving relations with
Iran. Then, President Clinton confirmed this policy shift, changing
tentative explorations of possibilities into a firm and public foreign
policy initiative. Tehran, as one might expect, responded coolly, thereby
maintaining maximum flexibility in order to extract maximum concessions
from the United States. In order to understand the unfolding story, it is
essential to pause and consider American motives in this reversal of twenty
years of policy toward Iran.

We need to begin by considering the fairly dramatic shifts that have taken
place in the region since the liberation of Kuwait from Iraq. Ever since
the oil embargo of 1973, Saudi Arabia has been one of the main pillars of
U.S. policy in the region. Saudi wealth served as a powerful counterweight
to Arab radicalism. Saudi money helped stabilize the region at a time when
it appeared that radical, secular forces were going to sweep away both
conservative regimes and American influence. Saudi money helped contain
Arab radicals with a stream of cash, which ultimately served to marginalize
the most radical and intractable elements. In addition, Saudi Arabia
helped secure the western littoral of the Persian Gulf after the Iranian
revolution. Later, Saudi Arabia served as the strategic base for the U.S.
invasion of Iraqi-occupied Kuwait. Indeed, it was Saudi Arabia that made
the U.S. policy of dual containment of both Iraq and Iran a practical
option.

It is increasingly apparent that Saudi Arabia is no longer a reliable
partner for the United States. This was driven home during the Iraqi
crisis when the Saudis not only were not prepared to allow the U.S. to use
Saudi bases for strikes against Iraq, but also seemed more open to Iranian
representations on the Iraqi question than to American initiatives. This
division between the U.S. and Saudi Arabia is visible in issues large and
small. This week, for example, the United States, in a very public show of
irritation with Saudi Arabia, ended the investigation of the bombing of
Khobar Towers, making it clear that the Saudis were being held responsible
for failing to pursue the investigation appropriately. The Saudis
responded by charging that the United States was not taking their findings
seriously. From strategy to atmospherics, the U.S.-Saudi relationship has
deteriorated to a level inconceivable just a few years ago.

The root cause of all of this is the collapse in oil prices. After two
attempts to raise the price of oil through multilateral production cuts,
the price of oil has not only failed to rise, but has actually fallen.
Saudi Arabian banks, which handle both public and private financing in the
Kingdom, are strained to the limit. The extent of the problem cannot be
judged with absolute precision, since precise financial figures from Saudi
Arabia are hard to come by. However, with oil prices down more than one-
third from projected levels this year, and with aggressive development
plans requiring major financing, it is our view that the financial base of
the Saudi Kingdom is in severe jeopardy. Projects are already being
slashed. Refinancings at unfavorable rates are taking place as the end of
the quarter approaches. We do not know how bad the situation is going to
get, save that unless oil prices rise dramatically in the near term, we
expect Saudi Arabia's financial situation to become very bad indeed.

This situation has had a serious political impact on Saudi Arabia. While
money flowed into the Kingdom, the various factions within the royal family
could be satisfied and controlled. With money drying up, the royal family,
along with the rest of the Kingdom, is encountering a very different world
than what they have become used to. Without plenty of cash to spread
around, the fundamental solvent of Saudi political tension is gone. Gone
with it is the political consensus within Saudi Arabia that held that
alignment with the United States was the wisest policy for the Kingdom. Of
course, the United States still has good friends in Saudi Arabia, but it
also has enemies. The pro-American faction could argue in the past that a
close relationship with the United States provided the security that made
Saudi prosperity possible. However, with that prosperity dissolving, the
usefulness of the U.S. security blanket is dubious. Indeed, without
prosperity, U.S. policy is likely to entangle Saudi Arabia in adventures
that increase risk without securing prosperity. Thus, the Saudis declined
the American invitation to go to war with Iraq.

There is a powerful faction inside of Saudi Arabia that argues that both
prosperity and security are to be found in a regional bloc. They see this
bloc as including Iran and perhaps even Iraq. The reasoning goes this way.
The central issue is the price of oil. At the present time, Venezuela and
other Latin American producers are setting the price of oil. These
countries, closely aligned with the United States politically and
economically, are less harmed by low prices than Saudi Arabia. Saudi
Arabia has less downstream integration than these Latin American countries,
and what integration they have is focused on Asia, a strategic error with
enormous consequences. So long as the Persian Gulf producers are
fragmented, the Latin American bloc will set the price. It follows from
this that a Persian Gulf regional bloc, including Iran, is essential.

The Iranians, of course, are interested in higher prices, but they also
have several strategic issues on the table as well. The Iranians wish to
ensure their security by becoming the dominant power in the Persian Gulf.
In order for this to happen, the United States must leave the Persian Gulf.
But if the United States leaves the Gulf, the Iranians must deal with the
Iraqis, whom they neither trust nor are completely confident they can
defeat. Thus, their ideal scenario would be a U.S. engineered collapse of
the Baghdad regime, replacing it with a regime more to their liking,
followed by U.S. withdrawal from the region. If Saddam fell, they would
expect the Saudis to heavily influence the successor regime. Thus, they
are extremely interested in close relations with the Saudis both on the oil
price issue and the strategic issue. Thus, the desperate Saudi interest in
higher oil prices and the Iranian interest in a regional politico-military
bloc have served to dissolve tensions between the two countries, leaving
the United States increasingly out in the cold.

The question of Iraq is, of course, on everyone's mind. The Iranians will
not forget Iraqi aggression against Iran during their long war. The Saudis
will not forget that Iraqi oil could destroy whatever chances there are for
higher prices. It is therefore interesting that right after the U.S.
opening to Iran this week, an Iranian Ayatollah, Mirza Ali Gharavi, was
shot and killed along with his son-in-law and a driver inside of Iraq, on
the road to a Shiite holy place south of Baghdad. This is the second
recent killing of a Shiite cleric from Iran in Iraq, the first having taken
place on April 21. It is not clear who killed Gharavi, but the Iranian
government protested to Baghdad immediately, and Iraqi Shiites charged the
Iraqi government with the crime. Thus, tensions are rising with Iraq at
the same moment that the U.S. is reaching out to Iran. Regardless of who
shot Gharavi, the Iranians now have an option for creating a crisis with
Iraq should they choose to, at the same time that they are considering
their response to the United States.

Iraq is the point on which the U.S. and Iranians both agree. Both want to
see Saddam gone, and each is intrigued by the idea of dismembering Iraq.
But that is where the agreement ends. Iran genuinely wants the U.S. out of
the Gulf and the U.S. has no intention of obliging. Nevertheless, with the
Saudis increasingly responding to Iran rather than the United States, the
U.S. has little choice but to reach out to Iran. The question is this:
What does the United States have to offer Iran, if it is not prepared to
withdraw from the Gulf?

One answer, investment, is possible. The Iranians listed 20 new projects
available for funding this weekend. But with energy prices where they are,
investing in Iranian energy related projects is not an exciting prospect.
Moreover, there are plenty of French and other European firms ready to
invest in Iran. The Iranians don't really need the United States for that.
So again the question: What does the United States have to offer Iran?

Another possible answer lies to the north, with Iran's traditional nemesis,
Russia. Russian foreign policy is awakening. One of the first items on
the Russian agenda is reasserting hegemony over the Central Asian republics
that broke off from the Soviet Union. These republics also happen to be
full of oil, oil that no current producer wants to see flooding the market
uncontrolled. American oil companies have billions of dollars invested in
these Asian oil fields. They dread the return of Russian power. The last
thing that Iran wants is the Russian Army back in force on its frontier.
They also don't want uncontrolled pumping from those fields.

Thus a glimmer of a deal appears to exist. The United States would accept
Iranian preeminence in the Gulf. With the world awash with oil and
Venezuela and Mexico setting the price, the Gulf's strategic significance
declines anyway. Iran and the United States work together to contain or
depose Saddam. Iran works with the United States to keep Russia out of
Central Asia, thereby protecting U.S. investment in the region. The United
States works with Iran to make certain that the flow of oil from Central
Asia doesn't swamp the world oil market in coming years.

We are not clear that this is what Albright had in mind. She must
certainly understand that any deal with Iran must include a solution to the
Iraqi problem. She must also be aware that a satisfactory solution will
leave Iran in an extremely powerful position in the region. In part, it
may simply be a matter of the U.S. accommodating itself to the inevitable,
since the Saudi condition facilitates Iranian ascendance. But with Iranian
ascendence increasingly inevitable, it is not clear that Tehran needs
Washington's help. That is, until Iran looks north. None of this is
obvious, but alliances have been based on weaker reeds.

The point is that Washington is trying very hard to find a solution to a
strategic problem that has largely been Washington's doing. In studied
indifference to the consequences of lower oil prices on the regional
balance, the Clinton administration has acted as if strategy was
independent of economics, assuming that a relatively poor Saudi Arabia will
have the same foreign policy as a wealthy Saudi Arabia. In casting about
for an alternative pillar in the region, Washington turns once again to a
historic ally, Iran, hoping that the same fear that moved the Shah, Russia,
would move the Iranians to make peace with the United States and accept
American presence in the Persian Gulf. We are not confident that this will
happen. We are not even confident that the U.S. is playing this card. We
are confident that, without this card, Iran has little if any reason to
work with the United States.

Iran will undoubtedly respond to Washington's opening this week. Iran is,
of course, in the middle of a massive internal power struggle between the
Ayatollah Khamenei and President Khatami. It is not clear whether the
American opening will strengthen Khatami's hand, as Albright undoubtedly
hopes it will, or will undermine his position, making him appear a
collaborator with the Great Satan. Indeed, the offer might just bring the
struggle to a cataclysmic culmination. Whatever happens, and the shape of
that answer is truly unclear, and this process that has now broken into the
open will have a dramatic effect on the region and the international
system. The focus of attention should be on Iran this week, which is, of
course, exactly how the Iranians like it. Once again, we marvel at the
diplomatic skill shown by Iran, constantly maneuvering the United States
into difficult and vulnerable positions.

___________________________________________________

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========
To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: News: Cyborg Future Looms
From: bpr-list@philologos.org(BPR)
Date: Tue, 23 Jun 1998 08:33:58 -0500

---------------------------------------------------------------
Bible Prophecy Research and Study List
Study Subject: Revelation 12
---------------------------------------------------------------

From: <owner-bpr@philologos.org>

Source: Earth-Changes Weekly

BIT BY BYTE, CYBORG FUTURE LOOMS -- Even on a campus known for nerd hi-jinks, some of the researchers in MIT's Media Lab look pretty
weird. A group a grad students, who have dubbed themselves "the 'borg",
are researching "wearables": personal -- very personal -- computers small
enough to fit into eyeglasses and hip pouches but powerful enough to
access the world's information. This technology looks clunky and a little
intimidating now, but promises to shrink, streamline and grow more
inconspicuous. The researchers at Massachusetts Institute of Tevhnology
envision a digital paradise: instant translation among the world's tongues, the ability to monitor and even affect events
anywhere in the world, a constant connection to global conversations in cyberspace. But by transcending the limits that
nature imposed on our all-too-human flesh, researchers at MIT and elsewhere find themselves poking at the edges of fundamental
questions. The answers may change forever what it means to be human. The term "cyborg" can be applied to anyone with a
body-enhanced add-on. Do you have a titanium alloy knee joint, a myoelectric arm, a pacemaker, breast implants, contact lenses, a
polio vaccination? Technically, you're a cyborg. The MIT researchers are taking it a step further -- they carry processing
chips, hard drives, wireless modems and batteries in small pouches. They often have a miniature video monitor affixed to modified
eyeglasses or suspended from a hat. Instead of a keyboard or mouse, a handheld keypad is used. The wearable software can
remind them of appointments, and let them take notes and surf the Internet. Soon, researcher Brad Rhodes says, the wearables will
be able to recognize speech and faces. And software he is developing, called a "remembrance agent", will watch over you 24
hours a day, every day, supplying you with information you need in any given situation. Recognize someone but can't remember their
name? The wearable will supply not only the name, but that person's occupation and any email correspondence you may have
had. While you two talk, your wearable parses the chit-chat, tapping into global databases via a wireless modem for data
relevant to your conversation. As you talk about how hot it is, the agent sifts through news clippings feeding you the latest on, say,
global warming. It gives you limitless memory and access to almost all knowledge. Wearables may be only an interim step. As disk
drives and computers shrink, the next step may be to implant tiny computer parts under the skin or behind the ears. The electrical
energy in your body could supply the power. Fillings in your teeth could be the antennae for your Internet connection, which could
pump the data to a heads-up display into your eyeglasses. Hacking the body to install a computer that becomes a part of you, that
grants instant access to the sum of human knowledge. (AP)

========
To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: New Study Schedule
From: bpr-list@philologos.org(BPR)
Date: Tue, 23 Jun 1998 10:21:38 -0500

---------------------------------------------------------------
Bible Prophecy Research and Study List
Study Subject: Revelation 12
---------------------------------------------------------------

From: owner-bpr@philologos.org

We are about to begin a new series of studies. The following outline
is just a guide to show the list members where BPR (research staff
and myself) will be focusing our attention. If you have any
questions about our studies and how you can participate and
contribute, please drop me a note. I encourage and welcome all list
members to participate in these private studies.

Study One:

The Letter to the church of Ephesus - Rev. 2:1-7.

We will spend a little time on this short study and then move to a
major study in the book of Ezekiel. You may want to get your
materials and references together for the Ezekiel study which BPR
will start on sometime next week. Ezekiel will be broken up into
smaller studies, so we won't be in the book continously. However, the
plan is to complete the book in a series of list studies over the
next several months.

Study Two:

This outline of Ezekiel is taken from "Talk Thru the Bible."

Part One: The Commission of Ezekiel - Chapters 1-3
I. Ezekiel Sees the Glory of God (Ch. 1)
II. Ezekiel Is Commissioned to the Word of God (Chs. 2-3)

========
To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: 6/22/98 TV Programs
From: bpr-list@philologos.org(BPR)

---------------------------------------------------------------
Bible Prophecy Research and Study List
Study Subject: Revelation 12
---------------------------------------------------------------

From: research-bpr <research-bpr@philologos.org>

8:00 PM Eastern

HIST - IN SEARCH OF HISTORY - "Hitler and the Occult"
- Ancient prophecy and occult ritual fascinates Nazi
Germany.(CC)(TVPG)

9:00 PM

PBS - PEOPLE'S CENTURY - "Total War" - Millions more
civilians than soldiers die in World War II than in any other
modern conflict.(CC)(TVPG)

TLC - LOST SHIPS - "Galley of the Gods" - An
archaeologist uses digital technology and underwater footage
to chronicle a shipwreck off Tunisia.(CC)(TVG)

--- BPR

BPR Web Site - http://philologos.org/bpr

========
To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: News: The "Enemy Embassy"
From: bpr-list@philologos.org(BPR)

---------------------------------------------------------------
Bible Prophecy Research and Study List
Study Subject: Revelation 12
---------------------------------------------------------------

From: research-bpr <research-bpr@philologos.org>

            Al-Majd Staff Dismisses Israeli Embassy 'Envoy'
                 Amman al-Majd in Arabic 15 jun 98 p 1
          The staff of al-Majd newspaper dismissed a representative of the
Israeli Embassy who arrived unexpectedly at the newspaper offices last
Monday [7 June]. The representative was carrying a sealed letter and
a basket of flowers that had been sent by one of the embassy riffraff,
whose name al-Majd refused even to find out.
          Al-Majd staff told the enemy embassy representative that the only
connection that might exist between al-Majd and the embassy is one of
everlasting enmity and hatred, and that the only language in which a
dialogue might be conducted with Zionists is the language of blood and
bullets, not that of letters and roses.
          It appears that the unannounced "missionary" visit from the
Zionist embassy to al-Majd comes in the context of a sweeping
"normalization blitz" that the enemy embassy is launching, not only in
Amman, but also in Cairo.
          The Egyptian Naserite newspaper al- 'Arabi published a front-page
report in its last issue under the title, "Zionist Embassy Begins
Normalization Home Delivery Service." In the hope of putting a pretty
face on Israeli plans and policies, the enemy embassy in Cairo has
begun sending letters to a number of party and official newspapers in
Egypt.
          Al-'Arabi stated that Leilur Bin-Dur [name as published], the
information attache at the enemy embassy, was the one who had signed
all of the letters to Egyptian newspapers. In the letters he had the
audacity to suggest the opening of a communication and dialogue
channel between Egyptian newspapers and the Israeli Embassy. As he
put it, the purpose of the channel would be to persuade these
newspapers not to publish any insults or slander directed against
Zionist officials or to write about Israeli-Egyptian relations in a
hostile manner that might harm the progress of cooperation and peace
between Cairo and Tel Aviv.
          Last Thursday [10 June] "Abu-Yayha", proprietor of one of the
best-known restaurants at the entrance to the city of Jerash, asked
'Oded Eran, Israeli ambassador to Jordan, and a certain Jordanian
member of parliament who was with him to leave the restaurant when
they arrived there to eat lunch.
          The ambassador and the parliamentarian objected to this treatment
and registered a complaint with the police. "Abu-Yahya", however, a
well-known Naserite, stuck to his guns, saying that he rejects
normalization with the Zionists under any circumstances. The result
was that the ambassador and his friend were forced to withdraw,
disappointed and defeated.

Israeli & Global News
June 21, 1998
http://www.cmep.com

========
To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: News: Friday, June 19, Prayer at Al Aqsa Mosque
From: bpr-list@philologos.org(BPR)

---------------------------------------------------------------
Bible Prophecy Research and Study List
Study Subject: Revelation 12
---------------------------------------------------------------

From: research-bpr <research-bpr@philologos.org>

                 Conference for Middle East Peace
                     Israeli & Global News
      The most widely seen Mideast WEB site: http://www.cmep.com
       Serving the public with the most in depth news available,
        with professional translations from over 20 languages
[News-Speeches-Interviews-Intelligence-Reports-Polls-Jihad-Editorials]
Note: All releases are copyrighted and cannot be used without permission
************************************************************************
Sermon at after Juma Prayer Friday direct from Al-Aqsa Masjid in Al-Quds
(Jerusalem) Palestine, a speech in Arabic is given by members of
Hizb-ut-Tahrir.
Friday - June 19th, 1998
     I seek refuge with ALLAH from the Satan
     In the Name of ALLAH the merciful and the compassionate
     (All praise is due to ALLAH and peace be upon his faithful prophet
Muhammad, his family and companions and the one who follow him till the
day of judgement). I witness that there is no god but ALLAH and Mohammed
is his messenger.
     O Muslims,
     Since two months and the U.S. is saying that she will declare the
name of the peace partner who is responsible for the failure of the
peace process in the middle east. But up until now the U.S. failed to
declare that side and I don't think that she will name that side in the
nearest future.
     O People,
     Allah says (what the meaning is:) "Never will the Jews or the
Christians be satisfied with thee unless thou follow their form of
religion. Say: "The Guidance of Allah, that is the (only) Guidance,"
wert thou to follow their desires after the knowledge which hath reached
thee, then wouldst thou find neither Protector nor Helper against
Allah." Al-BAQARA (2-120).
     So Jews and Christians are at one side against us Muslims. They
will never be satisfied until we (Muslims) change our path and follow
theirs.
     O Muslims,
     The struggle on our land is a long lasting struggle that had
started long time ago. The infidel forces will never cease to occupy our
lands until we end this battle by force; by our "swords and spears". The
infidels nowadays are using capitalism and democracy as their way to
challenge Islam, they will never stop until we defeat them.
     Now we come to Netenyahu and the way he responded to the American
pressure on him. He responded by cooperating with India in her recent
nuclear testing. This is a challenge to the U.S. We heard yesterday of
and Israeli nuclear testing explosion in Ilat. It was the response of
Netenyahu to the american and other countries pressure to move the peace
process forward. This is how the Israelis respond to the so-called peace
process. This is true about them even when some of them claim that he's
with the peace process. They all, in fact, agree that they will never
retreat from "the unified" Jerusalem. This is true about them all
eventhough you might think that they oppose to each other fundamentally.
They in fact exchange roles in their political standings and their
political declarations. Its only a commercial propaganda. These people
don't seek peace. If they do then they shouldn't get involved in nuclear
testing and developing long range missiles not only for them but for
other countries also.
     The true peace, the real one, is Islam, which is Peace in its
actual meaning.
     Islam alone will be able to spread universal peace and will be able
to stand up against the evil forces that want to spread only terror and
evil.
     O Muslims,
     Today I heard that the Syrian Army conducted military maneuvers at
a time that Israel is calling to withdraw from South Lebanon and at a
time that Israel had sent oral messages to Syria saying that she's
willing to re-initiate the peace process with Syrians. These are all are
lies because the Israelis are preparing for a new war that will create
a new era which will enable them to force their political will on the
superpower states. But I tell you that if Israel to own nuclear weapons
this will bring her no benefits. This will not protect her existence
forever. The size of Israel is very small which doesn't support the use
of nuclear weapons on her "very close neighbors". The nuclear radiation,
once such nuclear weapons are used, will affect her own people
dramatically. We have an example the nuclear radiation leakage from the
Russian nuclear reactor in Chernobyl, which had reached Europe, Asia and
even Africa with all these distances. So what do you expect of the
consequences if they used nuclear weapons in much smaller areas.
     The Israelis threat to use nuclear weapons is only a way of terror,
a way to terrify Muslims and other states as well. Their state is small,
their size is small. And I don't think that they will stay for long.
     As ALLAH says (what the meaning is)" And We gave (clear) warning to
the Children of Israel in the Book, that twice would they do mischief on
the earth and be elated with mighty arrogance (and twice would they be
punished)!" AL-ISRAA (17-4) until ALLAH says in the same Sura (what the
meaning is)" If ye did well, ye did well for yourselves; if ye did evil,
(ye did it) against yourselves. So when the second of the warnings came
to pass, (We permitted your enemies) to disfigure your faces, and to
enter your Temple as they had entered it before, and to visit with
destruction all that fell into their power." (17-7). Muslims are their
enemies now, and they committed so many sins against Muslims, against
humanity, and against themselves. They are ready to deserve the
punishment from ALLAH and by the hands of Muslims. As the prophet
Muhammad said in the hadeeth " You (Muslims) will fight Jews they will
be on the West Bank of the River and you will be in the East Bank of the
River (River Jordan), until the stone and the tree will say O Muslim
come, there is a Jew behind me come and kill him except a type of tree
called Al-Gharqad this type of tree is theirs." (This hadeeth was
authenticated in many sources of hadeeth books like Saheeh Muslim and
Musnad Ahmad). This is an indication that these Israeli Jews will be
hiding behind Rocks and trees because of the horrible scenes that they
will see and that the Army against them will be the muslims army
Insha'ALLAH. But to reach that point we muslims need to work, we need to
gain power, go and search where the source of power lies, we also need
to be sincere, and we need to strengthen our belief, and put our trust
in ALLAH our creator.
     O muslims,
     Its time that muslim ummah should relize that there is no slavation
except by the re-establishment of the Khilafa State. All our dignity and
and honor lies on that state.
     Its the reward for the sincere muslims. Its not for the weak faith
people, the defeated mentalities, the ones who betrayed their creator,
their prophet and their ummah. So work, O muslims, and carry Islam
genuinely , so Kufr will know that Islam is the only right path.
     O ALLAH,
     Respond to us and grant us your victory....
     Amen.

========
To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: News: Ozone Layer Thinnest by 2001
From: bpr-list@philologos.org(BPR)

---------------------------------------------------------------
Bible Prophecy Research and Study List
Study Subject: Revelation 12
---------------------------------------------------------------

From: research-bpr <research-bpr@philologos.org>

Ozone Layer to Hit All-Time Thinnest by 2001 UN
Reuters
22-JUN-98

GENEVA, June 22 (Reuters) - The earth's protective ozone layer will hit its
all-time thinnest by 2000 or 2001, the World Meteorological Organisation said
on Monday.

Despite forecasts that international measures to halt the decline will help
the layer
improve by the middle of the next century, the ozone layer is at its most
vulnerable now and things will get worse before they get any better, the WMO
said.

``We could expect this ozone depletion to be stronger than anything we have
observed up to now,'' Rumen Bojkov, the leading ozone expert at the
Geneva-based United Nations weather agency, told a news conference.

The ozone layer is a protective fragile shield of gas that absorbs harmful
ultraviolet rays of the sun but has been increasingly pierced by holes caused by
manmade chemicals. The holes are blamed for causing skin cancer and
cataracts.

Bojkov said the holes were forecast to stay for the coming 20 years before a
recovery by the middle of the next century brings it back to the 1960s levels,
according to scientific models.

But he said detecting any such recovery would take at least another 20 years
because of scientific limitations.

The WMO also said its research showed that the role of the chemical methyl
bromide as an ozone-depleting substance was less than previously thought. The
fumigent used in agriculture was seen as the most important ozone-depleting
chemical used worldwide.

It called on countries of the world to implement measures agreed by the 1987
Montreal Protocol -- an international agreement on limiting substances that
deplete the ozone layer.

Under that agreement, developed and developing countries agreed to phase out
CFCs -- chlorofluorocarbons which are commonly used in aerosols and
refrigeration systems. Many experts doubt the targets can be met, although CFC
use has dropped dramatically in many industrialised countries.

========
To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: A Great Eagle
From: bpr-list@philologos.org(BPR)

---------------------------------------------------------------
Bible Prophecy Research and Study List
Study Subject: Revelation 12
---------------------------------------------------------------

From: owner-bpr@philologos.org

A Great Eagle

(Rev 12:14 KJV) "And to the woman were given two wings of a great
eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is
nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the
serpent."

"The figure of the 'eagle' is used in Ezek 17 to represent the great powers
of Egypt and Babylon, as being employed to punish corrupt and faithless
Israel." (Vine's Complete Expository Dictionary, p 189).

(Ezek 17:3 NIV) "Say to them, 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: A
great eagle with powerful wings, long feathers and full plumage of varied
colors came to Lebanon..."

(Ezek 17:7 NIV) "'But there was another great eagle with powerful wings
and full plumage. The vine now sent out its roots toward him from the plot
where it was planted and stretched out its branches to him for water."

["A great eagle" in Rev 12:14 perhaps then is referring to another great
and powerful nation that will again be associated with Israel's fate. This
time however that chosen nation will not be a tool of punishment, but one
of aid. - bpr]

========
To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: News: Iraq to Force 'Last Crisis' If Sanctions Remain
From: bpr-list@philologos.org(BPR)

---------------------------------------------------------------
Bible Prophecy Research and Study List
Study Subject: Revelation 12
---------------------------------------------------------------

From: research-bpr <research-bpr@philologos.org>

"IRAQ TO FORCE 'LAST CRISIS' IF SANCTIONS REMAIN"
(News Report From Jerusalem 6/21/98)

Baghdad will force a "last crisis" that will alter the face of
Iraqi relations with the rest of the world if sanctions are still
in place at the end of this year, Iraqi Ambassador to the United
Nations Nizar Hamdoon said on Wednesday. "There are two things that
can happen," Hamdoon said. "Either the sanctions will be lifted as
soon as possible or, by October or November, if the sanctions are
not lifted, there will be a crisis. This will be the last crisis."

Hamdoon's comments come amid signs earlier this week that there may
be an end in sight for the eight-year-old sanctions regime, imposed
by the U.N. Security Council after Baghdad's August 1990 invasion of
Kuwait. Lifting sanctions is contingent on clearance from the U.N.
Special Commission (UNSCOM) that Iraq's programs to build weapons of
mass destruction have been effectively destroyed. This week, UNSCOM
Chairman Richard Butler gave Iraq a "road map" to show the route
Baghdad must follow to satisfy UNSCOM. Butler said the work can be
done in as little as two months, but he also said that Iraq must
comply with requests for documents and weapons remnants for which
Iraq in the past has not been forthcoming. Hamdoon made clear that
Iraq would be prepared for a military onslaught from the U.S.,
which was on the brink of launching an attack in February before
Iraq reached a deal to allow U.N. weapons inspectors access to key
sites.

Prophezine News Bites
June 22, 1998

--- BPR

BPR Web Site - http://philologos.org/bpr

========
To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: Egypt's Past Association with the Serpent
From: bpr-list@philologos.org(BPR)

---------------------------------------------------------------
Bible Prophecy Research and Study List
Study Subject: Revelation 12
---------------------------------------------------------------

From: owner-bpr@philologos.org

Egypt's Past Association with the Serpent

(Rev 12:4 KJV) "And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and
did cast them to the earth: and the dragon stood before the woman which
was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born."

"...To devour her child as soon as it was born."

"Professor Milligan says: 'In these words we have the dragon doing what
Pharaoh did to Israel (Exodus 1:15-22), and again and again, in the Psalms
and the Prophets, Pharaoh is spoken of as the dragon (Psalm 74:13;
Isaiah 27:1; 51:9; Ezekiel 29:3). Nor is it without interest to remember that
Pharaoh's crown was wreathed with a dragon (the asp or serpent of
Egypt), and that just as the eagle was the ensign of Rome, so the dragon
was that of Egypt. Hence the significance of Moses' rod being turned into
a serpent.'"

(Vincent's Word Studies, Vol. 2: The Writings of John)

-----------

Pharaoh

"The title of Egyptian kings. It is the Heb. form of the Egyptian title 'the
great house.' During the early dynasties the expression was an honorific
title for the chief Egyptian ruler, but from the powerful Eighteenth Dynasty
when Egypt ruled the East (c. 1550-1320 B.C.), it was in common use as
the official title of the kings of Egypt."

(The New Unger's Bible Dictionary)

-----------

Pharaoh's Crown

(Exo 7:9 KJV) "When Pharaoh shall speak unto you, saying, Show a
miracle for you: then thou shalt say unto Aaron, Take thy rod, and cast it
before Pharaoh, and it shall become a serpent."

"The serpent was considered a wise and magical creature in Egypt.
Wadjet, the patron goddess of lower Egypt, is represented as a snake on
Pharaoh's crown. This came to symbolize the power of Pharaoh...It is
therefore not arbitrary that the sign featured a serpent, for in Egyptian
thinking there was no other creature so ominous."

(IVP Bible Background Commentary: Genesis-Deuteronomy)

========
To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: Intelligence Report: "Arab NATO"
From: bpr-list@philologos.org(BPR)
Date: Wed, 24 Jun 1998 12:05:40 -0500

---------------------------------------------------------------
Bible Prophecy Research and Study List
Study Subject: Revelation 12
---------------------------------------------------------------

From: owner-bpr@philologos.org

Global Intelligence Update
Red Alert
June 24, 1998

Egypt Adds to Calls for "Arab NATO"

The idea of a NATO-like Arab military coalition, which has been
brewing in
the Middle East for the last two months, received a new proponent on
Sunday. Speaking at a graduation ceremony at Egypt's General Staff
Military Academy, Egyptian Defense Minister Marshal Hussein Tantawi
said
that "Egypt is calling for an Arab military bloc to take up the
challenges
confronting the Arab world and make advances in technology." Tantawi
was
quoted in the Egyptian newspaper "Al-Jumhuriyah" as urging Arab
countries
to "coalesce in all areas, particularly the military field, because
the
entire world is moving towards coalitions and blocs." The Egyptian
newspaper "Al-Ahram" cited Tantawi as saying, "The big powers join
military coalitions like NATO because no country can survive alone
and the
prosperity of nations can only be ensured if they have armed forces
capable of defending it." The graduation ceremony was attended by
officer cadets from several regional countries, including Saudi
Arabia, Lebanon, Jordan, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Oman,
Bahrain, Yemen, Algeria, and Pakistan.

Egypt's call for an "Arab NATO" follows the statement by Egyptian
Foreign
Minister Amr Moussa on June 18 that Egypt and Iran are increasing
their
efforts at rapprochement. Moussa told reporters in Cairo that new
developments in Egyptian-Iranian relations were launched last winter
when
then Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Velayati visited Cairo to
begin the process of fence-mending. As a sign of the growing entente
between Cairo and Tehran, Moussa noted that he had received an
Iranian trade delegation earlier that week -- the first visit of its
kind in almost 20 years. The Iranian visit resulted in the signing
of a protocol for increasing cooperation in trade, investment, and
industry.

The idea of a pan-Arab security arrangement was broached on April 27,
during meetings in Tehran of the Syrian-Iranian Joint Higher
Committee. At that meeting, Syria and Iran stressed the importance
of stability and
security in the region and called for ensuring this stability and
security
by joint cooperation and coordination among the states of the region,
without foreign interference. In the May 26 issue of the "Mideast
Mirror," a Syrian author laid out the framework of an "Arab NATO."
The article stated that "An Arab military alliance built on the NATO
model may be the solution to the dependence of some Arab (chiefly
Gulf) states on foreign (especially U.S.) forces for protection."

Also in May, Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal payed a two
day
visit to Iran, where he discussed the need for increased cooperation
between Saudi Arabia, Iran, Syria, and other regional states. The
talks in Iran covered regional security crises, including the
situations in Iraq and Afghanistan, and the need for cooperation
among regional states for the "peaceful settlement of such crises."
If Saudi backing emerges for a
regional security arrangement including Iran, Syria, and Egypt, then
both
Israel and Iraq have reason to be nervous.

The proposed "Arab NATO" clearly has two key features. First, it is
grounded in the idea of Arab-Persian cooperation. More properly, it
is an
idea being driven by Tehran. Second, it is intended in large part to
force the withdrawal of U.S. forces from the region -- a goal dear to
the
Iranians. By forging an alliance based on Arab-Persian cooperation,
there
is no need for a U.S. presence to defend the small Gulf states.
Again,
there is all the more reason for Israel to seek U.S. protection, but
within a far different regional dynamic.

Iranian success in recruiting Syria to this idea is not surprising, as
Damascus sees the alliance as a tremendous tool against Israel.
Recruitment of Saudi Arabia and Egypt, longstanding U.S. allies in the
region, is far more worrisome. That U.S. influence has deteriorated
in the region to the point that Sunni Muslim Arab states are willing
to lay aside their traditional animosity toward the Shiite Persians
in hopes of pursuing more aggressive solutions to the region's
problems is a matter demanding immediate attention.

___________________________________________________

========
To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: Re: Ephesus
From: bpr-list@philologos.org(BPR)
Date: Thu, 25 Jun 1998 12:50:16 -0500

---------------------------------------------------------------
Bible Prophecy Research and Study List
Study Subject: Letter to Ephesus Rev 2:1-7
---------------------------------------------------------------

From: <owner-bpr@philologos.org>

> "There is a tradition that the mother of our Lord was buried at Ephesus,
> as also Timothy and St. John.

Yes, and I might add that the "House of Virgin Mary" is located there as
well.

It is supposedly located on Bulbul mountain (or Mt. Koressos). "According
to the records of the Christian Council, The Virgin Mary lived in this house
until she died at the age of 64. It is widely believed that she left Jerusalem
with St. John after Jesus was crucified. St. John wrote in Bible that Virgin
Mary was entrusted to him by Jesus himself before crucification. It was also
recorded in the Council documents that she lived in a house next to the
Council Church inside Ephesus before moving into the house on Bulbul
mountain....

A major recognition of the house was sealed in 1967 when Pope Paul VI
visited and prayed in the house. Later on, Pope John II visited the house
and confirmed again the significance of the house for Christianity....

Now a popular place of pilgrimage for Christians and Muslims the house
has received the official sanction of the Vatican, and Christians observe a
commemoration ceremony every year on August 15th."

The earth and water here are supposedly sacred and thought to protect
one from evil and bad luck.

"The water comes in a nice bottle, 1.5 oz. - 3 oz. (10-15 ml bottle) and the
same size for the sacred earth. These items come with a "Certificate of
Authenticity". Price $30 US each Plus $3.50 Shipping in US, slightly more
for Europe ( European Orders shipped from Turkey)."

Source: http://www.cl-distributors.com/virgin-mary.html

========
To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: Re: Ephesus
From: bpr-list@philologos.org(BPR)
Date: Thu, 25 Jun 1998 12:50:16 -0500

From: <owner-bpr@philologos.org>

> "Ephesus was also an important religious city. The Temple of Diana (or
> Artemus, as the Greeks called her) was considered one of the seven wonders
> of the ancient world. The goddess Diana was the patron of all the
> prostitutes and, with her many-bosomed image, represented fertility and
> sexuality. Many writers in ancient times described the immorality of the
> city.

There are evidently two Diana's in mythology. While researching
Artemis/Diana I came across several cites and references that were
confusing the two. The one above *is* the correct Diana according to the
information I have, but I just wanted to share a little bit more.

I think the following gives us a good idea of the atmosphere of the city
during ancient times, and as you mentioned, the immorality displayed there.

From Vincent's Word Studies, Vol. 1 -

"We must distinguish between the Greek Artemis, known to the Romans
as Diana, and the Ephesian goddess. The former, according to the legend,
was the daughter of Zeus (Jove), and the sister of Apollo. She was the
patroness of the chase, the huntress among the immortals, represented
with bow, quiver, and spear, clad in hunting-habit, and attended by dogs
and stags. She was both a destroyer and a preserver, sending forth her
arrows of death, especially against women, but also acting as a healer,
and as the special protectress of women in childbirth. She was also the
goddess of the moon. She was a maiden divinity, whose ministers were
vowed to chastity."

"The Ephesian Artemis is totally distinct from the Greek, partaking of the
Asiatic character, and of the attributes of the Lydian Cybele, the great
mother of the gods. Her worship near Ephesus appears to have existed
among the native Asiatic population before the foundation of the city, and
to have been adopted by the Greek immigrants, who gradually transferred
to her features peculiar to the Grecian goddess. She was the
personification of the fructifying and nourishing powers of nature, and her
image, as represented on current coins of the time, is that of a swathed
figure, covered with breasts, and holding in one hand a trident, and in the
other a club. This uncouth figure, clad in a robe covered with mystic
devices, stood in the shrine of the great temple, hidden by a purple curtain,
and was believed to have fallen down from heaven ."

[Acts 19:35; One source I have suggested that the "statue" of Artemis or
Diana was actually a meteorite that was witnessed falling from the sky.
This meteorite probably resembled a many-breasted woman to those that
found it].

"In her worship the oriental influence was predominant. The priests were
eunuchs, and with them was associated a body of virgin priestesses and a
number of slaves, the lowest of whom were known as , or temple-
sweepers. Many a time must Paul have heard from the Jewish quarter the
piercing shrillness of their flutes, and the harsh jangling of their timbrels;
many a time have caught glimpses of their detestable dances and
Corybantic processions, as, with streaming hair, and wild cries, and shaken
torches of pine, they strove to madden the multitudes into sympathy with
that orgiastic worship which was but too closely connected with the vilest
debaucheries (Farrar, "Life and Work of Paul")."

The New Unger's Bible Dictionary further confirms that "'Artemis of the
Ephesians' was not a Greek divinity, but Asiatic. This is shown by the fact
that eunuchs were employed in her worship - a practice quite foreign to
Greek ideas. She was not regarded as a virgin but as mother and foster-
mother, as is clearly shown by the multitude of breasts in the rude effigy.
She was undoubtedly a representative of the same power presiding over
conception and birth that was adored in Palestine under the name
Ashtoreth."

Once a year there was a public festival in honor of Artemis. I couldn't find
what day this was held on each year. I'm curious to find out.

Another little interesting tid-bit.... Before the temple of Artemis became one
of the Seven Wonders it was destroyed by fire (356 BC). Alexander the
Great was supposedly born on this same day and when he took over the
area in 334 BC, he offered financial help in the rebuilding of the temple.
His offer was rejected.

========
To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: Ephesus
From: bpr-list@philologos.org(BPR)

From: research-bpr <research-bpr@philologos.org>

"The church at Ephesus, a very prominent city on the western part of the
Roman province of Asia, had enjoyed the ministry of Paul for three years
(Acts 20:31). Timothy also had apparently served this church as pastor.
Later, before his exile to the Isle of Patmos, the Apostle John had served
as one of the pastors of this church."

(Prophecy Knowledge Handbook, John Walvoord)
====================

"Ephesus was a large city with an excellent harbor, and it was known at this
time as the marketplace of Asia. It was also a banking center because of its
great vault in the Temple of Diana, which was considered the safest place in
Asian Minor.

"Ephesus was also an important religious city. The Temple of Diana (or
Artemus, as the Greeks called her) was considered one of the seven wonders
of the ancient world. The goddess Diana was the patron of all the
prostitutes and, with her many-bosomed image, represented fertility and
sexuality. Many writers in ancient times described the immorality of the city.

"One pillar in the Ephesian economy was the production of silver images of
Diana by the many silversmiths who plied their trade there. Devotees of this
goddess brought much gain to the city (Acts 19:23-27). Black magic was also
widely practiced in Ephesus."

(There's A New World Coming, Hal Lindsey)
====================

"The capital of the Roman province Asia; a large and ancient city at the
mouth of the river Cayster, and about 3 miles from the open sea. The origin
of the name, which is native and not Greek, is unknown. It stood at the
entrance to one of the four clefts in the surrounding hills. It is along
these valleys that the roads through the central plateau of Asia Minor pass.
The chief ot these was the route up the Maeander as far as the Lycus, its
tributary, then along the Lycus towards Apamea. It was the most important
avenue of civilization in Asia Minor under the Roman Empire.

"Ephesus was on the main route from Rome to the East, and many side roads
and sea-routes converged at it...The governors of the provinces in Asia
Minor had always to land at Ephesus.

"The harbour of Ephesus was kept large enough and deep enough only by
constant attention. The alluvial deposits were (and are) so great that, when
once the Roman Empire had ceased to hold sway, the harbour became gradually
smaller and smaller, so that now Ephesus is far away from the sea.

"Ephesus...was always proud of the position of 'Warden of the Temple of
Artemis.' The festivals were thronged by crowds from the whole of the
province of Asia."

(Hasting's Dictionary of the Bible)
====================

"There is a tradition that the mother of our Lord was buried at Ephesus, as
also Timothy and St. John.

"All the cities of Ionia were remarkably well situated for the growth of
commercial prosperity (Herod. i. 142), and none more so than Ephesus. With a
fertile neighborhood and an excellent climate it was also most conveniently
placed for traffic with all the neighbouring parts of the Levant. In the
time of Augustus it was the great emporium of all the regions of Asia within
the Taurus (Strab. xiv. p. 950): its harbour (named Panormus), at the mouth
of the Cayster, was elaborately constructed; though alluvial matter caused
serious hindrances both in the time of Attalus, and in St. Paul's own time
(Tac. Ann. xvi. 23).

"Two great roads at least, in the Roman times, led eastward from Ephesus,
one through the passes of Tmolus to Sardis (Rev 3:1) and thence to Galatia
and the NE, the other round the extremity of Pactyas to Magnesia, and so up
the valley of the Maeander to Iconium, whence the communication was direct
to the Euphrates and to the Syrian Antioch. There seem to have been Sardian
and Magnesian gates on the E side of Ephesus, corresponding to these roads
respectively. There were also coast-roads leading northwards to Smyrna and
southwards to Miletus.

"Conspicuous at the head of the harbor of Ephesus was the great temple of
Diana or Artemis, the tutelary divinity of the city. This building was
raised on immense substructions, in consequence of the swampy nature of the
ground. The earlier temple,
which had been begun before the Persian war, was burnt down in the night
when Alexander the Great was born; and another structure, raised by the
enthusiastic cooperation of all the inhabitants of 'Asia,' had taken its
place. Its dimensions were very great. In length it was 425 feet, and in
breadth 220. The columns were 127 in number, and each of them was 60 feet
high. In style, too, it constituted an epoch in Greek art (Vitruv. iv. 1);
since it was here first that the graceful Ionic order was perfected.

"Public games were connected with the worship of Diana at Ephesus. The month
of May was sacred to her...Not unconnected with the preceding subject was
the remarkable prevalence of magical arts at Ephesus...The theatre on Mount
Prion...must have been one of the largest in the world."

(Dr. William Smith's Dictionary of the Bible, 1872)
====================

"Its population, its religion, and its art contained a strong Eastern
element; the Artemis worshiped there began and ended as an Oriental goddess
of motherhood and fertility. Her renowned temple had many deaths, and almost
as many resurrections.

"The city was known not only for its temple but for its poets, its
philosophers, and its expensively gowned women.

"There were great schools of medicine at...Ephesus...Pergamum...Smyrna..."

(Story of Civilization: The Life of Greece, Will Durant)
====================

"Though Pergamum was the formal capital of 'Asia,' Ephesus became the seat
of the Roman proconsol and his staff; it was also the main port of the
province and the meeting place of the provincial assembly. It's polyglot
population of 225,000 ranged from philanthropic sophists to a noisy and
superstitious rabble. The streets were well paved and lighted and had miles
of shady porticoes. There were the usual public buildings...a 'museum' or
scientific center, a medical school, a library with a strangely baroque
facade, and a theater that seated 56,000 persons...The center (and chief
bank) of the city was the Temple of Artemis, surrounded by 128 columns each
the gift of a king. The eunuch priests were attended by virgin priestesses
and a swarm of slaves; the rites were a mixture of Oriental and Greek..."

(Story of Civilization: Caesar and Christ, Will Durant)
====================

"In Asiatic Greece the rosary was commonly used, as may be seen from the
image of the Ephesian Diana."

(The Two Babylons, Alexander Hislop)

--- BPR

BPR Web Site - http://philologos.org/bpr

========
To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: News: Contempt for Christianity
From: bpr-list@philologos.org(BPR)
Date: Fri, 26 Jun 1998 09:13:22 -0500

From: owner-bpr@philologos.org

"This contempt in high places for Christianity is rooted in the
spiritual, not the rational"

By TED and VIRGINIA BYFIELD
June 25, 1998

"The church is dying because anybody with a reasonable amount of
intelligence has left," says one character on a Disney-produced
comedy. Parents taking their kids to Disney World find themselves in
the midst of a "Gay Day" parade. Meanwhile, each new Disney animated
film earns less than its predecessor.

Read the full editorial at http://morrock.com/orthodox.htm

========
To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: News: National I.D. Card by Year 2000?
From: bpr-list@philologos.org(BPR)
Date: Fri, 26 Jun 1998 13:29:00 -0500

From: owner-bpr@philologos.org

National ID card on fast track
Transportation Department already making the rules

By David M. Bresnahan
Copyright 1998, WorldNetDaily.com

The full article may be read at:

http://www.worldNetDaily.com/exclusiv/980626.ex.natl.id.card.html

Selected quotes:

"Like it or not, the day is fast approaching when every
American will carry a national identification card. Those
who do not have one will be denied many basic services."

"Responsibility for the design and implementation of the
cards has been given to the National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration of the Department of Transportation. That
agency has recently published the proposed "Driver's
License/SSN/National Identification Document," which
contains the guidelines which must be in force by Oct. 1,
2000."

"States which fail to comply with the federal requirements
will impose difficulties on their citizens. Without the new
card it may become impossible to purchase firearms, get a
job, board a plane, vote, cash a check, open a bank or
investment account, purchase insurance, receive federal
benefits, obtain a student loan, receive Medicare or
Medicaid benefits, and many more basic services presently
taken for granted according to Poole."

"The information stored in each card will be held in a computer chip
imbedded in the card, which may one day be injected under a person's
skin. Experiments testing such an identification system have
already been conducted on military personnel and for
identification security at the Olympics."

========
To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: News: Stock Markets Ponder Axing Most Holidays
From: bpr-list@philologos.org(BPR)
Date: Fri, 26 Jun 1998 18:49:10 +0000

From: "Moza" <butterfly-mo@mercury.mv.net>

research-bpr@philologos.org

GIC-E@LISTSERV.DARTMOUTH.EDU
THE WEEK IN GERMANY
A Weekly Publication of the German Information Center New York
Editors: David Lazar, Edward Karst
June 26, 1998

STOCK MARKETS PONDER AXING MOST HOLIDAYS

German stockbrokers might soon have to head into the office on holidays that
everyone else in the country has off. On Monday (June 22), a spokesman for
Deutsche Boerse, the company that runs the Frankfurt stock exchange as well as
the smaller exchanges in several other cities, reported that the company's
board of directors has provisionally decided to do away with all holidays but
Christmas and New Year's Day as of 1999.

The board's decision comes in response to the new payments system Europe's
central banks are planning to adopt. That system envisions business being
conducted on all weekdays, including holidays except Christmas and January 1.
If Deutsche Boerse does indeed go ahead with abolishing most holidays, German
stock brokers stand to lose two weeks or so of free time. Germany has ten
national holidays - two fall only on Sundays - and most of the sixteen states
recognize several additional holidays as well.

[changing of times and seasons??]

========
To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: News: The D-Mark Turns 50
From: bpr-list@philologos.org(BPR)
Date: Fri, 26 Jun 1998 18:49:10 +0000

From: "Moza" <butterfly-mo@mercury.mv.net>

research-bpr@philologos.org

GIC-E@LISTSERV.DARTMOUTH.EDU
THE WEEK IN GERMANY
A Weekly Publicytion of the German Information Center New York
Editors: David Lazar, Edward Karst
June 26, 1998

HAPPY BIRTHDAY AND AUF WIEDERSEHEN: THE D-MARK TURNS 50 AS GERMANY
READIES FOR THE EURO
The western German currency reform of 1948 has become almost the stuff of
legend. No sooner had German and Allied authorities introduced the Deutsche
Mark in the western occupation zone on June 20, 1948, than goods long
unavailable suddenly reappeared. Barter and the black market at once became a
thing of the past and economic life began to stir. Although prosperity did not
arrive overnight, the currency reform and the vigorous anti-inflationary
policies that accompanied it laid the basis for the "economic miracle" of the
fifties that propelled West Germany from poverty to international industrial
preeminence.

In observing the fiftieth anniversary of the D-Mark's arrival Saturday (June
20), German leaders looked as much to the future as the past. The mark will
soon be sharing responsibility as Germany's legal tender with the euro, which
will become available for electronic transactions this coming January, and the
euro will fully supplant the mark in 2002. The euro will be just as stable as
the mark, Chancellor Helmut Kohl and Bundesbank President Hans Tietmeyer
predicted at an anniversary celebration in Frankfurt, and will owe its
stability in no small part to the example offered by the mark's half-century
success story.

Calling the 1948 currency reform one of the decisive events in German history,
Chancellor Kohl underscored the oft-noted observation that the Deutsche Mark is
for many Germans far more than a means of exchange. The mark helped Germans
establish a new identity after the war, he explained, and today stands in the
eyes of many as a symbol of fifty years of peace, freedom, stability and
prosperity. Given this emotional investment in the mark, it is understandable
that many Germans are ambivalent about European currency union and the coming
of the euro. Kohl stressed, however, that the introduction of the euro comes
after a decade of careful planning to assure its stability. "I am certain that
the success story of the D-Mark will merge into a euro success story," he told
the audience at Saturday's celebration. The mark's success, the chancellor
elaborated, is inseparable from the Bundesbank's independence in setting
monetary policy. To assure the stability of the euro, he added, the European
Central Bank (ECB) should likewise be left free to act without political
interference.

Bundesbank President Tietmeyer similarly invoked the D-mark's history of
stability in calling for a hands-off policy toward the ECB. "Let monetary
policy do its job," Tietmeyer urged. Looking back to 1948, Tietmeyer emphasized
that the introduction of the euro does not parallel the arrival of the Deutsche
Mark. The 1948 currency reform came in response to economic collapse of the
Third Reich, he recalled, and many Germans lost much of their savings when the
Deutsche Mark supplanted the inflation-battered Reichsmark. The introduction of
the euro, on the other hand, poses no threat of loss to holders of D-mark
assets. "To the contrary!" Tietmeyer stressed. "The Germans, too, will be the
winners from a stable euro."

German leaders were not alone in paying anniversary tribute to the D-mark. In a
discussion program hosted by the Museum of the History of the Federal Republic
in Bonn Friday (June 19), newly installed ECB President Wim Duisenberg said he,
for one, has no intention of forgetting the mark's example any time soon. The
mark's "history of stability" stands, according to Duisenberg, as "an incentive
and an obligation" for the ECB. Duisenberg also noted that West Germany's
Wirtschaftswunder of the fifties was not brought about solely by the D-mark,
but also owed much to the fundamental economic reforms championed by Ludwig
Erhard (1897-1977), the Federal Republic's first economics minister. The EU
member states participating in the currency union ought to keep this point in
mind, Duisenberg advised, and take decisive action to cut taxes, curb public
spending and liberalize their job markets to help assure that the euro will be
able to boast a success story like the D-mark's.

========
To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: Mir
From: bpr-list@philologos.org(BPR)
Date: Sat, 27 Jun 1998 09:55:05 -0500

From: owner-bpr@philologos.org

Hi y'all...

Does anyone know what the word "MIR" stands for or where it came
from? Mir -- as in the Russian space thingie that's floating around
up there now.

--- BPR

BPR Web Site - http://philologos.org/bpr

========
To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: News: Possible Chernobyl/Earthquake Link
From: bpr-list@philologos.org(BPR)

---------------------------------------------------------------
Bible Prophecy Research and Study List
Study Subject: Revelation 12
---------------------------------------------------------------

From: research-bpr <research-bpr@philologos.org>

*** Winning documentary links Chernobyl to earthquake

A television documentary highlighting a possible link between a small
earthquake and the Chernobyl nuclear disaster 12 years ago won first
prize in a competition arranged by the European Environment Agency.
Director Bente Milton received a prize of 25,000 Danish crowns
(US$3,660) on Monday for "The Secret Factor" - a 58-minute film
establishing that a tremor with its epicenter less than seven miles
from Chernobyl took place just before the world's worst civilian
nuclear accident. "The earthquake has never been mentioned in any of
the official explanations," Milton said. See
http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2554756280-afa

========
To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: 6/24/98 TV Programs
From: bpr-list@philologos.org(BPR)

---------------------------------------------------------------
Bible Prophecy Research and Study List
Study Subject: Revelation 12
---------------------------------------------------------------

From: research-bpr <research-bpr@philologos.org>

8:00 PM Eastern

HIST - IN SEARCH OF HISTORY - "Last Rites: Death
Ceremonies" - Burial; reincarnation; heaven and hell;
cultural death rites.(CC)(TVG)

TLC - WONDERS OF WEATHER - "Things That Fall From the Sky"
- Strange objects fall from the sky.(CC)(TVG)

9:00 PM

DISC - DISCOVER MAGAZINE - "Doomsday?" - A
2,000-year-old document predicts the end of the
world.(CC)

10:00 PM

CNN - NEWSSTAND: FORTUNE - Home ownership in
China.(CC)

--- BPR

BPR Web Site - http://philologos.org/bpr

========
To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: News: Go-ahead for European global navigation satellite system
From: bpr-list@philologos.org(BPR)

---------------------------------------------------------------
Bible Prophecy Research and Study List
Study Subject: Revelation 12
---------------------------------------------------------------

From: research-bpr <research-bpr@philologos.org>

Subject: Go-ahead for a European global navigation satellite system (Forwarded)
Date: Fri, 19 Jun 1998 10:31:09 -0400
From: Andrew Yee <ayee@nova.astro.utoronto.ca>
Organization: UTCC Campus Access
To: SEDSNEWS@TAMVM1.TAMU.EDU
Newsgroups: sci.space.news
Followup-To: sci.space.policy

JOINT PRESS RELEASE: ESA/EC/EUROCONTROL
No 19-98
Paris, France 18 June 1998

Go-ahead for a European global navigation satellite system

The European Space Agency (ESA), the European Community (EC) and the
European Organisation for the Safety of Air Navigation (EUROCONTROL)
have taken an important step towards the development of GNSS, the global
navigation satellite system for Europe.

Meeting at the premises of the Council of the European Union in
Luxembourg on 18 June, the Director General of ESA, Antonio Rodota, the
President-in-office of the Council of the European Union, Gavin Strang,
Minister of Transport of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and
Northern Ireland, and the Director General of EUROCONTROL, Yves
Lambert, signed an agreement formalising co-operation between the three
organistions in the field of satellite navigation systems and services,
with the aim of establishing a satellite navigation and positioning
service for Europe as a contribution to a global effort.

The development of GNSS will be carried out in two main stages. GNSS-1
will be the first-generation system, based on signals received from the
existing American GPS and Russian GLONASS constellations and civil
augmentation systems using space based, ground based and mobile
autonomous based techniques. The European space based augmentation
system is known as EGNOS (European Geostationary Navigation Overlay
Service), a set of navigation payloads on-board geostationary satellites,
continuously monitored by ground stations both within and outside Europe.
The system, to be completed by 2002, will be developed by ESA. GNSS-2,
the second-generation system, will provide services to civil users and
will be under civil operation and control by 2010. A decision on how to
proceed with GNSS-2 will be taken within Europe by mid-1999.

Aircraft operators represent one of the main markets for satellite
navigation systems, which have the potential to transform air traffic
management in many areas. With the services provided by satellites, it
will be possible to improve not only navigation accuracy but also
enhance communication and surveillance capabilities, thus increasing
safety, gaining time and reducing fuel consumption and costs.

But not only airlines will benefit from navigation satellite systems.
Companies operating transport services by road, sea or rail need to know
where their vehicles are at all times. So do police, ambulance and taxi
services. Some European car manufactures are already featuring satellite
navigation systems in their top-of-the-range vehicles and cheap
hand-held receivers are becoming widely used by recreational sailors,
climbers and hikers.

As well as improving safety, a European contribution to a global
navigation satellite system will greatly contribute to improve economic
prosperity, industrial returns, employment and quality of life in
Europe.

For further information, please contact:

ESA Public Relations Division
Tel: +33(0)1.53.69.71.55 Fax: +33(0)1.53.69.76.90

---
Andrew Yee
ayee@nova.astro.utoronto.ca

========
To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: News: Century of China
From: bpr-list@philologos.org(BPR)

---------------------------------------------------------------
Bible Prophecy Research and Study List
Study Subject: Revelation 12
---------------------------------------------------------------

From: research-bpr <research-bpr@philologos.org>

          The information below is translated and prepared by:
                     Israel Government Press Office
                        <gponews@netvision.net.il
                             June 24, 1998

SUMMARY OF EDITORIALS FROM THE HEBREW PRESS

Ma'ariv, in its third editorial, discusses President Bill Clinton's
visit to China. The editors note "Many believe that the 21st century will
be the century of China, as the 20th century was the century of the
United States. This lends great significance to the meeting between the
presidents of the two countries, so close to the turn of the century."

========
To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: Old News: Excerpt of UN Resolution 181
From: bpr-list@philologos.org(BPR)

From: research-bpr <research-bpr@philologos.org>

Israel captured and annexed Jerusalem in 1967. The international community
has never recognized Israel's annexation of the sector. Could the following
be implemented now?

====================
United Nation General Assembly Resolution 181

(United Nations General Assembly Resolution 181 called for the
partition of the British-ruled Palestine Mandate into a Jewish
state and an Arab state. It was approved on November 29, 1947
with 33 votes in favor, 13 against, 10 abstentions and one
absent.

The resolution was accepted by the Jews in Palestine, yet
rejected by the Arabs in Palestine and the Arab states.)

Text:

U.N. GENERAL ASSEMBLY RESOLUTION 181
NOVEMBER 29, 1947

-----edit-----

C. The city of Jerusalem

    The boundaries of the City of Jerusalem are as defined in the
    recommendations on the City of Jerusalem. (See Part III, section B,
    below).

PART III. - CITY OF JERUSALEM (5)

A. Special regime

    The City of Jerusalem shall be established as a corpus separatum under a
    special international regime and shall be administered by the United
    Nations. The Trusteeship Council shall be designated to discharge the
    responsibilities of the Administering Authority on behalf of the United
    Nations.

B. Boundaries of the city

    The City of Jerusalem shall include the present municipality of
    Jerusalem plus the surrounding villages and towns, the most eastern of
    which shall be Abu Dis; the most southern, Bethlehem; the most western,
    'Ein Karim (including also the built-up area of Motsa); and the most
    northern Shu'fat, as indicated on the attached sketch-map (annex B).

C. Statute of the city

    The Trusteeship Council shall, within five months of the approval of the
    present plan, elaborate and approve a detailed statute of the City which
    shall contain, inter alia, the substance of the following provisions:

    1. Government machinery; special objectives. The Administering Authority
    in discharging its administrative obligations shall pursue the following
    special objectives:

    a) To protect and to preserve the unique spiritual and religious
    interests located in the city of the three great monotheistic faiths
    throughout the world, Christian, Jewish and Moslem; to this end to
    ensure that order and peace, and especially religious peace, reign in
    Jerusalem;

    b) To foster cooperation among all the inhabitants of the city in their
    own interests as well as in order to encourage and support the peaceful
    development of the mutual relations between the two Palestinian peoples
    throughout the Holy Land; to promote the security, well-being and any
    constructive measures of development of the residents having regard to
    the special circumstances and customs of the various peoples and
    communities.

    2. Governor and Administrative staff. A Governor of the City of
    Jerusalem shall be appointed by the Trusteeship Council and shall be
    responsible to it. He shall be selected on the basis of special
    qualifications and without regard to nationality. He shall not, however,
    be a citizen of either State in Palestine.

    The Governor shall represent the United Nations in the City and shall
    exercise on their behalf all powers of administration, including the
    conduct of external affairs. He shall be assisted by an administrative
    staff classed as international officers in the meaning of Article 100 of
    the Charter and chosen whenever practicable from the residents of the
    city and of the rest of Palestine on a non-discriminatory basis. A
    detailed plan for the organization of the administration of the city
    shall be submitted by the Governor to the Trusteeship Council and duly
    approved by it.

3. Local autonomy

    a) The existing local autonomous units in the territory of the city
    (villages, townships and municipalities) shall enjoy wide powers of
    local government and administration.

    b) The Governor shall study and submit for the consideration and
    decision of the Trusteeship Council a plan for the establishment of
    special town units consisting, respectively, of the Jewish and Arab
    sections of new Jerusalem. The new town units shall continue to form
    part the present municipality of Jerusalem.

4. Security measures

    a) The City of Jerusalem shall be demilitarized; neutrality shall be
    declared and preserved, and no para-military formations, exercises or
    activities shall be permitted within its borders.

    b) Should the administration of the City of Jerusalem be seriously
    obstructed or prevented by the non-cooperation or interference of one or
    more sections of the population the Governor shall have authority to
    take such measures as may be necessary to restore the effective
    functioning of administration.

    c) To assist in the maintenance of internal law and order, especially
    for the protection of the Holy Places and religious buildings and sites
    in the city, the Governor shall organize a special police force of
    adequate strength, the members of which shall be recruited outside of
    Palestine. The Governor shall be empowered to direct such budgetary
    provision as may be necessary for the maintenance of this force.

    5. Legislative Organization. A Legislative Council, elected by adult
    residents of the city irrespective of nationality on the basis of
    universal and secret suffrage and proportional representation, shall
    have powers of legislation and taxation. No legislative measures shall,
    however, conflict or interfere with the provisions which will be set
    forth in the Statute of the City, nor shall any law, regulation, or
    official action prevail over them. The Statute shall grant to the
    Governor a right of vetoing bills inconsistent with the provisions
    referred to in the preceding sentence. It shall also empower him to
    promulgate temporary ordinances in case the Council fails to adopt in
    time a bill deemed essential to the normal functioning of the
    administration.

    6. Administration of Justice. The Statute shall provide for the
    establishment of an independent judiciary system, including a court of
    appeal. All the inhabitants of the city shall be subject to it.

    7. Economic Union and Economic Regime. The City of Jerusalem shall be
    included in the Economic Union of Palestine and be bound by all
    stipulations of the undertaking and of any treaties issued therefrom, as
    well as by the decisions of the Joint Economic Board. The headquarters
    of the Economic Board shall be established in the territory City.

    The Statute shall provide for the regulation of economic matters not
    falling within the regime of the Economic Union, on the basis of equal
    treatment and non-discrimination for all members of thc United Nations
    and their nationals.

    8. Freedom of Transit and Visit: Control of residents. Subject to
    considerations of security, and of economic welfare as determined by the
    Governor under the directions of the Trusteeship Council, freedom of
    entry into, and residence within the borders of the City shall be
    guaranteed for the residents or citizens of the Arab and Jewish States.
    Immigration into, and residence within, the borders of the city for
    nationals of other States shall be controlled by the Governor under the
    directions of the Trusteeship Council.

    9. Relations with Arab and Jewish States. Representatives of the Arab
    and Jewish States shall be accredited to the Governor of the City and
    charged with the protection of the interests of their States and
    nationals in connection with the international administration of thc
    City.

    10. Official languages. Arabic and Hebrew shall be the official
    languages of the city. This will not preclude the adoption of one or
    more additional working languages, as may be required.

    11. Citizenship. All the residents shall become ipso facto citizens of
    the City of Jerusalem unless they opt for citizenship of the State of
    which they have been citizens or, if Arabs or Jews, have filed notice of
    intention to become citizens of the Arab or Jewish State respectively,
    according to Part 1, section B, paragraph 9, of this Plan.

The Trusteeship Council shall make arrangements for consular protection
of the citizens of the City outside its territory.

12. Freedoms of citizens

    a) Subject only to the requirements of public order and morals, the
    inhabitants of the City shall be ensured the enjoyment of human rights
    and fundamental freedoms, including freedom of conscience, religion and
    worship, language, education, speech and press, assembly and
    association, and petition.

b) No discrimination of any kind shall be made between the inhabitants
on the grounds of race, religion, language or sex.

c) All persons within the City shall be entitled to equal protection of
the laws.

    d) The family law and personal status of the various persons and
    communities and their religious interests, including endowments, shall
    be respected.

    e) Except as may be required for the maintenance of public order and
    good government, no measure shall be taken to obstruct or interfere with
    the enterprise of religious or charitable bodies of all faiths or to
    discriminate against any representative or member of these bodies on the
    ground of his religion or nationality.

    f) The City shall ensure adequate primary and secondary education for
    the Arab and Jewish communities respectively, in their own languages and
    in accordance with their cultural traditions.

    The right of each community to maintain its own schools for the
    education of its own members in its own language, while conforming to
    such educational requirements of a general nature as the City may
    impose, shall not be denied or impaired. Foreign educational
    establishments shall continue their activity on the basis of their
    existing rights.

    g) No restriction shall be imposed on the free use by any inhabitant of
    the City of any language in private intercourse, in commerce, in
    religion, in the Press or in publications of any kind, or at public
    meetings.

13. Holy Places

a) Existing rights in respect of Holy Places and religious buildings or
sites shall not be denied or impaired.

    b) Free access to the Holy Places and religious buildings or sites and
    the free exercise of worship shall be secured in conformity with
    existing rights and subject to the requirements of public order and
    decorum.

    c) Holy Places and religious buildings or sites shall be preserved. No
    act shall be permitted which may in any way impair their sacred
    character. If at any time it appears to the Governor that any particular
    Holy Place, religious building or site is in need of urgent repair, the
    Governor may call upon the community or communities concerned to carry
    out such repair. The Governor may carry it out himself at the expense of
    the community or communities concerned if no action is taken within a
    reasonable time.

    d) No taxation shall be levied in respect of any Holy Place, religious
    building or site which was exempt from taxation on the date of the
    creation of the City. No change in the incidence of such taxation shall
    be made which would either discriminate between the owners or occupiers
    of Holy Places, religious buildings or sites or would place such owners
    or occupiers in a position less favourable in relation to the general
    incidence of taxation than existed at the time of the adoption of the
    Assembly's recommendations.

14. Special powers of the Governor in respect of the Holy Places,
religious buildings and sites in the City and in any part of Palestine.

    a) The protection of the Holy Places, religious buildings and sites
    located in the City of Jerusalem shall be a special concern of the
    Governor.

    b) With relation to such places, buildings and sites in Palestine
    outside the city, the Governor shall determine, on the ground of powers
    granted to him by the Constitution of both States, whether the
    provisions of the Constitution of the Arab and Jewish States in
    Palestine dealing therewith and the religious rights appertaining
    thereto are being properly applied and respected.

    c) The Governor shall also be empowered to make decisions on the basis
    of existing rights in cases of disputes which may arise between the
    different religious communities or the rites of a religious community in
    respect of the Holy Places, religious buildings and sites in any part of
    Palestine.

    In this task he may be assisted by a consultative council of
    representatives of different denominations acting in an advisory
    capacity.

D. Duration of the special regime

    The Statute elaborated by the Trusteeship Council the aforementioned
    principles shall come into force not later than 1 October 1948. It shall
    remain in force in the first instance for a period of ten years, unless
    the Trusteeship Council finds it necessary to undertake a re-examination
    of these provisions at an earlier date. After the expiration of this
    period the whole scheme shall be subject to examination by the
    Trusteeship Council in the light of experience acquired with its
    functioning. The residents the City shall be then free to express by
    means of a referendum their wishes as to possible modifications of
    regime of the City.

PART IV. CAPITULATIONS

    States whose nationals have in the past enjoyed in Palestine the
    privileges and immunities of foreigners, including the benefits of
    consular jurisdiction and protection, as formerly enjoyed by
    capitulation or usage in the Ottoman Empire, are invited to renounce any
    right pertaining to them to the re-establishment of such privileges and
    immunities in the proposed Arab and Jewish States and the City of
    Jerusalem.

Adopted at the 128th plenary meeting:

    In favour: 33 Australia, Belgium, Bolivia, Brazil, Byelorussian S.S.R.,
    Canada, Costa Rica, Czechoslovakia, Denmark, Dominican Republic,
    Ecuador, France, Guatemala, Haiti, Iceland, Liberia, Luxemburg,
    Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Norway, Panama, Paraguay, Peru,
    Philippines, Poland, Sweden, Ukrainian S.S.R., Union of South Africa,
    U.S.A., U.S.S.R., Uruguay, Venezuela.

Against: 13

Afghanistan, Cuba, Egypt, Greece, India, Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, Pakistan,
Saudi Arabia, Syria, Turkey, Yemen.

Abstained: 10

Argentina, Chile, China, Colombia, El Salvador, Ethiopia, Honduras,
Mexico, United Kingdom, Yugoslavia.

[For the full text see:
http: www.israel-info.gov.il]

--- BPR

BPR Web Site - http://philologos.org/bpr

========
To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: 6/26/98 TV Programs
From: bpr-list@philologos.org(BPR)

From: research-bpr <research-bpr@philologos.org>

8:00 PM Eastern

HIST - IN SEARCH OF HISTORY - "China's Forbidden City"
- China's Forbidden City lies within
Beijing.(CC)(TVG)

9:00 PM

PBS - CHINA IN REVOLUTION 1911-49 - Chinese citizens recall
their history in films ``Battle for Survival, 1911-36'' and
``Fighting for the Future, 1936-49.''(CC)(TVPG)

MSNBC - THE NEWS WITH BRIAN WILLIAMS - President
Clinton visits Tiananmen Square, in China.(CC)

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