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Friday, 29 March 2024

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Moses Mount

Moses Mount
 
By: Islam Nabil
Director of ETPB - South Sinai

While there have been a number of other locations suggested as the Biblical site of Mount Sinai, also referred to as Mount Horeb, the traditional location is a peak in the central southern Sinai Peninsula. This site and the surrounding area are steeped in Biblical places named in the Exodus, and there is a long oral tradition of their authenticity. However, there is no proven archaeological evidence that this, or any of other suggested alternate locations of Mount Sinai, is the actual one referred to in the Bible.

Nevertheless, this mountain has drawn pilgrims for over a thousand years in the overwhelming belief that it is the Holy Mount, and its tradition as the Biblical peak can be directly traced back to the fourth century AD.

Moses Mount is 2,285 m. high with a coordinate of (280 32/ 23// N, 330 58/ 24// E). It is mentioned through different names such as; Moses Mount, Jebel Musa, Tur Sinaa, Horeb Mount, and Mount Sinai; all of them indicate to the same place. The peak of this mountain is considered to be the biblical place where Moses communicated with God and received the Ten Commandments.

Visitors to Mount Sinai may climb it using two routes. The shortest route, known as “Siket Syidna Musa”سكة سيدنا موسي, is a steep stairway consisting of 3,750 steps that were hewn out of stone by the monks of St. Catherine Monastery which located at the northeastern foot of the mountain. However, this route may not be climbed at night, actually when most people ascend the mountain in order to arrive at the peak for the sunrise. The longer route, less steep track, known as “The camel path”, may be climbed at the night either on foot or by camel. It takes an average of about two and half hours to ascend on foot.

Along the stairway one passes a number of historical sites. After passing the Shrive Gate (The Gate of Forgiveness or Gate of Confession), one passes by the white Washed Byzantine chapel about halfway up the mountain known as the Chapel of Our Lady of the Steward (Oikonomissa). Still further up is Elijah’s Gate and beyond that, Elijah’s Basin. Here on a sandy surface, is an ancient well and below the well, a Byzantine dam built to prevent flood damage to the Monastery. There is also the chalky white Church of Elijah, which is built over a stone beneath which Elijah is said to been sheltered.

On the summit of the mountain, there is the chapel of the Holy Trinity, built in 1934 on a part from the original chapel which was built in 363 and rebuilt later by Emperor Justinian. The chapel measures 21 m. in length and 11.5 m. in width. It is not open to the public, though it is said to enclose the rock from which God made the tablets of the Ten Commandments.

There is also an ancient small mosque was built also on the summit of the mountain, both of the Holy Trinity Chapel and the Mosque were built partly from blocks of the older church.

The alternate route leads to the summit of the mountain is the camel path, it starts from the east wall of the Monastery, passes between Jebel Munajah and Mount Sinai and leads up Elijah’s Basin.
 
 
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