The historical argument is not more convincing, altliough dean Stanley somewhat rashly says : " It (Serbal) was undoubtedly identified with Sinai by Eu- sebius, Jerome, and Cosmas ; that is, by all known writers till the time of Justinian" {Sinai and Palestine, p. 40). Eusebius merely states that " Rephidim is a place in the wilderness by Horeb, and that there Joshua fought with Amalek neai- Phuraif {Onomast. s. v.). Jerome only translates his words without addi- tion or comment (he renders tyyvc by p?-ope). The language of Cosmas is equally inclelinite (Topor/?: Christ.
Jebel Serbal.
v), especially as it is known that Pharan was a pret- ty large district, and that Horeb is said to be six miles distant from it.
It is hardly necessary to discuss the argument ground- ed on the remarkable Sinaitic inscriptions, though Lep- sius presses it, and Stanley saj's that the natural infer- ence from them is that Serbal "in the earlier ages en- joyed a larger support of tradition than Gebel INIousa" (p. 39). But how can this be? Wady Mokatteb, in which most of the inscriiiiions are found, is the leading route to Jebel Miisa as well as to Serbal. Inscriptions have also been discovered on the northern road from Egypt to Jebel IMusa by Surabet el-Khadem ; and they are much more numerous in the passes around Jebel Miisa — in Wady Leja, Nukb Hawy. etc. — than in Wady Aleiyat, the only pass leading to Serbal. It may be safely affirmed that the Sinaitic inscriptions do not, for the present at least, affect the question at issue in any way (Porter, Handbook, p. 16 sq.).
I3ut the nature of the country around Serbal is suf- ficient of itself to show that it could not possibly have
Tbe Summit of Jebel Musu. IX,— C c c
SINAI
1:0
SINAI
been Sinai. Waily Feiran is three miles distant, and from it an occasinnal f^limpseonly can be j;ot at the sum- mit. Wady Ali'ivMt, wliirh leads up to .SerbAl, is nar- row, rugijed. and rui'ky. aftiirdini; no place for a large camp. This is acknowledged on all iiands (Lepsius, p. 423 sq. ; Harriett, p. tu ; Stanley, p. 44; Sandie, J/oreb and Jerusalem, p. 14!)) ; and as there is no other valley or plain at the base of the mountain, it follows that Ser- bal cannctt be Sinai.
2. Jebel Mii.fii is the Sinai of recent ecclesiastical tradition, and it has found some advocates among mod- ern travellers (_Wilsou. Ltiiids it/the Bible, i, 219: Sandie, //orc/j, etc.). It is situated in the very centre of the mountain group; but it is neither so lofty nor so com- manding as some others around it. Its elevation is only about 7()00 feet, while .lebel Katherin, three miles south, is 8700 feet, and Um Shaumer, beyond it, attains an altitude of 9300 feet. Jebel Musa is the highest point of a short isolated ridge which runs from north- west to south-east, between the two parallel ravines of Shueib and Leja. At one end (the south-east) it is bounded by a rugged wady called Sebalyeh, at the oth- er by the upland plain of Er-H;iliah. In Wady Shueib, on the north-east of the ridge, stands the convent of St. Catherine, with the naked cliffs rising almost perpen- dicularly over it. In the glen of Leja, on the opposite side, is the reputed rock of Moses. The peak of Jebel Miisa ("Closes' Jlountain"), which the monks identify with Sinai, is at the southern extremity of the range, overlooking Wady Sebaiyeh and a confined region of rugged gravelly hills near it. The summit is a plat- form about thirty paces in diameter, partly covered with ruins. At its eastern end is a little chapel, and near it a mosque. Notwithstanding the elevation, the view is not extensive, and no plain is in sight on which the camp of the Israelites could have stood; nor is the base of tlie peak at all so clearly defined as the incidents of the sacred narrative require.
Various traditions — Jewish, Christian, and jNIoham- medan — have found a local habitation on this moun- tain. A rugged ancient path, in many places hewn iuro fliglits of steps up the granite cliffs, passes a grotto of the Virgin, the cave wliere P>lijah dwelt in Horeb, the footmarks of IMohammed's camel, and oth- er spots equally apocryphal, in its winding course to the summit. This is the Sinai of tradition, but cer- tainly not that of tlie Hible.
3. Rug es-Snfsiifeh is the third claimant for the name Sinai; and its claim is valid. It forms the north-west- ern point of the ridge of which .lebel Mfisa is the south- eastern. The name signifies " the peak (or he(ul) of the willow;" and is derived from a willow-tree which grows in a cleft on its side. The sum- mit is very clearly defined, ris- ing high above all the other peaks near it. In front it de- scends in broken crags of na- ked granite to Wady er-Ha- hah. The view from it is not 80 extensive as that from .lebel Mi'isa, but it is far more inter- esting and impressive. The whole e.xtent of the plain of Er-Hahah, measuring more than two miles in length, and ranging from one third to two thirds of a mile in breadth, is visible. The eye can follow its windings as it runs away among the moimtains in the distance. The level expanse of Wady es- Sheikh, which joins ICr-Kaliah, is also seen opening out on the right, while opposite it on the left is an- other section of |)lain forming a recess in the mountains.