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the Arabs view themselves as a people who look back to Abraham as their father. According to the rules of the day Ishmael was Abraham's firstborn legal heir. It was Sarah who jealously wanted him to be disinherited (Genesis 20:9-11). But it is interesting that although the final compiler of Genesis must have been a Jew, he wants us to know that the progeny of Ishmael still has a great destiny. "As for Ishmael, I have heard you; I will bless him and make him fruitful and exceedingly numerous; he shall be the father of twelve princes, and I will make him a great nation" (Genesis 17:20).

This ancient Jewish writer is also careful to list the twelve Ishmaelite tribes, and he noted their territorial area: "They settled from Havilah to Shur, which is opposite Egypt in the direction of Assyria." Some of their settlement or tribal names such as Kedar, Tema, Dumah, and Nebaioth (the Nabateans) were known in historical records for two thousand years (Genesis 25:12-18). There were Ammonites and Moabites from Abraham's nephew Lot (Genesis 19:37-38). Other tribes such as the Midianites (Kenites) originated from Abraham's second wife Keturah (Genesis 25:1-6; Exodus 3:1; Numbers 10:29; Judges 1:16; 6:1), and the Edomite tribes were traced back to Esau (36:1-43). The Bible records constant contacts and skirmishes between the children of Israel and these Ishmaelites, Midianites, Ammonites, Edomites, Moabites, Amalekites and other tribes from the east (Exodus 17:8-14; Deuteronomy 2:5; Judges 3:12-13; 6:1, 3; 11:4,12-18; 1 Samuel 15:5, 6; Jeremiah 25:23, 24; Joel 3:8).

__Isn't it great that God has blessed them with all that oil?

__Isn't it great that God has blessed them with all that oil?

Well, look at it this way. Sooner or later the energy-dependence on oil will go away. And the Arabs produce nothing but oil. Except for a few dates, perhaps. They have no technology, no creativity, no natural resources except for poisonous crud, and not even scenery. They don't have industry, and they wouldn't know how to muster a workforce if they had. They have press, of a kind - to distribute their irrational ranting. They have an educational system, which seems devoted mostly to dispersing hate of mostly everything.

Blessed? I'd say cursed, good and proper ;).

although the final compiler of Genesis must have been a Jew, he wants us to know that the progeny of Ishmael still has a great destiny. "As for Ishmael, I have heard you; I will bless him and make him fruitful and exceedingly numerous; he shall be the father of twelve princes, and I will make him a great nation" (Genesis 17:20).

Interesting with all the Bible references to Ishmael you mentioned you left out this one:

Gen 16:12 And he will be a wild man; his hand will be against every man, and every man's hand against him; and he shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren.

>__Isn’t it great that God has blessed them with all that oil?<

Other countries (like we) are blessed with as much or more oil wealth which we do not want to develop for political reasons. America is utterly spineless for not developing its own oil industry. God did not bless the ragheads with more oil than we have.