SINAI

A. HISTORICAL BACKGROUND

Representing one of the most intriguing topo- graphical regions of Biblical history, the Sinai Peninsula is a large triangular land bordered by the two arms of the Red Sea (Sea of Reeds), with the Gulf of Elath on the east and the Gulf of Suez on the west.  In Biblical days, this virtually treeless desert plateau was referred to by Moses as the great and terrible wilderness (Deut. 8:15).

To most people, the Sinai is known as the Biblical wilderness where the Children of Israel wandered for 40 years under the leadership of Moses before reaching the Promised Land.  This area is vast indeed, covering over 40,000 square miles.

The northern regions of the Sinai are marked with a number of small peaks that rise 2,300 to 3,500 feet above sea level.  In the southern points of the Sinai triangle there rises an impressive ridge of granite mountains composed of magnificently colored tiers of red, gray, and black metamorphic and igneous rock cut by deep gorges.  Here, the highest peaks of the Peninsula (Jebel Musa and Jebel Serbal) tower nearly 9,000 feet and 6,900 feet above sea level.

Historically, the dating of the earliest civilizations of people who lived here is quite speculative.  For instance, some scholars date the earliest signs of civilization (based merely on the finding of flint tools) to the Neolithic Period (8,000 - 5,500 B.C.).  By the 4th millennium B.C. (the Chalcolithic Period), some argue that an impressive copper and turquoise industry existed here.  It appears that at the time of the Egyptian Third Dynasty (around 2,600 B.C.), the Egyptians themselves were involved in these mining operations.  This mining continued through the 11th century B.C., but flourished, some believe, mainly in the time of Thutmose III ( 1,500-1,450 B.C. - the Pharaoh of the Exodus?), Amenophis III (1,417-1,379 B.C.) and Ramses III (1,198-1,166).  At least 40 settlements have now been discovered in the southern Sinai.  Incidentally, in the northern area of the Sinai near Elat, a ancient city identified as Timnah was found.  Many believe that this was the location of King Solomon’s Copper quarry/mines.

Because of the trade routes through this region, even in early times the Biblical Patriarchs were already crossing the Northern Sinai on their way to Egypt and then back to Canaan.  Later, during the Exodus, Biblical history tells us of the 40 years that God provided for the Israelites.  At least 2 dozen sites have been suggested as the Mt. Sinai of the Bible, the most popular being Jebel Musa).

Small settlements continued in the Sinai through the main period of the Old Testament.  Settlements from the Persian Period (520-332 B.C.), Hellenistic Period (332-37 B.C.), and Roman Period (37 B.C.-324 A.D.) have long been known on the ancient highway from the eastern Delta along the northern coast.

During the Byzantine Period (324-640 A.D.), the center of action returned to southern Sinai, especially around the Jebel Musa area (the St. Catherines Monastery).  .  From the 4th century on, pilgrims sought out sacred sites in the mountains.  This area became the center of Byzantine monasticism.  Today, a small chapel marks the summit of Jebel Musa, 7,500 feet above sea level.  Constructed in 1934 from remains of the sixth century A.D. Byzantine church (527 A.D.) erected by Emperor Justinian, the chapel shares the summit with a nearby cave.  Marking this traditional place where God gave the 10 Commandments to Moses, and where God placed Moses so that he would not see His face (Deut. 33:22), industrious monks built 3,750 rock steps into the mountain to allow an ascent to this chapel (those who wish to ascend this mountain will have the opportunity to do so). 

B. BIBLICAL REFERENCES

1.  Gen 21:21   Isaac trains as an archer in the Wilderness of Paran (the northern Sinai).

2.  Ex. 3:2-4   The burning bush story of Moses in the Sinai.

3.  Ex. 12:37f  The land of the Exodus

4.  Ex. 19:2-3  “The Mountain of God”

5.  Num. 13:26   Miriam dies at Kadesh Barnea (northern Sinai)

6.  Num. 13:21   The 12 spies are sent from the Wilderness of Zin (northern Sinai) to the Hebron area.

7.  Deut. 33:2  The mountain range called the Sinai.

8.  I Kgs. 19:8   Elijah travels to Mt. Horeb (Mt. Sinai).

            (OTHER BIBLICAL CITES IN THE SINAI AREA)

9.  I Kg.9:26f  King Solomon built a fleet of ships at Ezion-Geber, which is near Elat, on the shores of the Red Sea, in the land of Edom (see also II Chr. 8:17-18).  Even though the modern city of Elat does expose many significant archaeological remains, the Crusader “island fortress” just a few miles south of Elat, called Jezirat Farraun, could possibly mark the city of Ezion-Geber (Iron Age evidence:  walls,                                            potsherds, etc...).

C. ARCHAEOLOGICAL FINDS OF INTEREST

1.   CHALCOLITHIC, EARLY BRONZE-LATE BRONZE: The typical tourist will not see any remains from these periods of history.  For the most part, they are not impressive.   Of the more significant finds are the nawamis settlements which include round burial structures, and a Temple of Hathor (the Egyptian goddess of Fertility/The “Lady of the Turquoise”) dating to the 19th century B.C.  (around the time of Joseph).  Interestingly, this temple was expanded adjust prior and just after the Exodus (if dated to about 1,450 B.C.) by Queen Hatshepsut (1,473-1458) and Pharaoh Thutmose III (1,479-1,425 B.C.).

2.  BYZANTINE:  In the 4th century A.D., St. Helena, the mother of Emperor Constantine, erected a chapel at the foot of Jebel Musa.  Later in 527 A.D. Emperor Justinian built a church that incorporated the chapel area, as well as a monastery, and a protective wall around these structures.  Also, a world famous collection of Byzantine icons, a 6th century mosaic of the transfiguration, and a manuscript library have been discovered, the library being second in importance only to that of the Vatican.

D. SOME “EXODUS” FACTS & FIGURES

1.  Certainly the Exodus was a historic event that God used to proclaim His sovereignty.  Even though liberal scholars may question the “facts and figures” of the Exodus, the following figures may be considered to help one understand the Exodus more clearly:

a.  The size of the Exodus is startling.  Based on Ex. 12:37 (600,000 men), this Exodus from Egypt would have potentially included over 3 million people.  If each family were allotted a space of 50 feet in which to camp, the total area would be an area of 10.5 miles.  If the Israelites and an equal number of livestock were placed in a line 50 abreast, the length of the line would stretch more than 100 miles. Moving at a leisurely pace of 2.5 miles/hour, the “parade” would take nearly 50 hours to march past the same point.  In addition, it would take the equivalent of 160 railroad box cars of food, and 1,080 tank cares of water just to meet the minimum daily needs of the nation.  YET GOD PROVIDED!

b. The movable Tabernacle was the place of worship for the Israelites.  It also marked the presence of Yahweh.

c. The date of the Exodus is quite clearly defined by Scripture.  Consider these facts:  1).  I Kings 6:1 designate 480 years from the Exodus to Solomon’s dedication of the Temple in Jerusalem (approx. 966 B.C.).  2).  The Dream Stela of Thutmose IV on the sphinx gives evidence that Thutmose was not the legal heir to the throne.   Would be logical that the eldest son was killed in the 10th plague. 

3).  Judges 11:26 assigns 300 years between his day and the Conquest.  4).Writing about Thutmose’ reign, a 3rd century B.C. Egyptian priest records in Egyptian history that “during the reign of Thutmose, a ‘blast of God’ smote us.” (Yahweh, the God of Israel/10 Plagues), 5).  Foreign slaves in Egypt, as exampled from a papyrus roll dating from a generation before the time of Moses, lists these slaves as having Asiatic names. (ie. Issacher, Asher), 6).  Scholars have claimed the Egyptian chariots were unknown until a time just prior to 1,280 B.C..  The truth is that there has been evidence of chariots existing at Thutmose’ time.  7).  Canaanite destruction in Israel is now indicating that a Conquest of some kind took place during the early days of the Late Bronze Period!  (see Jericho).