Biblical Hebrew Forum

[James Christian <jc.bhebrew AT googlemail.com>]

Yes. Thanks. I've just been recently reading about the Sinai in Arabia
theory and this was one of the things that stimulated me to go to the Torah
and start researching this a little more fully. Obviously, there are
features of the site which make it attractive. However, I'm not sure how
much trust we can put in Bedouine traditions. While I am sure that there are
Bedouines who genuinely feel they are passing down a truth through the
generations the presence of conflicting traditions can only show that some
traditions were started as tourist attractions for economic motives (in
English, they're a con to make money out of). e.g. In my journeys in the
Sinai peninsula and direct experience with the Bedouines I have heard
traditions that the circular hole our of which warm water constantly flows
at Hammam Faraun is the place where Moses struck the beach with his stick so
that the waters of the Red Sea closed. The Torah has no such story. Moses
raised his stick and didn't strike the ground. This tradition may have been
mixed up with stories of where Moses miraculously provided water. Not far
from Hammam Faraun is the large Oasis at the beginning of Wadi Garandal
where the water is too salty (i.e. bitter) to drink. This is also just
further down from the coast from one the traditional places (as advertised
by local Bedouine) associated with the 12 springs and 70 palm trees.

Going further along the traditional route of Moses as advertised by the
local Bedouine guides we get to Serabith El Khadim which atop the mountain
has an Egyptian turquoise mine and temple where some of the most ancient
proto-Sinaitic writings have been found. Funnily enough, the Sheikh who
lives at the bottom of this mountain (nice bloke with two wives and many
sons first of which calls himself the King of the desert, also makes a
belting Bedouine cup of tea if ever you get the chance to go and visit him,
says Afwan quite a lot, very nice and polite) who is also responsible for
'guarding' the mine (guarding the mine = being paid to let you go up the
mountain) claims that this is Gebel Musa (the mountain of Moses).
Interesting there is some etymological support for two neighbouring peaks
here having the names Sinai and Horeb. There was a nice web page about it
but can't find it anymore.

Then we get to the traditional site with St Catherine's Monastery at the
bottom of it. Local tradition strongly makes this the one and only Gebel
Musa and local Bedouine make an absolute killing out of camel rides up and
down the mountain (not advised for blokes unless you know how to rider a
camel Bedouine style i.e. don't straddle it like you would a horse). While
this mountain is by far a more interesting shape the one thing that
immediately strikes the attentive visitor is that when you get to the top
you can clearly see that the neighbouring peak of St Catherine's is clearly
higher. Didn't Josephus reckon it was the tallest mountain?

Finally, haven't been to Gebel Lawz yet but the immediate problems I have
with are:

*why is there no etymological link?
*why did it take so long for the 'Bedouine tradition' to come to light to
the Western world?
*where are the chariots and chariot wheels that reckoned he found in the
Gulf of Aqaba just by Nuweiba?
*what source says Solomon built a shrine there? I can't find this in Kings
anywhere.

thanks for your answers. I am genuinely interested to see if this theory can
be taken any further.

James Christian




2010/2/11 Ben Crick <ben.crick AT argonet.co.uk>

> On Thu 11 Feb 2010 (10:16:19 +0000), jc.bhebrew AT googlemail.com wrote:
> > does anybody know what evidence we actually have for the route of the
> > 'King's highway'? The one that Moses evidently asks permission to use
> > in his plans to cross through Edom (Numbers 20:19) and then also
> > through Ammon (Numbers 21:22)?
>
> It's either Israel's Highway 90 west of the Dead Sea; or more likely
> the route east of the Dead Sea from Jebel Lawz ("Sinia in Arabia",
> Galatians 4:25) via Petra to Damascus: from Saudi Arabia through Jordan
> through Syria. I'm sure our Israeli contributors will know.
>
> Just my $0.02
>
> Shalom
> Ben
> --
>  Revd Ben Crick, BA CF  <ben.crick(at)argonet.co.uk>            ZFC Os
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