Christian wants to put the "oy" in oil - Zion Oil the share tip needed just before the end time

Not too many people have heard of Zion oil.

But Texan born John Brown is hoping to put the "oy" into oil.

Brown, a born-again Christian, has spent the better part of the past 25 years pursuing his belief that the Bible points to vast petroleum deposits in the Holy Land, and that God has sent him to find them. (Jerusalem Post) Brown says he used a strategy explained to him by James Spillman, an evangelical minister and Bible scholar who lectured at his local church, to determine exactly where on the biblical map the oil might be. Apparently this is explained in a book by Spillman and his son Steve, entitled Breaking the Treasure Code: The Hunt for Israel’s Oil.

"Zion's purpose is not just to discover oil and help Israel with its energy needs, but to contribute, if possible, to the Jews' return to Israel. Anything we can do is, to me, God's plan," Brown says. "It's a mitzva - and not because I'm trying to make Christians out of them or anything like that, but because it's all part of God's plan."

The company launched a successful initial public offering on the American Stock Exchange in New York this spring. But shortly thereafter Brown had to deliver the news to his shareholders at their first meeting in Dallas that Zion's Ma'anit No. 1 well east of Caesarea had failed to produce the copious amounts of oil he had assured them it would. You can read the company's "Vision Statement " It would help to have Bible handy to follow the textual references.

Taking his text from Deuteronomy 32:13, Moses says, somewhat cryptically: "[God] would suckle him with honey from a stone, and oil from a flinty rock." Although most commentators and Bible scholars assume this is a poetic reference to wild bees' nests in rock crevices and date palms sprouting from scraggly ground, Brown claims it is instead meant to reflect an oil rig pumping black gold from a well.The Hebrew word "shemen" is used 190 times in Scripture for generally olive oil = the black gold was unknown at the time of writing.

The Zion Oil and Gas story is worryingly similar to those of several other prominent born-again Christian oilmen who drilled in Israel based on their interpretation of various biblical passages: Gilman Hill,(he invested US$6 million at a drill site near Mount Carmel way back in the 1970's) Andy Sorelle, Jr.,(drilled during the 1980's, on the Mediterranean, and spent millions on various leases throughout Israel) Hayseed Stephens d. May 2003 (a one-time "hell-raiser" and former pro football quarterback with the New York Titans, ) and Lyle Harron d. August 2006 (everything he wore was red , even his socks. this peculiar dress code signified the "Blood of Christ"). All invested millions, and all came up with nothing. (Interestingly, though, a possibly commercial amount of oil was discovered last year near the Dead Sea, in the same general area where Stephens said God told him there would be oil.)

The CEO Richard Rinberg has a message for the "many thousands" of shareholders and he quotes the 30th President of the United States, Calvin Coolidge:

“Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful people with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan "press on" has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race”.

Should you believe in miracles .. the shares may be a good bet.

Hint. Genesis 49:22 Joseph is a fruitful bough, even a fruitful bough by a well; whose branches run over the wall:

See also Israel home to world's largest oil fields?
Texan seeks biblical path to oil in Israel - 2005