Mount Sinai 61768 222786539 2008-07-01T02:54:50Z 209.162.0.63 /* Geography */ {{for|the Biblical Mount Sinai, and a discussion of its possible locations|Biblical Mount Sinai}} :''For other places named Mount Sinai, see: [[Mount Sinai (disambiguation)]]'' {{Infobox Mountain | Name=Mount Sinai | Elevation=2,285 m (7,497 feet) | Location= [[Sinai Peninsula]], [[Egypt]] | Range= | Coordinates = {{coor dms|28|32|23|N|33|58|24|E|region:EG_type:mountain}} }} [[Image:MountSinaiView.jpg|thumbnail|190px|right|View from the summit of Mount Sinai]] [[Image:Jabal-musa-location.png|right|frame|Sinai Peninsula, showing location of Jabal Musa]] '''Mount Sinai''' (Arabic: طور سيناء , Hebrew: הר סיני), also known as '''Mount Horeb''', '''Mount Musa''', '''Gebel Musa''' or '''Jabal Musa''' ("Moses' Mountain") by the [[Bedouin]], is the name of a mountain in the [[Sinai Peninsula]]. For information about the location of the '''[[Biblical Mount Sinai|''Biblical'' Mount Sinai]]''', see the corresponding article. == Geography == Mount Sinai is a 2285 m-high mountain in the Sinai region. It is next to [[Mount St. Catherine]] (at 2,629 m,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.answers.com/topic/mount-catherine?cat=travel |title="Mount Catherine" at Answers.com|accessdate = 2008-03-14}}</ref> the tallest peak on the Sinai [[peninsula]])<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.allsinai.info/sites/geology.htm|publisher=AllSinai.info|title=Sinai Geology}}</ref>. It is surrounded on all sides by higher peaks of the mountain range. == Geology == Mount [[Sinai]] rocks were formed in the late stage of the [[Arabian-Nubian Shield]]'s (ANS) evolution. Mount Sinai displays a ring complex that consists of alkaline [[granites]] intruded into diverse rock types, including volcanics. The granites range in composition from [[syenogranite]] to alkali feldspar granite. The volcanic rocks are alkaline to peralkaline and they are represented by subaerial flows and eruptions and subvolcanic [[porphyry]]. Generally, the nature of the exposed rocks in Mount Sinai indicates that they originated from different depths. (M. G. Shahien, Geol. Dept., [[Beni Suef]], [[Egypt]]) == Monastery == The [[Saint Catherine's Monastery, Mount Sinai|Monastery of St. Catherine]] is sited at the foot of the adjacent mountain - [[Mount Catherine]] - at an elevation of around 1200 m. == Religious Significance == {{main|Biblical Mount Sinai}} According to [[Bedouin]] tradition, this is the mountain where [[Tetragrammaton|God]] gave laws to the [[Israelites]]. However, the earliest Christian traditions place this event at the nearby [[Mount Serbal]], and a monastery was founded at its base in the 4th century; it was only in the 6th century that the monastery moved to the foot of [[Mount Catherine]], following the guidance of [[Josephus]]'s earlier claim that Sinai was the highest mountain in the area. Jebel Musa, which is adjacent to Mount Catherine, was only equated with Sinai, by Christians, after the 15th century. Also, for Muslims, there is a chapter named after this mountain in the Quran, entitled, Surah-Tin; surah/chapter 95. In which God promises by the fig, the olive, by the Mount Sinai and the city of Makkah. Many modern biblical scholars now believe that the Israelites would have crossed the Sinai peninsula in a straight line, rather than detouring to the southern tip (assuming that they did not cross the eastern branch of the Red Sea/Reed Sea in boats or on a sandbar), and therefore look for Mount Sinai elsewhere. The [[Song of Deborah]], which [[textual criticism|textual scholars]] consider to be one of the oldest parts of the bible, suggests that Yahweh dwelt at [[Mount Seir]], so many scholars favour a location in [[Nabatea]] (modern Arabia). Alternatively, the biblical descriptions of Sinai can be interpreted as describing a [[volcano]], and so a number of scholars have considered equating Sinai with locations in north western [[Saudi Arabia]]; there are no volcanoes in the Sinai Peninsula; == Ascent == [[Image:St_Catherines_From_Sinai.JPG|thumb|right|200px|View down to the [[Monastery of St. Catherine]] from the trail to the summit.]] There are two principal routes to the summit. By the longer and less steep track known as ''Siket El Bashait'', is possible to ascend either on foot or by [[camel]] hired from the [[Bedouin]] along the way - approximate time on foot two and a half hours. The steep, more direct route (''Siket Sayidna Musa'') ascends the 3,750 "steps of penitence" directly up the ravine behind the monastery.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.allsinai.info/sites/sites/mount%20sinai.htm|publisher=AllSinai.info|title=Mount Sinai}}</ref> == Summit == [[Image:MtSinaiPano.jpg|thumb|left|600px|View from the summit of Mount Sinai]] [[Image:View_From_Sinai.JPG|thumb|left|190px|Another view from the summit of Mount Sinai]] [[Image:Greek Orthodox Chapel at top of Mt Sinai.jpg|thumbnail|190px|right|A Greek Orthodox Chapel at the top of Mount Sinai]] The summit of the mountain has a [[mosque]] and a [[Greek Orthodox]] chapel (which was constructed in 1934 on the ruins of a 16th century church) neither of which are open to the public. The chapel supposedly encloses the rock from which God made the [[Tablets of the Law]]. <ref name="sacredsites">{{cite web|url=http://www.sacredsites.com/africa/egypt/mount_sinai.html|publisher=Places of Peace and Power|title=Mount Sinai, Egypt}}</ref> At the summit also is "Moses' cave" where Moses is supposed to have waited to receive the [[Ten Commandments]]. == Notes == <references /> == See also == *[[Archaeology]] *[[Mount Gerizim]] *[[Jebel Musa, Morocco]], a similarly-named mountain in [[Morocco]] *[[Biblical Mount Sinai]] *[[Jabal al-Lawz]] == External links == {{Commons|Sinai}} *{{wikitravel}} *[http://www.st-katherine.net Information about the town of St. Katherine and the Sinai mountains] *[http://www.ianandwendy.com/OtherTrips/Egypt/StCatherines/slideshow2.htm Photo album from Mount Sinai and St Catherine's] *[http://www.baseinstitute.org/ Contains many photos of both claimed sites, and some research.] {{DEFAULTSORT:Sinai}} [[Category:Hebrew Bible mountains]] [[Category:Midian]] [[Category:Mountains of Egypt]] [[ar:جبل موسى]] [[de:Sinai (Berg)]] [[et:Siinai mägi]] [[el:Σινά (όρος)]] [[es:Monte Sinaí]] [[fa:کوه سینا]] [[fr:Mont Sinaï]] [[id:Gunung Sinai]] [[it:Monte Sinai]] [[he:ג'בל מוסא]] [[ka:სინის მთა]] [[sw:Sinai (mlima)]] [[la:Sinai (mons)]] [[lt:Sinajaus kalnas]] [[ms:Gunung Sinai]] [[nl:Sinaïberg]] [[ja:シナイ山]] [[no:Sinai (fjell)]] [[pl:Synaj (góra)]] [[pt:Monte Sinai]] [[sr:Синај]] [[sv:Sinai berg]] [[ta:சினாய் மலை]] [[tr:Sina Dağı]] [[uk:Синай (гора)]] [[yi:מעמד הר סיני]] [[zh:西乃山]]