DIVINE MISSION?

Madonna may be considering holy ground. According to a real estate salesman and two local home owners, representatives for the 47-year-old Kabbalist have been scouting houses for her in Rosh Pina, Israel, an upscale village of 2,400 where Kabbalists believe the Messiah will descend. Shiri Havkin says she has been offered $1 million to sell her four-bedroom, $500,000 stone house. "They told me they wouldn't necessarily make a home of the place, but turn it into a Kabbalist center of learning," says Havkin. (Madonna's spokeswoman denied the report.) Though Madonna has yet to visit Rosh Pina, her presence is felt. "Prices have skyrocketed," says real estate agent Avi Ben Porat. "People are dying to sell their homes to Madonna."

PHOTO (COLOR): Residents of Rosh Pina say Madonna is seeking property.

~~~~~~~~

Scoop Contributors Olivia Abel; Rennie Dyball; Marisa Wong; K. C. Baker; Carrie Bell; Kelly Carter; Dorothy Cascerceri; Mark Dagostino; Eileen Finan; Dede Gallagher; Matt Gutman; Katy Hall; Lisa Ingrassia; Kristen Mascia; Lesley Messer; Macon Morehouse; Gail Nussbaum; Jennifer Odell; Ryan Pienciak; Linda Trischitta and Cynthia Wang