The daily Green Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1861-1865, 1863-10-13
The Rock Smitten in Horeb.


the Missionary House copy Of the following
letter written by him to ono of the professors
at Andover, expresses much confidence that
this is the identical rock from whence flowed
the stream which quenched the thirst OF the
thousands of Israel ; 1t is dated Beirut,
Syria, May %, 1868:
Having recently returned from visit to
Mt. Sinai, thougot you would be Interested
in the discovery of spring OF water under
the east side of Mount Horeb, which | can
not learn has been noticed by any traveller
who has written on Sinai, but which is so
striking that had it been seen, it would GER
tainly have been mentioned. In coming TO-
ward Mount Horeb we took the road followed
by DR.. Robinson, by Wadyer- Rahah. On
page 80 OF the first volume OF his Researches,
he says On the lett Of Horeb, deep and
narrow valley runs up southeast, between lofty
walls Of rock, as if in continuation of the
southeast corner OF the plain. In this val
ley, at the distance OF nearly mile rom The
plain, stands tde convent On the east side Of
this valley, and at Its entrance, Is small hill
separated from the mountain by road about
one hundred feet across, which travellers fol-
low in going to the convent from Wadyer-
Shekh, while those who 60 to the convent by
Wadyer- Kahah pass on the west side of the
| hill. On the south side of this hill is the
campiDg-ground, and in getting to it we made
short circuit Of five minutes ride to avoid a
prcci pitous bank. On arriving at our camp
ng-ground we requested our cameeers, before
dispensing to their homes, to ill our barrels
with water They said they said they would
take two Of them to spriog where there was
j reservoir into which they w0ald place them
They pointed out to US the direction, on the
west side Of the valley, under Horeb, and we
perceived few trees at that place. Toward
evening told nay party that | would 90 and
see whether they had filed and sunk the bar
rcls in the pool The direction Of the spring
was straight across the valley from the camp
my eroupd After leaving the te0ts H. about
two minutes assembled the ground where we
made the circuit, then passed down d slight
declivity, after which the ground gradually
rose till it reached the spring. in about ten
minutes, BY rugged path over large boulders
of Slnaito granite. Here was surprised TO
fad a fine spring OF pure water issuing from
rent in the rock. Tne rent was 10 an cbiquo
direction the highest part Of it on the left,
and sloping down toward the right. The low
est part OF the assure was as high as man 5
head from the ground. The surrounding rock
is the solid red granite Of Sinai, smooth on
| 4ba f,o nd IN huH ba
assure Is about SIX feet long, four inches wide,
five inches deep at the bottom and twelve at
the top, and runs down il to the rock parallel
with the perpendicular side OF the mountain.
| The water seems to issue about two feet above
the bottom OF the rent, flowing over the low
er part of it in a stream about the thickness
OF mans finger, The reservoir is about
twelve feet long by five in width, and four
feet deep, and was nearly full when reached
the place. When full the water is let off, to
irrigato some twenty or more fruit trees. A:
| was the frst-as far as am aware-to ob.
serve this singular rent in the Rock Of
Horeb, and am unable to find any allusion to
it in the books OF Burckhardt, Robinson, Stan
ley, or other travellers, | have thought it my
duty to inform the public OF the fact, In Or
der that future travellers may not fail to see
it. Could we suppose that Moses had rod
about six feet long, and that, raising the low
er end of it as high as his head, he struck il
oblquely against the granite cliff, and that {
wedge-shaped cavity was thus miraculous
formed, the rent would meet the conditions
exactly,
would simply state that made the above
discovery on the 26th of February.