Exhibit 99.1

                       EVEREST REINSURANCE HOLDINGS, INC.
                              477 Martinsville Road
                          Liberty Corner, NJ 07938-0830
                            Telephone: (908) 604-3000



March 20, 2003

Securities and Exchange Commission
450 Fifth Street, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20549

            Re:      Certification pursuant to 18 U.S.C.ss.1350,
                     as enacted by Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002
                     -----------------------------------------------------------

Ladies and Gentlemen:

In connection  with the Annual  Report on Form 10-K for the year ended  December
31, 2002 of Everest  Reinsurance  Holdings,  Inc., a company organized under the
laws of  Delaware  (the  "Company"),  filed  with the  Securities  and  Exchange
Commission on the date hereof (the "Report"),  the  undersigned  hereby certify,
pursuant to 18 U.S.C. ss. 1350, as enacted by section 906 of the  Sarbanes-Oxley
Act of 2002, that:

     1. The Report fully complies with the  requirements of section 13(a) of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934, and

     2. The information contained in the Report fairly presents, in all material
respects, the financial condition and results of operations of the Company.


                                            /s/ JOSEPH V. TARANTO
                                            ------------------------------------
                                            Joseph V. Taranto
                                            Chairman and Chief Executive Officer


                                            /s/ STEPHEN L. LIMAURO
                                            ------------------------------------
                                            Stephen L. Limauro
                                            Executive Vice President and
                                            Chief Financial Officer