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Wednesday, Dec 06, 2023
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Is Saudi Arabia the holiest place in the world? Ancient Hebrew Inscriptions from "The Mount Sinai Stand" Discovered in Saudi Arabia
Historians and biblical scholars have long debated the location of the biblical Mount Sinai, the place where Moses received the Ten Commandments from God. Several propositions have been raised, such as Mount Karkom in the Negev or Jebel Musa in the Sinai Peninsula. Another hypothesis, which had been previously rejected by many experts, suggested that the Israelites crossed Sinai and the Red Sea and then continued to Jebel al-Lawz, located in the north-east of Saudi Arabia, near the Jordanian border. Jebel al-Lawz had been proposed as a candidate for the biblical Mount Sinai, but this claim was critiqued by other historians, pointing out that identifying Mount Sinai in ancient Midian (Saudi Arabia) did not align with the biblical text. However, new findings suggest that this theory should be reconsidered - it might indeed be correct.
The Saint Thomas Research Foundation (DTRF) revealed last week the first images of what appear to be ancient Hebrew inscriptions found on Jebel al-Lawz and dating back to the Exodus period. The foundation, which produced the viral film "Finding the Mountain of Moses" last year, believes these Hebrew inscriptions are evidence that the Israelites were present in the area of Mount Jebel al-Lawz when they received the Ten Commandments.
The inscriptions were found on rocks at the mountain peak, which is two and a half kilometers high and located in the north-east of Saudi Arabia, near the Jordanian border. DTRF researchers claim that the inscriptions involve God and the Amalekites, with whom the Israelites battled. They also report that they found the oldest engraving of the menorah, revealed by God to Moses, and footprints engraved by the Israelites to mark territory during their Exodus from Egypt.
Researchers believe the discovery of these Hebrew inscriptions proves that people who spoke ancient Hebrew were once present in the area. According to their analysis, the inscriptions date back to the Exodus period (15th–13th centuries BC). They connect the footprints to God's words to the Israelites, as quoted in the Bible: "Every place where you set foot will be yours." The Saint Thomas Research Foundation experts also argue that among the evidence found around Jebel al-Lawz are cave paintings of calves, aligning with the biblical story of the Golden Calf. They further argue that next to the mountain is an "ancient graveyard" where all those who worshipped the calf were buried.
The discovery of these inscriptions has been met with mixed reactions from the scientific community. Some experts have praised the work of the DTRF, while others have expressed skepticism, pointing out that the inscriptions have not yet been fully analyzed and that there is no definitive proof that they are from the Exodus period. Only time will tell whether the DTRF's claims are correct, but the discovery of these inscriptions is certainly a significant development in the search for the biblical Mount Sinai.
The inscriptions were found on rocks at the mountain peak, which is two and a half kilometers high and located in the north-east of Saudi Arabia, near the Jordanian border. DTRF researchers claim that the inscriptions involve God and the Amalekites, with whom the Israelites battled. They also report that they found the oldest engraving of the menorah, revealed by God to Moses, and footprints engraved by the Israelites to mark territory during their Exodus from Egypt.
Researchers believe the discovery of these Hebrew inscriptions proves that people who spoke ancient Hebrew were once present in the area. According to their analysis, the inscriptions date back to the Exodus period (15th–13th centuries BC). They connect the footprints to God's words to the Israelites, as quoted in the Bible: "Every place where you set foot will be yours." The Saint Thomas Research Foundation experts also argue that among the evidence found around Jebel al-Lawz are cave paintings of calves, aligning with the biblical story of the Golden Calf. They further argue that next to the mountain is an "ancient graveyard" where all those who worshipped the calf were buried.
The discovery of these inscriptions has been met with mixed reactions from the scientific community. Some experts have praised the work of the DTRF, while others have expressed skepticism, pointing out that the inscriptions have not yet been fully analyzed and that there is no definitive proof that they are from the Exodus period. Only time will tell whether the DTRF's claims are correct, but the discovery of these inscriptions is certainly a significant development in the search for the biblical Mount Sinai.
