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Article ON THE ORDNANCE SURVEY OF SINAI. ← Page 2 of 3 →
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
On The Ordnance Survey Of Sinai.
The inscriptions are far more generally distributed over the Peninsula than has been supposed-There is a collection near Ain Hudhera almost as lai-ge as that in Wady Mukatteb , on the road from Feiran to Beuat , and from Jebel Musa to Sherm
there are numbers , and Mr . Palmer has lately found them at the head of Wady Gharundel and on the outskirts of the ill . Inscriptions are also found in the valleys near Jebel Musa ancl Jebel Serbal . At the latter place they are found on
three occasions under peculiar circumstances : 1 st . On the monastic road to Sigillyeh in such positions that they must have been written after the road was made , and consequently after the introduction of Christianity ; 2 nd . In a cave near the summit
of Serbal , where they are made Avith AvhiteAvash , evidently by the same men Avho built the signal tower , of which there are the remains close by !; and 3 rd . On Jebel Moneija , a hill overlooking Wady Aleyat ; this is one of the places in Avhich
God is supposed to have spoken to Moses , and the Bedawin sacrifice there every year at the time of date harvest .
An examination Avas made of the Egyptian mines at Maghara and Sarabit el Khadem ; a plan Avas made of the temple at the latter place , and photographs and paper impressions Avere taken of the tablets and inscriptions . These mines are Avell
known , and have been described and figured by Lepsius , Laborde , Laval , and others ; but Dr . Birch , the distinguished Egyptologist , AVIIO has kindly consented to contribute a description of them to the Avork Avhich is now in course of
preparation , has informed me that he is able to decip her many parts of the inscriptions from our pbotographs , which were illegible in the copies of previous travellers .
Several new inscriptions and tablets Avere found ; one indicating that the miners Avere accompanied by their wives and families Avhilst working at Maghara . The oldest monument appears to be that of Cheops , the builder of the Great Pyramid ,
and from his reign down to a time posterior to the Exodus there is a pretty constant succession of tablets recording the Avorking of the mines . At Maghara may still be seen the ruins of the village in Avhich the miners lived on an almost
isolated hill opposite the mines , and connected with them by a causeAvay , of Avhich there are still traces . The mines Avere A \ orked for copper and turquoise , the latter possibly oa account of its colouring matter , as no turquoises have yet been
found in the ancient jewellery of the Egyptians . A question has been raised as to whether the Mountain of the LaAv > vas really in what we call the Peninsula of Sinai ; time Avill not permit me to
enter upon this at present , but there seems to be no sufficient reason for believing that the present tradition , Avhich is certainly as old as Josephus , is Avrong-, and I am able to announce that the members of the expedition have unanimously come to the conclusion that the mountain mass of Jebel
Musa is the true Mount Sinai . NoAvhere else rathe Peninsula is there the same conjunction of mountain , plain , and Avater , and even when we come to minute details they agree in a most marked manner with the requirements of the Bible
narrative . In comparing the rival claims of Musa and Serbal , it will be as well to consider what are the topographical features which the Bible narrative appears to require in connection with Mount Sinai , and to examine IIOAV far each of them fulfils the
requisite conditions . They may be stated thus : — 1 st . A mountain summit overlooking a place upon Avhich the children of Israel could be assembled . It does not seem necessary to suppose that
there must have been space in front of the Mount sufficient for their permanent encampment "; indeed it would rather appear that the tents were scattered about in the neighbouring valleys , Avhence they could easily be summoned to take part in any solemn act , such as the delivery of the ten commandments .
At Musa there is the great cliff of the Ras Sufsafeh overlooking the plain of Er Rahah , which slopes gently down to its base , a remarkable geographical feature , which Avould attract the attention of a traveller if there Avere no other
circumstances connected witli it . At Serbal there is no such plain , but there is sufficient space for the host to have assembled in Wady Aleyat and Er Kimm in sight of the summit of Serbal , which , by the Avay , is invisible from
Wady Ajeleh . This arrangement Avould necessitate the assembly of the Israelites in tAvo valleys separated from each other by a hig h , ridge of granite , and the beds of the valleys are UOAV and must ahvays have
been of the roughest description , and a direct contrast to the even plain of Er Rahah . 2 nd . The place on which the Israelites assem-
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
On The Ordnance Survey Of Sinai.
The inscriptions are far more generally distributed over the Peninsula than has been supposed-There is a collection near Ain Hudhera almost as lai-ge as that in Wady Mukatteb , on the road from Feiran to Beuat , and from Jebel Musa to Sherm
there are numbers , and Mr . Palmer has lately found them at the head of Wady Gharundel and on the outskirts of the ill . Inscriptions are also found in the valleys near Jebel Musa ancl Jebel Serbal . At the latter place they are found on
three occasions under peculiar circumstances : 1 st . On the monastic road to Sigillyeh in such positions that they must have been written after the road was made , and consequently after the introduction of Christianity ; 2 nd . In a cave near the summit
of Serbal , where they are made Avith AvhiteAvash , evidently by the same men Avho built the signal tower , of which there are the remains close by !; and 3 rd . On Jebel Moneija , a hill overlooking Wady Aleyat ; this is one of the places in Avhich
God is supposed to have spoken to Moses , and the Bedawin sacrifice there every year at the time of date harvest .
An examination Avas made of the Egyptian mines at Maghara and Sarabit el Khadem ; a plan Avas made of the temple at the latter place , and photographs and paper impressions Avere taken of the tablets and inscriptions . These mines are Avell
known , and have been described and figured by Lepsius , Laborde , Laval , and others ; but Dr . Birch , the distinguished Egyptologist , AVIIO has kindly consented to contribute a description of them to the Avork Avhich is now in course of
preparation , has informed me that he is able to decip her many parts of the inscriptions from our pbotographs , which were illegible in the copies of previous travellers .
Several new inscriptions and tablets Avere found ; one indicating that the miners Avere accompanied by their wives and families Avhilst working at Maghara . The oldest monument appears to be that of Cheops , the builder of the Great Pyramid ,
and from his reign down to a time posterior to the Exodus there is a pretty constant succession of tablets recording the Avorking of the mines . At Maghara may still be seen the ruins of the village in Avhich the miners lived on an almost
isolated hill opposite the mines , and connected with them by a causeAvay , of Avhich there are still traces . The mines Avere A \ orked for copper and turquoise , the latter possibly oa account of its colouring matter , as no turquoises have yet been
found in the ancient jewellery of the Egyptians . A question has been raised as to whether the Mountain of the LaAv > vas really in what we call the Peninsula of Sinai ; time Avill not permit me to
enter upon this at present , but there seems to be no sufficient reason for believing that the present tradition , Avhich is certainly as old as Josephus , is Avrong-, and I am able to announce that the members of the expedition have unanimously come to the conclusion that the mountain mass of Jebel
Musa is the true Mount Sinai . NoAvhere else rathe Peninsula is there the same conjunction of mountain , plain , and Avater , and even when we come to minute details they agree in a most marked manner with the requirements of the Bible
narrative . In comparing the rival claims of Musa and Serbal , it will be as well to consider what are the topographical features which the Bible narrative appears to require in connection with Mount Sinai , and to examine IIOAV far each of them fulfils the
requisite conditions . They may be stated thus : — 1 st . A mountain summit overlooking a place upon Avhich the children of Israel could be assembled . It does not seem necessary to suppose that
there must have been space in front of the Mount sufficient for their permanent encampment "; indeed it would rather appear that the tents were scattered about in the neighbouring valleys , Avhence they could easily be summoned to take part in any solemn act , such as the delivery of the ten commandments .
At Musa there is the great cliff of the Ras Sufsafeh overlooking the plain of Er Rahah , which slopes gently down to its base , a remarkable geographical feature , which Avould attract the attention of a traveller if there Avere no other
circumstances connected witli it . At Serbal there is no such plain , but there is sufficient space for the host to have assembled in Wady Aleyat and Er Kimm in sight of the summit of Serbal , which , by the Avay , is invisible from
Wady Ajeleh . This arrangement Avould necessitate the assembly of the Israelites in tAvo valleys separated from each other by a hig h , ridge of granite , and the beds of the valleys are UOAV and must ahvays have
been of the roughest description , and a direct contrast to the even plain of Er Rahah . 2 nd . The place on which the Israelites assem-