DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.11715#0201
EGYPT TO SINAI.
the answer. We have but to re-ascend the mountain as far as the chapel of Elijah, and
then, instead of climbing to the peak of Jebal Musa, bear away to the north-west over
some broken ground and through a series of ravines to reach the summit of Ras Suf-
safeh. Here the great plain of Er- Rahah stretches away, immediately below us, afford-
ing ample space for the hosts of Israel to encamp, whilst the mountain is exposed to view
from summit to base. The narrative, if read from this point, becomes perfectly clear.
Each detail in the text finds its corresponding feature in the landscape. Every traveler
admits, that if this be not the Mountain of the Law, no other spot can be found more suita-
ble in every respect. I again avail myself of the admirable summary given by Mr. Lord,
whose experience as an accomplished naturalist, geologist, and traveler gives his opinion
great weight.
" Having described the two mountains Jebel Serbal and Jebel Musa, it appears tome
that neither the one nor the other harmonizes with the account of the law-giving as we
read it in Exodus. First of all, an immense plain must have spread out before the
mount—' and there Israel camped before the mount.' Now, taking into consideration
the number of people there were with their flocks and .herds, a very wide extent of open
space was necessarily required for the encampment; but nowhere round Serbal is such
a space to be found. Wady Aleyat is only a gorge completely filled with immense
boulders, and it would be practically impossible for any large concourse of people to
encamp in it, in front of Mount Serbal. Magnificent in all its barren immensity as
Serbal unquestionably is, still its very height tells against its identity with Scripture
narrative. The loudest sounds produced on the summit of the mountain would be
but feebly heard, if they could be distinguished at all, by any persons at the base.
And from Wady Aleyat, or indeed from any of the wadies round about Serbal, only a
very small part of the mountain can be seen.
" As regards Jepel Musa, the same objections may be advanced. There is no plain
anywhere round it which can be seen from the mount, or upon the expanse of which an
immense host of people could pitch before the mountain. Wady Sebaiyeh is the only
wady traceable from the top of the mountain which could in any way be regarded as
the spot of the encampment; and this falls so short of one's anticipations as to imme-
diately suggest that it cannot be the scene described in Scripture. This impression
even more strongly confirmed when walking through the wady, for it then appears
utterly impossible to obtain there the required space for a huge encampment.
" As neither Jebel Serbal nor Musa in any way accord with the Mosaic description of
the Mountain of Deliverance, my readers may very naturally ask, Is there not some
other mountain in the Sinaitic group that better answers to the description given in
the Bible? My reply is, Yes; and let me explain that I am simply stating the impression
made upon my own mind, after a careful inspection of all the mountains constituting
the upper group.
" There is a granite hill, not of any great altitude as compared with either Jebel Musa
or Jebel Serbal, but still rising 2000 feet above the plain of Er-Rahah, from which, if
we steadily survey the scene which opens outright in front, we are at once struck with
its resemblance to the place we have so often read of and pictured to our imagination.
In the one directon, Wady-es-Sheikh stretches away to the right as far as the eye can
scan the distance, like an immense level valley shut in by walls of mighty granite rocks;
while almost in front Er-Rahah, more like a broad plain than a wady, opens out into an
197
the answer. We have but to re-ascend the mountain as far as the chapel of Elijah, and
then, instead of climbing to the peak of Jebal Musa, bear away to the north-west over
some broken ground and through a series of ravines to reach the summit of Ras Suf-
safeh. Here the great plain of Er- Rahah stretches away, immediately below us, afford-
ing ample space for the hosts of Israel to encamp, whilst the mountain is exposed to view
from summit to base. The narrative, if read from this point, becomes perfectly clear.
Each detail in the text finds its corresponding feature in the landscape. Every traveler
admits, that if this be not the Mountain of the Law, no other spot can be found more suita-
ble in every respect. I again avail myself of the admirable summary given by Mr. Lord,
whose experience as an accomplished naturalist, geologist, and traveler gives his opinion
great weight.
" Having described the two mountains Jebel Serbal and Jebel Musa, it appears tome
that neither the one nor the other harmonizes with the account of the law-giving as we
read it in Exodus. First of all, an immense plain must have spread out before the
mount—' and there Israel camped before the mount.' Now, taking into consideration
the number of people there were with their flocks and .herds, a very wide extent of open
space was necessarily required for the encampment; but nowhere round Serbal is such
a space to be found. Wady Aleyat is only a gorge completely filled with immense
boulders, and it would be practically impossible for any large concourse of people to
encamp in it, in front of Mount Serbal. Magnificent in all its barren immensity as
Serbal unquestionably is, still its very height tells against its identity with Scripture
narrative. The loudest sounds produced on the summit of the mountain would be
but feebly heard, if they could be distinguished at all, by any persons at the base.
And from Wady Aleyat, or indeed from any of the wadies round about Serbal, only a
very small part of the mountain can be seen.
" As regards Jepel Musa, the same objections may be advanced. There is no plain
anywhere round it which can be seen from the mount, or upon the expanse of which an
immense host of people could pitch before the mountain. Wady Sebaiyeh is the only
wady traceable from the top of the mountain which could in any way be regarded as
the spot of the encampment; and this falls so short of one's anticipations as to imme-
diately suggest that it cannot be the scene described in Scripture. This impression
even more strongly confirmed when walking through the wady, for it then appears
utterly impossible to obtain there the required space for a huge encampment.
" As neither Jebel Serbal nor Musa in any way accord with the Mosaic description of
the Mountain of Deliverance, my readers may very naturally ask, Is there not some
other mountain in the Sinaitic group that better answers to the description given in
the Bible? My reply is, Yes; and let me explain that I am simply stating the impression
made upon my own mind, after a careful inspection of all the mountains constituting
the upper group.
" There is a granite hill, not of any great altitude as compared with either Jebel Musa
or Jebel Serbal, but still rising 2000 feet above the plain of Er-Rahah, from which, if
we steadily survey the scene which opens outright in front, we are at once struck with
its resemblance to the place we have so often read of and pictured to our imagination.
In the one directon, Wady-es-Sheikh stretches away to the right as far as the eye can
scan the distance, like an immense level valley shut in by walls of mighty granite rocks;
while almost in front Er-Rahah, more like a broad plain than a wady, opens out into an
197