Hashem el-Tarif
Encyclopedia
Hashem el-Tarif is a mountain
located in northeast Egyptian, Sinai, close to the border of modern Israel
. According to Google Earth
, the name of the mountain is "Gebel Khashm el Tarif," its coordinates being near 29°40'9.18"N and 34°38'0.28"E.
.
-produced History Channel special, The Exodus Decoded, suggests that this location, now in an Egyptian military
zone, is the best candidate for the Biblical Mount Sinai
. The program claims that it not only features "Biblical geographical
" clues, but that it also possesses three important traits described in Exodus:
Another argument used in the documentary to strengthen the claim that Hashem el-Tarif is the Biblical Mount Sinai is that in the Bible Mount Sinai is described as a "holy mountain", and Hashem el-Tarif contains several ancient stone shrines all around it, as well as graves of apparently prominent persons near its summit
The final argument in favor of Hashem el-Tarif is the fact that the traditional Jebel Musa
is devoid of any of the above and surrounded by a granite plateau unsuitable for herding sheep. According to the documentary, though, despite all this evidence, permission for archeological excavation was not granted to them by the Egyptian military, which the documentary claims closely guards and restricts access to the mountain.
in an episode of the The Naked Archaeologist
explored several mountains as possible candidates for the biblical Mount Sinai. Potential candidates had to meet the following criteria:
In addition to these criteria, Jacobovici claimed that, according to Biblical text, the mountain must also:
Using these points of reference to triangulate possible locations, Jacobovici claims that Hashem el-Tarif is the most likely candidate for the biblical Mount Sinai.
Some of the arguments against the proposal that Hashem el-Tarif is Mount Sinai are as follows:
Mountain
Image:Himalaya_annotated.jpg|thumb|right|The Himalayan mountain range with Mount Everestrect 58 14 160 49 Chomo Lonzorect 200 28 335 52 Makalurect 378 24 566 45 Mount Everestrect 188 581 920 656 Tibetan Plateaurect 250 406 340 427 Rong River...
located in northeast Egyptian, Sinai, close to the border of modern Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
. According to Google Earth
Google Earth
Google Earth is a virtual globe, map and geographical information program that was originally called EarthViewer 3D, and was created by Keyhole, Inc, a Central Intelligence Agency funded company acquired by Google in 2004 . It maps the Earth by the superimposition of images obtained from satellite...
, the name of the mountain is "Gebel Khashm el Tarif," its coordinates being near 29°40'9.18"N and 34°38'0.28"E.
Mount Sinai Claims
Hashem el-Tarif is one of several proposed locations of the biblical Mount SinaiBiblical Mount Sinai
The Biblical Mount Sinai is the mountain at which the Book of Exodus states that the Ten Commandments were given to Moses by God...
.
The Exodus Decoded
The James CameronJames Cameron
James Francis Cameron is a Canadian-American film director, film producer, screenwriter, editor, environmentalist and inventor...
-produced History Channel special, The Exodus Decoded, suggests that this location, now in an Egyptian military
Military
A military is an organization authorized by its greater society to use lethal force, usually including use of weapons, in defending its country by combating actual or perceived threats. The military may have additional functions of use to its greater society, such as advancing a political agenda e.g...
zone, is the best candidate for the Biblical Mount Sinai
Biblical Mount Sinai
The Biblical Mount Sinai is the mountain at which the Book of Exodus states that the Ten Commandments were given to Moses by God...
. The program claims that it not only features "Biblical geographical
Geography
Geography is the science that studies the lands, features, inhabitants, and phenomena of Earth. A literal translation would be "to describe or write about the Earth". The first person to use the word "geography" was Eratosthenes...
" clues, but that it also possesses three important traits described in Exodus:
- A cleft that overlooks a natural amphitheatreAmphitheatreAn amphitheatre is an open-air venue used for entertainment and performances.There are two similar, but distinct, types of structure for which the word "amphitheatre" is used: Ancient Roman amphitheatres were large central performance spaces surrounded by ascending seating, and were commonly used...
, from which a speaker could have been observed and heard from a great distance. - A plateauPlateauIn geology and earth science, a plateau , also called a high plain or tableland, is an area of highland, usually consisting of relatively flat terrain. A highly eroded plateau is called a dissected plateau...
below the clef large enough to have held several hundred thousand people and to have contained enough vegetationVegetationVegetation is a general term for the plant life of a region; it refers to the ground cover provided by plants. It is a general term, without specific reference to particular taxa, life forms, structure, spatial extent, or any other specific botanical or geographic characteristics. It is broader...
to sustain large flocks. The plateau also contains one of the largest concentrations of ancient open-air fire pits in the region (many still visible as ruins), as well as many graves. - Calcium deposits that provide evidence of an ancient springSpring (hydrosphere)A spring—also known as a rising or resurgence—is a component of the hydrosphere. Specifically, it is any natural situation where water flows to the surface of the earth from underground...
(now dry) which was located on the top of the mountain - a fairly rare geological feature.
Another argument used in the documentary to strengthen the claim that Hashem el-Tarif is the Biblical Mount Sinai is that in the Bible Mount Sinai is described as a "holy mountain", and Hashem el-Tarif contains several ancient stone shrines all around it, as well as graves of apparently prominent persons near its summit
The final argument in favor of Hashem el-Tarif is the fact that the traditional Jebel Musa
Jebel Musa
Jebel Musa, also spelled Jabal Musa or Gebel Musa, means "Mountain of Moses". It may refer to:* Mount Sinai, also known as Jebel Musa, a mountain in the Sinai Desert which may be the Biblical Mount Sinai...
is devoid of any of the above and surrounded by a granite plateau unsuitable for herding sheep. According to the documentary, though, despite all this evidence, permission for archeological excavation was not granted to them by the Egyptian military, which the documentary claims closely guards and restricts access to the mountain.
The Naked Archaeologist
Simcha JacoboviciSimcha Jacobovici
Simcha Jacobovici is a Canadian film director, producer, free-lance journalist, and writer. He is a three-times Emmy winner for Outstanding Investigative Journalism....
in an episode of the The Naked Archaeologist
The Naked Archaeologist
The Naked Archaeologist is a television show produced for VisionTV in Canada and History International in the US that is hosted and prepared by the Emmy Award–winning journalist Simcha Jacobovici together with Avri Gilad...
explored several mountains as possible candidates for the biblical Mount Sinai. Potential candidates had to meet the following criteria:
- The mountain must have at its base a large plateau that could accommodate hundreds of thousands of Biblical Israelites.
- It must have a water source to support the people camping at the foot of the mountain.
- It must be accessible and easy to climb.
- It must have symbols of worship; archaeological evidence proving that the mountain was "holy" even before the time of Moses. (He claims the plateau of Hashem el-Tarif contains 33 open-air sanctuaries; the largest number of open-air sanctuaries next to a mountain in the eastern Sinai ever found.)
- It must be located somewhere along the ancient route of the Exodus.
- It must have a natural spring at its top.
In addition to these criteria, Jacobovici claimed that, according to Biblical text, the mountain must also:
- Be a fourteen-day journey from "Elim" . For a mass of people, a days journey was assumed to be 15km per day. A fourteen-day journey would be about 210km.
- Be an eleven-day journey from Kadesh Barnea , approximately 165 km.
- Be within "goat grazing distance" of Midianite territory. Moses was tending his father-in-law's goats at the time of his first encounter on Mount Sinai . Based on modern Bedouin practises, this was assumed to be 60 to 70km from a camp (or further in the event of drought). Midianite pottery and art have been found at TimnaTimna valleyThe Timna Valley is located in southern Israel in the southwestern Arabah, approximately 30 km north of the Gulf of Aqaba and the town of Eilat...
, assumed to be the only Midianite enclave in the Sinai.
Using these points of reference to triangulate possible locations, Jacobovici claims that Hashem el-Tarif is the most likely candidate for the biblical Mount Sinai.
Criticisms
The hypothesis that this mountain is the original Mount Sinai has faced criticism .Some of the arguments against the proposal that Hashem el-Tarif is Mount Sinai are as follows:
- There is no mention in history of Hashem el-Tarif, nor any well-known local tradition pointing to it as Mount Sinai.
- Neither Rabbinic-era Jewish tradition, nor 3rd Century Christian traditions recognize a particular mountain as Mount Sinai.