GRAPEVINE

By DAVID ELLIS

If soldiers can find confidence in the Bible, wouldn't an armor-plated one offer a bit more? Riverside Book & Bible of Iowa Falls has seen sales of its steel-jacketed Bibles surge as families order them for relatives in the gulf. The company's new Good Book ($19.95), which is not guaranteed bulletproof, comes inscribed with a verse from Psalms 28: "The Lord is my strength and my shield." Meanwhile, the 200,000 free Bibles given to soldiers by the International Bible Society have been camouflaged in desert colors. One such book sits on allied commander Norman Schwarzkopf's desk.

With reporting by Linda Williams