Page:Mount Seir, Sinai and Western Palestine.djvu/77

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THE VALLEY OF THE ARABAH, AND WESTERN PALESTINE.
51


CHAPTER VI.


MOUNT SINAI.


The next day, Tuesday, 20th November, was a memorable one to our party, for it was that on which we made the ascent of Jebel Mûsa, the traditionary seat of the giving of the Law by Jehovah to Israel. So much has been well and eloquently written upon the character, scenery, and surroundings of this moimtain that I shall content myself with a few personal observations.

I need scarcely say that the tradition above referred to has been almost universally accepted.[1] The late Professor Palmer arrived at the conclusion that the Lord descended on Jebel Mûsa (Mount Sinai) and there delivered the tables of the Law to Moses, who in turn delivered them to the people on descending from Rás Sufsàfeh.[2] This majestic cliff, rising nearly 2,000 feet at the head of an extensive valley well calculated to afford camping ground for the Israelitish host, from whence they could behold the display of Divine power, seems in all points to answer to the description given in the sacred text of the scene of these events. This view is also held by Sir C. W. Wilson, who points to the existence of the stream of Wâdy Sh'reich which descends from behind Râs Sufsàfeh as being in all probability that into which Moses cast the dust of the golden calf. The same writer, also, lays just stress upon the fact that the position of this rock answers well to the description of "the mountain that can be touched."[3] Leaving our camp early (for we knew that we had a long day's work before us), we marched up the wide plain of Wâdy es Sheikh, and, afterwards turning to the right, entered the Wâdy el Deir, when we came in front of the grand cliffs of Rás Sufsàfeh, rising abruptly from the plain,

  1. The only exception, perhaps, is that of Dr. Beke, who supposed one of the mountains at the head of the Gulf of Akahah to be Mount Sinai, and Mr. Baker Greene, Quarterly Statement, October, 1884.
  2. A good engraving of this mountain is given in Palmer's work, supra cit. p. 35, and also in "Picturesque Palestine." The grand cliff, however, in this latter appears somewhat more isolated from the mountain to the left than is really the case.
  3. "Ordnance Survey of the Peninsula of Sinai." p. 146.