Where is
Mount Sinai?
In the Book Of
Galatians, Chapter 4, Verse 25,
the Apostle Paul states that Mount Sinai is in...
Galatians, Chapter 4, Verse 25,
the Apostle Paul states that Mount Sinai is in...
Arabia
In the Book Of Exodus, back during the time of Moses, the land of Midian is where Moses fled after killing a slave-driver. And, after departing Egypt, the Israelites journeyed to the land of Midian. And, it was in the land of Midian that the Israelites encamped at the foot of Mount Sinai.
So, just where IS the land of Midian?
The Bible locates the land of Midian in the northwestern corner of what is, today...
The Bible locates the land of Midian in the northwestern corner of what is, today...
Saudi Arabia
At a location below (south of) what is now the southern portion of the country of Jordan, which in Moses' day was identified as the land of Edom. The Bible places Midian east of the Gulf of Aqaba (east of the Red Sea) on the Arabian peninsula.
How did Mount Sinai come to be misidentified at its present location?
The most prominent source for the misidentification of today's supposed location of Mount Sinai is Helena, the mother of the Roman Emperor, Constantine. Early in the Fourth Century, CE, after Constantine decreed Christianity to be accepted as a "Tolerated" religion within the Roman Empire, his mother went gadding-about the Holy Land region selecting physical and geographic locations of notable Biblical events.
Much to her shame and ignominy, Helena did not have a clue as to any of the authentic Biblical sites. And, for the location of Mount Sinai, it is apparent she certainly did not bother consulting the Books Of Exodus and Galatians in the Christian Holy Scriptures. Rather than seek dependable and accurate information from the source-manual of Christianity (The Bible), Helena depended upon information from whomsoever was at hand, in a land nearly devoid of both Christians and Jews, 300 years after the time of Christ Jesus, as she noted the locations of various and dubious shrines purporting to have been constructed at authentic Biblical locations.
Much to her shame and ignominy, Helena did not have a clue as to any of the authentic Biblical sites. And, for the location of Mount Sinai, it is apparent she certainly did not bother consulting the Books Of Exodus and Galatians in the Christian Holy Scriptures. Rather than seek dependable and accurate information from the source-manual of Christianity (The Bible), Helena depended upon information from whomsoever was at hand, in a land nearly devoid of both Christians and Jews, 300 years after the time of Christ Jesus, as she noted the locations of various and dubious shrines purporting to have been constructed at authentic Biblical locations.
Adding to Helena's confusion,
there were competing, duplicate shrines from which to choose.
there were competing, duplicate shrines from which to choose.
For the most significant locations of important Biblical events, Helena's choices were so very wrong as to be scandalous.
Not only did she misidentify the location of Calvary by more than a mile, but she also misidentified the location of Mount Sinai by more than 100 miles.
Not only did she misidentify the location of Calvary by more than a mile, but she also misidentified the location of Mount Sinai by more than 100 miles.
It is clearly indicated in The Book Of Exodus that the Israelites completely departed the lands controlled by Egypt and sojourned onward to the land of Midian (outside Egyptian dominion) before receiving the Ten Commandments. Today's Sinai peninsula was within the borders and control of ancient Egypt, and in order to completely depart from Egypt, the Israelites had to depart, completely, from the Sinai peninsula also. It is not physically possible for the Israelites to both encamp at the mountain falsely called Sinai in Egypt, and to completely depart from Egypt at the same time.
The Bible does not suggest that the Israelites crossed the Red Sea twice. And to get to Midian, while completely departing Egypt, the Israelites first had to journey eastward across the Sinai peninsula and cross the Red Sea near the mid-point of the Gulf Of Aqaba. The Israelites had, first, requested to be allowed to leave Egypt, whereas, after the ten plagues, Pharaoh ordered the Israelites to leave Egypt, completely and entirely.
The Bible does not suggest that the Israelites crossed the Red Sea twice. And to get to Midian, while completely departing Egypt, the Israelites first had to journey eastward across the Sinai peninsula and cross the Red Sea near the mid-point of the Gulf Of Aqaba. The Israelites had, first, requested to be allowed to leave Egypt, whereas, after the ten plagues, Pharaoh ordered the Israelites to leave Egypt, completely and entirely.
The MAIN reason that today's, supposed, location of Mount Sinai, on the Egyptian Sinai peninsula, can not possibly be correct is that today's, supposed, location is within what was ancient Egypt, and not within what was ancient Midian.
In the northwestern corner of today's Saudi Arabia, sits a mountain that perfectly fits the Biblical description of Mount Sinai. And if Constantine's mother would have availed herself of the information in the Bible, Helena would have been enabled to pick a location for Mount Sinai that was, at least, within ancient Midian. There IS a mountain within what once was ancient Midian that today's Saudi Arabians call "Jebel al Lawz", the mountain of The Law (or, the mountain of The Tablets, upon which The Ten Commandments were written). The Saudis enthusiastically acknowledge that "Jebel al Lawz" is definitely the location of the Biblical Mount Sinai.
Furthermore, the physical description of the mountain and the area surrounding it conform to the Biblical description perfectly. That mountain, in today's northwestern Saudi Arabia, is a non-volcanic mountain which has a blackened top. The mountain appears to have been burnt with fire all over its topmost 25%, which perfectly fits the Biblical description. And, the area immediately surrounding the mountain has enough level plains to provide space for the encampment of up to two million people, a number of people in agreement with the Bible, the potential number of sojourners from out of Egypt. Plus, the mountain in Saudi Arabia has archaeological artifacts conforming to Biblical descriptions; e.g. twelve impressively large, obviously man-made, stone pillars, extremely ancient petroglyphs, etc.
The supposed, misidentified Mount Sinai, in Egypt's Sinai peninsula, possesses absolutely NONE of these features. The mountain falsely called Sinai, in Egypt, is not in ancient Midian; it does not have a blackened top; it does not have enough level plains surrounding it to permit the encampment of two thousand people, much less two million; and it does not reveal any 3,500-years-old archaeological artifacts of any kind whatsoever.
Furthermore, the physical description of the mountain and the area surrounding it conform to the Biblical description perfectly. That mountain, in today's northwestern Saudi Arabia, is a non-volcanic mountain which has a blackened top. The mountain appears to have been burnt with fire all over its topmost 25%, which perfectly fits the Biblical description. And, the area immediately surrounding the mountain has enough level plains to provide space for the encampment of up to two million people, a number of people in agreement with the Bible, the potential number of sojourners from out of Egypt. Plus, the mountain in Saudi Arabia has archaeological artifacts conforming to Biblical descriptions; e.g. twelve impressively large, obviously man-made, stone pillars, extremely ancient petroglyphs, etc.
The supposed, misidentified Mount Sinai, in Egypt's Sinai peninsula, possesses absolutely NONE of these features. The mountain falsely called Sinai, in Egypt, is not in ancient Midian; it does not have a blackened top; it does not have enough level plains surrounding it to permit the encampment of two thousand people, much less two million; and it does not reveal any 3,500-years-old archaeological artifacts of any kind whatsoever.
The REAL, genuine, authentic Mount Sinai
is in northwestern Saudi Arabia,
the land of ancient Midian,
NOT in Egypt's Sinai peninsula!
