ONLINE SELLING Weeping Jesus Rock nets bidding in eBay auction

SEBRING -- After a slow start, the Weeping Jesus Rock is starting to pick up some momentum on the auction block.
Online bidding for Steven Wolfe's palm-size rock began early Monday evening on eBay.com, and by early Tuesday, the highest bid stood just above $12.
But a pair of bidders quickly raised the stakes later Tuesday morning, driving the price to $305 in less than two hours, according to the online auction site www.eproauctions.com. As of 8 p.m. Tuesday, the top bid was $355.
The auction for the rock, discovered in an 8-ton load of limestone more than two years ago in a neighbor's driveway, ends Jan. 20.
Wolfe said he sees the face of Jesus with a tear below the right eye in the rock, which he believes has brought him luck. He said many people over the past two years, including strangers, have asked if they could make a prayer while rubbing the smooth stone.
"In my heart I'm a little bummed out because I know I have to part with it soon," Wolfe said Tuesday. "I've always said it's not about the money, it's about having the public be able to look at it."
Wolfe said he hopes the online casino GoldenPalace.com enters the bidding. The company bid $28,000 in December for a grilled cheese sandwich said to contain the image of the Virgin Mary. Officials with the company said they would include the sandwich in a traveling showcase.