OIL IN THEM THERE HILLS?

Lo, there came oilmen from the West
By Ian MacKinnon (The London Times)

Biblical prophecies led an evangelical American to start drilling in northern Israel

WHEN oilmen go prospecting they usually put their faith in geologists to help their risky ventures. John Brown prefers to trust God and the Bible to make him and the State of Israel rich.

Later this week his company, Zion Oil, will begin drilling in a patch of dusty earth of northern Israel pinpointed by ancient biblical prophecies.

Unfortunately, this seems to be the biblical prophecy:

Tracts from the Old Testament books of Genesis and Deuteronomy foretold wealth in the ancient lands of the tribes of Joseph�s sons, Manasseh and Ephraim, and Jacob�s son, Asher. Moses says in Deuteronomy xxxiii, 24: �Most blessed of sons be Asher. Let him be favoured by his brothers and let him dip his foot in oil.�

The catch is that the word "oil" in this verse (Hebrew shemen) refers to fat products or organic oil, especially olive oil, but never a petroleum product. The only biblical Hebrew words I can think of for a petroleum product are h.emar and zephet, both of which mean "asphalt" or "pitch" (e.g., Genesis 14:10 for the first and Exod 2:3 for both). If the verse said Asher should dip his foot in pitch, Mr. Brown might have more of an exegetical case.

Still, I wish him luck.