Mount Sinai – Jebel Musa

Mount Sinai, also known as Jebel Musa or Jebel El Harra, is a rocky peak in the south-central Sinai Peninsula. It is famous as the exact site of divine revelation in Jewish history. God appeared to Moses and gave him the Ten Commandments. According to Jewish tradition, God revealed the Ten Commandments, the entire biblical text, and the Book of Interpretation to Moses at Sinai. Traditionally known as Mount Moses, Mount Sinai is a sacred mountain in Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula. The mountain is also holy in both Christian and Islamic traditions. Mount Al-Tur in South Sinai is one of the shortest mountains in the world, but it is the most incredible mountain on earth in size, and its home is one of the blessed spots found in guarded Egypt, the land of Kanana.

 

Scholars have differing views on the path of the Israelites’ exodus from Egypt and cannot pinpoint Biblical place names in terms of present-day locations. Thus, the actual location of the biblical Mount Moses is debatable. However, Mount Sinai itself is traditionally accepted as a site in Judaism, Christianity, and Islamic traditions.

Geography of Mount Sinai

Jebel Musa is a reasonably high 2,285 m (7,497 ft) mountain near the city of St. Catherine in the region known today as the Sinai Peninsula. It is surrounded by the highest peaks of the mountain range of which it is a part. For example, it is located next to Mount Catherine, the highest peak in Egypt, at 2,629 meters or 8,625 feet.

Location of Mount Sinai

Traditionally known as Mount Moses, Mount Sinai is located near Mount Catherine in the city of St. Catherine, South Sinai Governorate, approximately 60 kilometres (37 miles) southwest of the city of El Tur and around 200 kilometres (124 miles) northeast of the city of Sharm El Sheikh.

 

Geology of Mount Sinai

The rocks of Mount Sinai were formed during the late stage of the development of the Arabian-Nubian Shield. Mount Moses displays a circular complex composed of alkali granite intruded into diverse rock types, including volcanic. The composition of granite ranges from visible granite to alkali feldspar granite. Igneous rocks range from alkaline to volcanic, represented by subvolcanic flows, volcanic eruptions, and subvolcanic porphyry. In general, the nature of the rocks exposed at Mount Sinai indicates that their depths differ from each other.

 

Religious significance of Mount Sinai

In the early Christian era, hermits frequently used the area, and in 530 AD, they built the Monastery of St. Catherine at the foot of the northern mountain. Still inhabited by a small number of monks from the Autonomous Orthodox Church of Mt Sinai, it is probably the oldest inhabited Christian monastery in the world. Its library of ancient Bible manuscripts was invaluable in reconstructing the text of the Bible. It included the famous 4th-century Greek manuscript now in the British Museum.

 

At the top of Mount Moses is a mosque still used by Muslims, and the Greek Orthodox chapel, built in 1934 on the ruins of a 16th-century church, is not open to the public. The church is surrounded by the rock that is the source of the biblical stone tablets. Also at the summit is the Cave of Moses, where Moses waited to receive the Ten Commandments.

Islam religion relating to Mount Sinai

Mount Moses is associated with the Islamic prophet Moses. In particular, there are numerous references to Mount Moses in the Qur’an under different names – Sar-Sina, Er-Sinon, and Er-Wal-Jabal (both meaning “mountain”). As for the neighboring valley, it is sacred and called the “Blessed Place.” It is the place where Moses spoke to his Lord.

 

Israeli administration and Mount Musa

Mount Sinai was under Israeli administration from the Six-Day War of 1967 until 1979, when Egypt regained it. Moreover, it has become an essential site for pilgrims and tourists.

 

Climb and summit of the sacred Mount Moses.

There are two main routes to the summit of Mount Musa. The steepest and most direct trail (SikitSayyidna Musa) is up the 3,750 “repentance steps” in the narrow valley behind the monastery. The longer, shallow route, Sikkat al-Bashit, takes about 2.5 hours on foot, although pilgrims can use camels.

Features of Mount Sinai

Mount Musa is characterized by a number of features, the most important of which are the following: Mount Sinai is considered the land of prophets and religions. Where the Prophet of God Abraham, peace be upon him, crossed it, and the Prophet of God Moses, peace be upon him, resided there with the Children of Israel for some time.

In modern times, the name Tur Sinai is associated with the caravans of pilgrims. Pilgrims arrive at Mount Musa via ships and spend a period called “quarantine” there before returning to Suez. The fishing craft is the main activity of the residents of Tur Sinai, where fishermen gathered in the Jubail, Kilani, and Old Mansheya regions, in addition to the craft of agriculture, herding, government services, and a number of tourism and commercial activities.

Mount Sinai has a number of important historical landmarks and monuments, churches, the Palm Beach area, and Moon Beach. And it has many names, including Mount Moses, Mount Horeb.