Ascent of Mount Sinai

"In the afternoon of March 23d, they commenced the slow and toilsome ascent along the narrow defile, between blackened, shattered, cliffs of granite, some eight hundred feet high, and not more than two hundred and fifty yards apart, which seemed ready at any moment to fall upon their heads. The whole pass was filled with large stones and rocks, the debris of those cliffs. As they advanced the sand was occasionally moist, and on digging into it with the hand, the whole was soon filled with fine sweet water.

At half past three o'clock they reached the top of the defile, from which the Convent was two hours distant. The interior and loftier peaks of the great circle of Sinai soon began to open upon them,-black, rugged, and desolate summits; and as they advanced, the dark and frowning front of Sinai itself (the Horeb of the Monks) began to appear. They were still gradually ascending, and the valley was gradually opening; but as yet all was a naked desert. Afterwards, a few shrubs were sprinkled round, and a small encampment of black tents was seen on their right, with camels and goats browsing. The scenery was uncommonly wild and desolate, strikingly resembling the mountains around the Merde Glace, in Switzerland.

As they advance, the valley still opened wider and wider, with a gentle ascent, and became full of shrubs and tufts of herbs, shut in on each side by lofty granite ridges, with rugged shattered peaks a thousand feet high, while the face of Horeb rose directly before them, when they involuntarily exclaimed, 'Here is room enough for a large encampment.' Reaching the top of the ascent, a fine broad plain lay before them, sloping down gently towards the south-southeast, enclosed by rugged and venerable mountains of dark granite, stern, naked, splintered peaks and ridges of indescribable grandeur; and terminated at the distance of more that a mile, by the bold and awful front of Horeb, rising perpendicularly in frowning majesty, from twelve to fifteen hundred feet in height. It was a scene of solemn grandeur, wholly unexpected, and of overwhelming interest. On the left of Horeb, a deep and narrow valley runs up South-Southeast, between lofty walls of rocks, as if in continuation of the southeast corner of the plain. In this valley, at the distance of near a mile from the plain, stands the convent. The deep verdure of its fruittrees [fruit trees] and cypresses is seen as the traveller [traveler] approaches, an oasis of beauty amid scenes of the sternest desolation. The whole plain is called Wady er-Rahah; and the valley of the convent is known to the Arabs as Wady Shu'eib, that is the 'Vale of Jethro.'

Still advancing, the front of Horeb rose like a wall before the travellers [travelers]. One can approach quite to the foot and touch the mount. As they crossed the plain, their feelings were deeply affected, finding here, so unexpectedly, a spot perfectly adapted to the Scriptural account of the giving of the Law. No one has hitherto described this plain, nor even mentioned it, except in a slight and general manner; probably because most travellers [travelers] have reached the convent by a different route, without passing over it. Another reason may be the fact, that neither the highest point of Sinai, (now called Jebet Musa,) nor the loftiest summit of St. Catharine, is visible from any part of it. The breadth of the plain, at a particular point, was

found to be nine hundred yards; though in some parts it is wider. The length, in another direction, was two thousand three hundred and thirty three yards.-The northern slope of the plain was estimated to be somewhat less than a mile in length, by one third of a mile in breadth. The whole surface, including one or two recesses or wadys, amounts to nearly two square miles. It is obvious, that here was room enough to satisfy all the requisitions of the narrative in Exodus, so far as it relates to the assembling of the congregation to receive the law.-Here, also, one may see the fitness of the injunction, to set bounds around the Mount, that neither man nor beast might approach too near.

The northern brow of Horeb, which overlooks the plain er-Rahah, rises perhaps 500 feet above the basin. The distance to the summit is more than half a mile. The extreme difficulty, and even danger of the ascent is well rewarded, by the prospect which is spread out from the top.

'Our conviction,' continues Dr. Robinson, 'was strengthened, that here, or on some one of the adjacent cliffs, was the spot where 'the Lord descended in fire,' and proclaimed the Law. Here lay the plain where the whole congregation might be assembled; here was the mount which one could approach and touch, if not forbidden; and here the mountain brow, where alone the lightnings, and the thick clouds would be visible, and the thunders and the voice of the trumpet be heard, when 'the Lord came down in the sight of all the people upon Mount Sinai." We gave ourselves up to the impression of the awful scene."'-Rev. Dr. Robinson.

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