146 SUKSAFEH THE TRUE SINAI. CHAPTER XV. SINAI. Suksafeh the True Sinai.-Tape-Measures better than Traditions.-Acknowledgments to Dr. Robinson.-Dr. Olin's independent Observations.— No Place for Doubt.-Descent from the Mountain.-Garden of the Convent.-Activity of the Arab Boys.-The Rock of Moses in Horeb.-Impressions.-Last Night in the Convent.-Departure. I HAVE before remarked that it was Dr. Robinson's able argument that induced us to visit the peak El-Suksafeh. Now that his views have been made public, it seems hardly possible that any sane man could visit the localities and doubt the accuracy of his conclusions. I am surprised, beyond measure, that any affect still to consider Gebel Mousa the true Mount Sinai. Yet in a very recent book of Travels* the following passage occurs: "I am still inclined to believe Gebel Mousa to be the Sinai on which the law was delivered: I am not willing to have the truth of these old traditions. doubted, and their scenes transplanted. I do not think there is sufficient reason to dispute so long and firmlyestablished a tradition; for it appeared to me that there was enough room in the valley beneath, and the entrance of the wady which diverges from it, to accommodate the large numbers who were witnesses of the delivery of the law; and I have since heard from those who actually measured the level space at the base and in sight of Gebel Mousa, that the area is greater than that which El-Rahah would afford." As for the poetical associations that seem to have so * A Tour in Egypt, Arabia Petrea, and the Holy Land, in 1841–2, by Rev H. P. Measor, M.A. London, 1844. DR. OLIN'S INDEPENDENT OBSERVATIONS. 147 strong a hold upon this writer, I have nothing to say. How much weight such a disposition adds to his testimony is another question. He seems to be one of those men in whose eyes tradition of any kind is a sacred thing; who close their own senses and strangle their own reason in obedience to the voice of authority, be it only ancient. Perhaps "those who have since measured the level space at the base," &c., are men of like spirit; and if so, we may account for their singular mensuration. A tape-measure is no rule for the gentlemen of this school; feet and inches count nothing against traditional cobwebs. Yet even tradition itself, while it fixes the sacred mount at the Sinai of the monks, has never pretended that the encampment was at its base on the southeast, but, in singular opposition to the tenour of the Scripture narrative, has placed it in the very valley El-Rahah itself. Having expressed freely my own acknowledgments to Dr. Robinson's great work, it is proper that I should state that Dr. Olin, who visited the East in 1839-40, came to the same conclusions with Dr. Robinson in regard to the position of the true Sinai, without having known of the results obtained by the latter traveller. The same dissatisfaction with the monkish Sinai that led Dr. Robinson, as it had Lord Lindsay and others before him, to reject its claims as unfounded, was felt by Dr. Olin; and very much the same observations and reasonings led both to fix upon Suksafeh as the true Mount of the Law. This independent judgment of two eminently sensible and wary observers confirms strongly the justice of the views which they have severally advanced. I must repeat what I have said in substance before, that I cannot but wonder that this discoveryfor such it is-should have been left for Dr. Robinson 148 ACTIVITY OF THE ARAB BOYS. or any other, after so many travellers have visited these sacred places. One would think that no extraordinary sagacity was requisite to work out a problem, the elements of which are so completely given in the Scriptural account, and in the natural features of the spot whose localities must satisfy the conditions of that account. Our own satisfaction, on looking down from the summit of Suksafeh, was complete and perfect. There was not room for the shadow of a doubt. At last we prepared to descend from the sacred mount. Two hours brought us to the garden wall of the convent, into which we gained access by means of a rope through a small door, some twenty feet from the ground, into the garden itself. It is not in a high state of cultivation, but yet seemed to us, in comparison with the desert world around, to be luxuriant and delightful beyond description. From the garden, a small iron door admitted us into a dark passage under the convent buildings, through which we passed into the open court. This garden entrance is the only way of access to the interior of the convent, except the window in the front wall already mentioned. These precautions were, and perhaps still are, necessary as a protection against the Arabs, none of whom are admitted within the building on any pretext. During our long rambles on the mountains, we had many opportunities of observing the address and activity of the Arab boys. They are mountain goats in agility. They would absolutely, without putting their hands to the rocks, walk up and down precipices where we could scarcely crawl on our hands and feet, or slide down in any way. One of them, but ten years of age, carried my cloak on his shoulder all day long; and another, still younger, named Mit, who measured just four THE ROCK OF MOSES. 149 feet high, followed us perseveringly in all our rambles. Our guides took off their sandals at the most difficult places, and their feet seemed to adhere to the hard granite like flies to a ceiling. We found a good deal of snow in the clefts and deep gorges of Horeb (Feb. 5). As good pilgrims, we felt in duty bound to visit the rock which Moses struck in Horeb to satisfy the thirsting Israelites. It is on the opposite side of the mountain from the convent, high up in Wady Leja. From the accounts of previous travellers, and my settled conviction that the legend in regard to the rock was but a fable, I had made up my mind that there could be no interest excited about it. May I tell the reader that, notwithstanding my good stock of skepticism, this stone made more impression on me than any natural object claiming to attest a miracle ever did? Had any enlightened geologist, utterly ignorant of the miracle of Moses, passed up this ravine and seen the rock as it now is, he would have declared-though the position of the stone and the present condition of the country around would have opposed any such impressionthat strong and long-continued fountains of water had once poured their gurgling currents from it and over it. He could not waver in this belief for a moment, so natural and perfect were the indications. I examined it thoroughly, and if it be a forgery, I am satisfied, for my own part, that a greater than Michael Angelo designed and executed it. I cannot differ from Shaw's opinion, that "neither art nor chance could by any means be concerned in the contrivance of these holes, which formed so many fountains." The more I gazed upon the irregular mouth-like chasms in the rock, the more I found my skepticism shaken; and at last I could not help asking myself whether it was not a very natural solution of 150 LAST NIGHT IN THE CONVENT.-DEPARTURE. the matter, that this was indeed the rock which Moses struck, that from it the waters" gushed forth" and poured their streams down Wady Leja to Wady esh-Sheikh, and along it to Rephidim, where Israel was encamped, perishing with thirst, while Amalek hovered over them ready to strike? The visit to the Rock of Moses ended our rambles about the holy mountain, and we returned in the evening to take our last night's rest in the convent. It was sweet and refreshing. The next morning we rose early to prepare for our departure. The good monks seemed loth to let us go. We were the only travellers they had seen for eight months; and perhaps, on this account, they had given us a heartier welcome and better service than some former travellers had received, judging from their accounts of the convent. At all events, we had nothing to complain of, so far as the kindness and attention of the superior and his subordinates were concerned; and we did not leave them without regret. The whole convent was astir to serve us, and by nine o'clock we were ready to depart. Cooks, guides, porters, &c., were remembered (as the London phrase is), and a purse made up for the superior, which caused his eyes to twinkle with joy amid all his sorrow at our separation from him for ever. The old man gave us his blessing with great solemnity; one by one we were swung off from the window-portal; camels, Arabs, and all were waiting for us, harnessed for the way, and in a few minutes we were en route for Akabah. |