NEW BOOK UNVEILS EXCLUSIVE POLL REVEALING AMERICANS’ FEAR THAT MID-EAST TROUBLES MAY INDICATE END OF THE WORLD

Washington, D.C.— Are we living in the last days? A new book by Middle East expert Joel C. Rosenberg examines why are world leaders talking in increasingly apocalyptic language and why tens of millions of Americans believe the end of history as we know it may be near. These beliefs cut across religious and partisan lines.

Epicenter: Why The Current Rumblings In The Middle East Will Change Your Future (Tyndale House Publishers) includes exclusive interviews with Israeli, Arab, Russian and U.S. leaders about the increasingly dangerous trends in the Middle East and an exclusive poll on American attitudes towards current events and Bible prophecy.

A sample of the questions and responses follows:

Question: Do you agree or disagree with the following statement: Events such as the rebirth of the State of Israel, wars and instability in the Middle East, recent earthquakes, and the tsunami in Asia are evidence that we are living in what the Bible calls the last days?”Remarkably, more than four-in-ten Americans (42%) agreed, including nearly one-third of self-identified liberal Democrats and nearly one-third of Jewish Americans.

Question: Do you agree or disagree with the following statement: The rebirth of the State of Israel in 1948 and the return of millions of Jews to the Holy Land after centuries in exile re the fulfillment of Biblical prophecies?”A remarkable 52% of Americans said they agreed, including 44% of liberal Democrats and 60% of African Americans.

“I was surprised the numbers were this high,” says Rosenberg. “But perhaps they should be expected. Americans are a very religious people and events in the Middle East appear increasingly apocalyptic. Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is telling colleagues that that the end of the world is rapidly approaching and suggests his mission is to bring it about. Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich says publicly we are witnessing the early stages of World War III. Senator John McCain said on NBC’s “Meet The Press” earlier this year that if Iran gets nuclear weapons, ‘I think we could see Armageddon.'”

The poll was conducted by McLaughlin & Associates, interviewing 1,000 randomly selected American adults (likely voters) on February 13, 2006.

To schedule an interview with Joel Rosenberg or to obtain a copy of the complete poll, please contact Todd Starowitz at (630) 784-5397 or by email.