>> this is an elite fighting force. >> the conquest is where -- >> conquered jericho by walking around the city seven times. >> the whole time carrying the mystical arc of the covenant which the bible describes as having special powers. >> god at that moment causes the walls to crumble and fall down. it's at that moment you get this image of them just rushing in on the city and flooding in and taking it over for better or for worse. however you view that kind of image. whether that's one of excitement and action or that's one of, hey, this is war. and war can be ugly. >> in this war, the bible makes clear that no prisoner should be taken alive. every man, woman, and child should be slaughtered. and according to the bible, this bloody battle was just the first stop on joshua's campaign.

>> now, according to the book of joshua, the israelite troops invaded from jordan and in the period probably of a few months conquered the whole land of kanen, slaughtered the people and divided up among the tribes and then it's all over. >> jericho is a highlight now on most holy land tours. the pilgrims are drawn here by the violent version of how the israelites came into the promised land. but it's unlikely that this is actually how it happened. >> people forget that there are two versions of the so-called conquest in the bible. >> the book of joshua suggests a blitzkrieg. it's a form of mass colonialism, massive slaughter. it's horrible. then there's the story of a gradual infiltration into the

sparsely populated hill country. do we want the blitzkrieg model or the gradual settlement model? >> the question is what do we believe? what do we think happened? >> the archaeology lends support to the less dramatic and gentler account. >> of all the years when jericho was inhabited, the one period where we wanted it to be inhabited so joshua can attack it, there's nobody living there. it's empty. there's no wall for joshua to knock down. >> to put it bluntly, the book of joshua is almost all fictitious. >> yes, there's some battles. yes, there's some killing. but overall they're coming in and they're living side by side with some of the kanenites. >> when i talk to most people, they're relieved. the genocide that is god's will never happened. >> for some the story told in the book of joshua presents a troubling picture of a violent god.

but others draw a sense of mission from the very same story. a few days after we visited jericho, our team was invited to the graduation ceremony for jonathan fredeland and his cadets. >> just like joshua and his troops came to israel and had their battles here and were able to live here, i'm just continuing it just like my brother did it and my father did it and my grandfather did it. it goes back all the way to the bible days. >> they had marched 175 kilometers overnight. a journey that ended here in the disputed golan heights along the syrian border. the cadets' families joined them for the final stretch. >> joshua used a sword to conquer from jericho. nobody picked up their bags and

said, dear, joshua, god promised you. here it is. >> historians trying to piece together the truth think the meaning of the story is less clear cut. >> one of the problems we've got is that it's very difficult to tell an israelite from a kanenite. >> they think dna testing will show that they might go back to the same ancient. >> they are one of the same. not only would you have to throw out the story, but you might find out the palestinians are related. they're either cousins or brothers. what does that do to modern politics. everything is wrapped up in one big mess. up next, lies, sex, and murder. it's all part of the story of the famous king david. but did he really slay goliath?

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♪ there'll be the usual presentations on research. and development. some new members of the team will be introduced. the chairman emeritus will distribute his usual wisdom. and you? well, you're the chief life officer. you just need the right professional to help you take charge. ♪

and now the story of david and goliath, the lust, lies of the beloved biblical king as "back to the beginning with christiane amanpour" continues. >> the landscape of this region seems unchanged from how it probably looked years ago. in fact, it's a landscape baked into the stories of the bible. and so many of them involve stones. there are rocks all over the place. one of the most famous stories is about a stone and a slingshot. how the boy david faced off against the great giant goliath. the same david who the bible says grew up to be the king who

built the city of jerusalem. >> david is one of the most fascinating characters in world literature. he looks almost perfect. >> david is the bible's first real hero. >> david was a very talented man who could fight, who could lead. >> he's a poet. he's a musician. we're told that he's absolutely gorgeous to look at. and god loves him. >> and he's been portrayed by some of hollywood's biggest stars in movies such as "king david". >> respect what is ours and we shall keep faith with you. >> david was ancient israel's greatest king. he is also one of islam's earliest prophets. and christians believe jesus is directly descended from david. and yet this hero was a deeply flawed man. >> david was kind of a bastard.

there are some texts in which we can see so clearly that david is a problematic character. >> he's running a protection racket. he's got bodies piling up all over the place. he's strategically marrying different women in parts of the lands to consolidate his run for the throne. >> that wasn't how it all started. the first time we meet david in the bible, he's an innocent young shepherd boy with that stone in his hand. he was the only one from his tribe brave enough to face goliath, the most fearsome fighter from a rival tribe whom the bible describes as over ten feet tall. >> we don't have any proof that david actually ever fought goliath, and yet it does to a certain extent make sense. we know that they are there. we know the israelites are there. we know they're banging heads against each other. >> and it is written that david fell the giant with only a slingshot.

and we all think of it as the teeny little pea that wrong down the giant. >> the slingshot at the time was like the sniper rifle of today. these were huge stones that could be propelled at high velocity. >> and today from tiananmen square to tahrir square, stand up to forces that seem certain to crush them. >> went against goliath, it's not only about him but the underprivileged, the underdog, the weak. rendered victorious ultimately. >> according to the bible, david's triumphs continued. he recaptured the arc of the covenant from the philistines. it had held the ten comma

commandmants. today the flag bears the symbol known as the star of david. and jerusalem is not only a holy city but a political one too. there is evidence that king david really lived. just 20 years ago in northern israel, archaeologists discovered a kind of ancient royal archive called a stela. >> and it mentions a house of david. the reading is clear. it also mentions an entity, a statelike entity called israel. >> it may seem like a small thing, but it's an important discovery. it makes david the earliest biblical figure whom we can confirm actually existed. but the stela doesn't confirm the scandalous details of

david's life. >> david, he was a guy who was the king. oh, he had it all. he could have anything he wanted. he had the absolute loyalty of his soldiers. he was on top and then he goes out, breaks a moral covenant with god. >> david was on his roof in jerusalem and he saw this beautiful woman bathing on the roof. and he said who's that woman. they said that's bashiba, wife of -- >> his eye was the beginning of the problem. his eye that makes him forget everything he's heard in terms of god's commandmants. >> he said i want that. bring me that. and the henchman bring him her. >> so that eye leads him to the act of adultery. and when the woman says i am pregnant, he goes deeper and deeper into the darkness. >> and here's where the bible

becomes a little like "pulp fiction." king david tried to cover his tracks by getting her husband uria drunk b. >> in the hopes that uriah will immediately bed his wife and become none the wiser. david has uriah killed and then brings bathshiba to live with him. >> the intimate details of david's personal life are unlike anything else found in the bible. >> and that suggests that some of the text is extremely ancient and may be based on an actual memoir. because the betrayal of david is so real. >> it's a familiar story. the sometimes reckless sense of entitlement that comes with power. it's known today at the bathsheba syndrome. >> a lot of people think of that as a sexual lust. it kind of is but it's a story about power. and how power corrupts.

and, wow, that's all over our world today. >> but this bible story is also a cautionary tale. >> david's sins impact his children and his grandchildren all the way down. >> david's sons have grown up learning how to deal with women from their father. two of david's sons grow up to be rapists. >> and, indeed, david did suffer the consequences of his actions. >> the child he's conceived with bathsheba dies. and he mourns and mourns again. you get the old attractive lovely david again. >> we have to look at david in both ways. he rose to the heights of power, and he sunk to the depths of depravity, and yet he comes back. he repents. >> and the bible tells us that god never stops loving david. he forgives the sins of this imperfect hero. david was given a second chance.

a second child with bathsheba. a son named solomon. coming up, today it's the most contested spiritual site on earth. but is it also where king solomon put the arc of the covenant? our amazing journey continues when "back to the begins with christiane amanpour" continues. discover card. hey! so i'm looking at my bill, and my fico® credit score's on here. yeah, you've got our discover it card, so you get your fico® score on your monthly statements now, for free! that's nice of you! it's a great way to stay on top of your credit, and make sure things look the way they should. awesomesauce! huh! my twin sister always says that.

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[s[man] no one told her,right?a. [son]hi! [mom screams]

and now, for centuries everyone has searched for its treasures. from knights temp lar to modern adventurers, but what do we really know about king solomon's temple. "back to the beginning with christiane amanpour" continues. >> on our journey through the lands of the bible, we found ourselves lingering in the old city of jerusalem. here in this place that is so sacred to jews, christians, and muslims. it is easy to go back to b.c. when the bible says king solomon reigned. >> solomon became in a sense the very ideal of the oriental emperor as a magnificent king.

>> under david and solomon, the israelites were able to amelg mite into a kingdom. >> and his brothers whose lust and pride wreaked havoc on their kingdom. >> he's of the dynasty and yet he has none of the faults, none of the sins of david. >> solomon is known as the man of peace. >> and a man of wisdom. instead of killing his enemies, solomon, we're told, married many of them. including a pharaoh's daughter. in other instances, he disarmed them with his wit and wisdom. like the fiercely beautiful ooet yoebian queen of sheba. in the bible the queen of sheba is drawn to jerusalem for an audience of solomon after hearing of his great wisdom.

>> he was not surprised by the fact that she is a queen and that she rules a nation. >> according to ethiopian tradition, during their meeting, solomon and sheba became lovers and the ethiopian royal family descends from their union. >> when the koran gives you this example of such a powerful female ruler, this inspires me. this tells me that i have a place in the world of politics. >> and while it's possible that solomon's wisdom -- so too would the temple he's said to have built. >> solomon's temple was an astonishing building. >> in the bible, pages and pages are devoted to the temple. >> the temple was built as a replica of the garden of eden where they lived close by one another. >> and through the ages people imagine what it might have looked like.

>> it's a very common human yearning to feel that god is here among us. and that in this abode we have built that is where god dwells with us on earth. >> and the bible says that solomon placed the arc of the covenant at the center of the temple in the most sacred spot. but it said that the temple was destroyed when the babylonians came to jerusalem around 600 bc. and ever since then, this is where many people believe that the great temple once stood. a mountain top in the center of the walled old city. it is a story place layered with spiritual meaning and now dominated by the golden dome and a mosque. but just a short walk away outside the walls, a picture is emerging of the ancient and humble beginnings of jerusalem which is said to have starting with david. >> the city of david was a small

settlement, hardly to be termed as a city. most probably unfortified, but it is here somewhere. >> we met an israeli archaeologist who leads a team digging for evidence of the original city which would have been existed around 1,000 b.c. and it's got an interesting name. at least we're calling it the parking lot dig. >> yeah. it's hard to believe, but five years ago cars used to park right above our heads here. and once we decided to go beneath the asphalt, immediately the remains of jerusalem began to appear. >> how much do we know about the temple? >> actually, we know nothing. we had absolutely no proof about the building itself. >> but they say they're getting closer. >> we know that from the ninth century on, just a little blit after the time after the time of solomon, most of the things told

in the bible are historically correct. most of them. but we are still left with a huge, large question mark regarding the time of david and solomon. >> one day maybe you'll find out. >> this is also an answer. >> today jews pray at the only wall that remains of the second temple. the idea of the first temple was so powerful, that for thousands of years people of different faiths have considered that same spot sacred. >> even muslims decided to build their sacred building on the same spot on the same hill. >> even though evidence of the temple or the man himself hasn't been found, most scholars believe there was a solomon. >> but not the larger than life solomon. he did not rule a vast kingdom. he did not build a huge capital city in jerusalem. he was not nationally or internationally known figure.

>> even though the wisdom of solomon is legendary, it turns out like his father he had flaws too. >> his government is inflated. he runs according to forced labor. he's marrying and marrying hundreds of wives and hundreds of concubines who took his heart astray. >> the wives he took to enhance ties with foreign kingdoms turned him to their idols and eventually corrupted his own relationship with god. and the story of solomon's downfall is a window into the practices of the early israelites. >> people worshipped many gods. you could pick them up. you could see them. you could pray to them and expect that they would have effect. >> this wasn't the judaism that we know today. archaeologists have found evidence that the israelites worshipped idols before david. and until the time of jesus. >> there are those who say i

suspect somewhat metaphorically that we still worship false idols whether it's money or fame or a big house or the right fashion. just the right pair of shoes. all of these could also be false idols. >> so it seems that despite solomon's best efforts, he, too, was a disappointment. and before he died, as a punishment, god told him the kingdom he loved would be no more. coming up, what do we know about the arc of the covenant? and why have so many thought they could find it? we head deep under the city of jerusalem. it's a journey to find the arc of the covenant when "back to the beginning with christiane amanpour" continues. ast with tu. heartburn relief that neutralizes acid on contact and goes to work in seconds. ♪ tum, tum tum tum tums! to help secure retirements and protect financial futures.

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and now it's captivated us for centuries. from the raiders of the lost ark all the way back to the nights of the crusades. but what really happened to the ark of the covenant and can it be found? "back to the beginning with christiane amanpour" continues. >> even today the truth behind so many biblical stories that took place here in jerusalem is still captivatingly elusive. that's in part because so many answers may be buried underneath what today is a living,

breathing, city. it's notoriously difficult to dig under the old city of jerusalem. >> it's very difficult. it is very sensitive. we are talking about holy places of the three main religiouses. it's so politically charged. >> this is a biblical scholar and tour guide. she took us to one of the only places where archaeologists, pilgrims, and tourists can explore beneath this storied city. discovered by accident in the 19th century when an archaeologist was walking his dog, this massive network of caves and tunnels is known as solomon's quarries. is this a natural cave? >> no, not at all. >> the quarry once provided building materials for some of the greatest construction projects in the city. so what is this gaping hole here? >> what you see here is the shape of cut of a big stone that

used in the second temple. we can see today the wall. >> the secretive free masons even believed the stones mined here were used to build something much older. >> they seeking solomon, the first builders. actually king solomon is the founding father. >> of the free masons. >> the free masons believe took from this quarries the stones to solomon's temple. >> and that temple was the last known resting place for the mysterious ark of the covenant. >> the tenth century b.c. is the last time anybody really sees it according to the biblical tradition. there are other stories and these all are related to the babylonian destruction of the city in 586 b.c. that maybe somebody's spirited the ark out of the city just ahead of the destruction. >> many believed these

underground tunnels were used to secretly transport the ark out of jerusalem when the city was under siege. and when the babylonian invaders took detailed inventory of the treasures they blundered, something was missing. >> it was not in the list anymore. >> the ark. >> yes. the ark was not on the list. >> there are all kinds of possibilities as to where it ended up. >> so we went in search of it. one famous story suggests the ark was taken from jerusalem to egypt hundreds of years before the babylonian siege began. >> that's where indiana jones goes and looks for it. we're told that an egyptian pharaoh, he may of attacked

jerusalem just before. and there is one theory he took away the ark of the covenant. this is where we get the indiana jones theory. >> they may have taken it. >> and believe the ark is no more likely to be buried in the sands of tanis than locked away in a govd warehouse. >> what'd they say? >> they don't know what they've got there. >> strangely enough, our search for the ark also brought us back to jerusalem. to the church of the holy sebloca. the place they believe jesus was crucified. we meet a priest who surprisingly told us he knows exactly where the ark is. his evidence goes back to that affair between king solomon and the queen of sheba.

queen of sheba's son with king solomon took the ark of the covenant, moses' commandments. where do you think they are? >> city of axim. >> in your country of ethiopia? >> yes. >> do you think it's there really? >> yes. >> he's positive it's inside this chapel in the heart of axim. even though he's never seen it and no one is allowed inside. except for one monk who is entrusted with guarding the ark. scholars do believe there is an ark inside, but that it's only a replica for the middle agings. and down in the caves blow jerusalem, we consider another possibility. the ark never left but was hidden away in this undergrowth labyrinth. >> one of the kings put it somewhere in the tunnels.

>> a tunnel like this? >> nobody knows. >> is there any evidence of this ark? >> no evidence at all. only many stories around. >> if only these walls could speak. they do, however, appear almost to weep. and their tears are said to tell a powerful story about the destruction of jerusalem. >> the name of this corner is the tears of the king. >> tears for the destruction of the temple. >> yes. destruction of the nation. this was the end of the first temple period. >> do we think these tears, this mineral spring has been running since then? >> well, i think it's running since many, many years. for sure it's more than 2,000 years old. >> and it's really interesting. because there are people here. there are people all over the place. it's still a living, breathing place. which allows the people who visit to connect with their

spiritual heritage. >> it's important for us to touch the history of this place. and to feel this energy. it makes understand cleaner. >> pure. >> pure. >> in your soul. right here. >> yeah. >> a profound revelation for these christian pilgrims and one often shared by muslims, jews, and even those who come to visit for reasons other than faith. believers and nonbelievers come here. what do you think about them? do you think they -- >> well, if somebody feels the energy of the place, you don't have to be a believer in a certain kind of traditional certain kind of belief. but to touch the stone and feel the energy, i think that in the end of the day, yes, it has something. took something from this holy spirit back with them. >> a little belief. >> a little belief, yes. i don't know how long it will last, but i think a little bit,

yes. >> are people trying to be detectives? are they trying to uncover something? >> well, some people prefer to leave it a as it is. and some people i know still look and wants to find the ark of the covenant. i don't know if somebody will find it. and i don't know what remains after more than 2,500 years. >> what was once a container for moses and a weapon for joshua and even an earthly home for god in solomon's time is now something much more than that. the idea of the ark and the search for it excites and inspires so many to explore the mysteries of our past and the meaning of the stories that live on today. coming up, you heard of armageddon, but we go to the real place. why do so many people believe the end of days will start here? when "back to the begins with christiane amanpour" continues.

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and now we journey to the place where many think the end of days will begin. the real life armageddon. "back to the beginning with christiane amanpour" continues. >> with the death of solomon, the bible says the kingdom of

israel began to unravel. it ushered in a period of nearly constant war for the israelites and it was during this time that voices arose in the land starting to talk about the end times. what today is called armageddon. and now i'm about to enter armageddon. believe it or not, the name refers to an actual place. about a three-hour drive north of jerusalem. >> it's amazing to be here, because according to the bible we're now living in the last days. >> armageddon is the greek name for this ancient city. in hebrew it's called megido. many believe this plateau will be the staging ground where the armies of the righteous and the wicked gather for the final showdown. >> so the world as we know it will come to an end and that we'll live in a paradise earth where we won't have to die or

get sick. >> but while some focus on what they believe might happen here at megido, the site itself gives an unprecedented glimpse back at some of the battles of biblical times. and helps us understand where those modern ideas of armageddon game from. >> the key for understanding the history of this country. >> our guide here is israel finklestein who's been here for 20 years. so perched on top here you can see from all sides that it's a strategic vantage point. >> it controls the most between egypt and mesopotamia. >> this was once a city larger than ancient jerusalem. and hotly contested. these young eager students laboring in the summer heat

unearth history every day. this is a burial site from nearly 4,000 years ago. so is that one skeleton? >> there are actual multiple skeletons here. >> and these massive jugs. that's remarkably intact. >> this is the last meal or meal for eternity for the dead person. >> megido was fought over by all the great empires of the world. very deep here. >> yes. and accumulation of layers. >> and each victor would build on top of their vanquished foe. providing an abundance of evidence from 1200 to 700 b.c. the turbulent period of king david and king solomon as well as their heirs. >> in these 500 years there are four major layers because of big wars. >> the wars brought turmoil.

think of america in the 1960s and at times like these amid the unrest and confusion, there are always a few distinctive voices that capture the mood of the moment. the people who played that role in ancient israel are known to us now as the biblical prophets. >> the prophet tells us what to do what is right at a time it's easy to do what is wrong. >> and the hebrew prophets cry aloud against their own people, against their own rulers, against their own aristocratcy. >> but they also offer hope. comforts the king of judah predicting the birth of a son called emanuel which literally means god is with us. >> and what he says is when that kid is still young enough to be eating baby food, the enemies you're worried about will be gone. they'll be conquered.

>> a couple centuries later, the gospel of matthew picks up that prophecy in isaiah. >> it's unlikely isaiah intended them to hold such meaning centuries later much less in our own day. >> people didn't write down and pass on the stories of their families and their people in order for a bunch of americans a couple thousands years later to learn about their own world. >> but prophets also spoke of a day when the lord would make a new covenant. the temple would be rebuilt and the land would be ruled by a figure who came to be referred to as the messiah. god's anointed one. this is a cemetery outside the walls of the old city of jerusalem. in fact, this is a valley filled with cemeteries. jewish, christian, and muslim.

all lying side by side in death. because they all believe that the words of the prophets will be fulfilled. that the messiah will come to this very valley and they all want to be first in line when he raises the righteous from the dead. the valley called the kidron is the final scene of that final fiery battle between good and evil. accompanied by a mass resurrection of souls who will be gathered into god's army. and half a world away in kansas city, missouri, we went to meet some american christians who are ready to enlist now. so our search has brought us to a strip mall in the bible belt to a building that's called ihop which frankly most americans would associate with pancakes. but they're not focused on breakfast at this ihop. this is the international house of prayer. ♪

>> where are we right now as far as you're concerned? have the end times, end days started? >> yes, i think we're in the early stages of that story coming to a crescendo. >> jesus is coming back to the earth. and he's coming back to the earth to establish his kingdom on the earth. >> since 1999, 24 hours a day there's been a nonstop prayer service here. mike bickel, the founder, told us it's focused on around the clock music of prayer. sounds a little bit odd. >> it is odd. i tell people when they ask me what do i do, i go it's really strange. but it's really exciting. >> his ministry now boasts over 2,000 members and counting. >> when i was about 13, i actually found ihop on the internet and i met him and we've been dated and god married in july.

we just love being here together. >> in fact, prayer gatherings like ihop have been popping up all over the united states and across the world. >> are you a prophet? >> no, no. >> does god speak to me? >> yes, god speaks to me, but i think that god speaks to everybody who has a relationship with him. i reserve the word prophet, i use that very sparingly. because that means old testament stature. that's pretty intense. >> so for now bickel and the ihop faithful continue to spread the gospel every minute of every hour of every day while they wait. >> will i see it in my life time? i don't know. i don't even care really. i just want to do my part in my generation. but i might. >> but they are a controversial ministry both at home and abroad. and critics say they prey on vulnerable people with words that were never intended to be used in this way.

but at the very least, they are living proof that the words of the prophets themselves remain as controversial as they were in their own day. back to the beginning with christiane amanpour will ront. it found out the doctor we needed was at st. anne's. wiggle your toes. [ driver ] and it got his okay on treatment from miles away. it even pulled strings with the stoplights. my ambulance talks with smoke alarms and pilots and stadiums. but, of course, it's a good listener too. [ female announcer ] today cisco is connecting the internet of everything. so everything works like never before. [ female announcer ] today cisco is connecting the internet of everything. waffle bars... fancy robes... seems every hotel has something to love... so join the loyalty program that lets you earn free nights in any of them. plus, for a limited time, members can win a free night every day. only at hotels.com open to innovation. open to ambition. open to bold ideas.

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thank you for joining us. we set off on our adventure to discover whether the biblical stories could bring us together.

could unite and heal instead of just divide and harm. and in the stories of abraham and the patriarchs we found our answer. thank you for coming along with me on this extraordinary journey back to the beginning. i'm christiane amanpour. good night, from jerusalem. thanks for joining me. here are your headlines from the cnn newsroom. we had snow, ice, or rain. bizarre and deadly starms are creating havoc for millions.

the situation is especially urgent in the northeast. roughly 350,000 people are without power in new york, new england, and toronto. snow and flooding are causing trouble farther west. four people were killed in storm-related accidents on sunday. three died when a car veered off a bridge into a river overnight near new hope south of louisville, kentucky. that brings the number to seven people killed in severe weekend storms. the u.s. is now trying to determine if there are any more americans to evacuate from south sudan. officials say all americans who showed up at a u.n. camp in the town of bor were air lifted out of the troubled nation. the successful rescues happened one day after failed attempts that left four u.s. troops wounded. the fighting there has grown worse since south sudan's president threw out his cabinet. president obama is being briefed on the situation as he vacations in hawaii. with just a few days to buy

those precious holiday gifts, target says it's moving quickly after the hacking of 40 million credit card and debit card accounts. the company is offering free credit monitoring to its customers affected by the breach. new york senator charles schumer says he wants a federal investigation. >> if there's one silver lining in this mess, it's perhaps that we should use this troubling news as a lesson for the future. we could get to the bottom of how target's in-store payment security was compromised in order to make sure that target in the future and all other stores adequately protect consumers from this kind of devastating theft. >> the data hack affected customers who shopped at target between november 27th and december 15th. there are reports that some of those stolen credit card and debit card numbers are already for sale on the black market. apple is expanding its reach

in the world's most populous country. apple struck a deal with china mobile which has around 700 million customers. the iphone 5s and 5c will be available to china mobile users beginning on january 17th. with presales starts on wednesday. nasa says the second emergency space walk is set for tuesday. astronauts spent several hours saturday working on a replacement for a broken cooling pump. without the pump, some of the stations' electronics have been shut down. the second space walk was originally scheduled for monday. but that's being delayed while they make adjustments to one of the space suits. and as christmas draws near, pope francis is focusing on the homeless families. reminding the faithful of how the holy family had no home in the days before jesus was born.

pope francis told the thousands gathered in st. peters square sunday to do everything possible to, quote, assure that every family has a place to live. his message comes just days after "time" magazine named the pontiff its person of the year. you're watching cnn. the most trusted name in news. it's easily the most contentious piece of real estate in the world. and there's no hope, none, of ever talking about it without pissing somebody, if not everybody off. maybe that's why it's taken me so long to come here, a place where even the names of ordinary things are ferociously disputed. where does falafel come from? who makes the best hummus? is it a fence or a wall?