Delaware state journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1870-1883, 1873-10-25
WAS slNAI A VOLCANO.


tFrom the Now York SUM-
II is noteworthy fact tina. at 'hIs late
epoch In the worlds history the locality
Of Mount Sinai remains a mystery. We
have discovered, or think we have dis
cnvered, the sources of the Nile. vet the
identification of the Mount of God In
lloreb, where was delivered "in fire, in
darkness ard tempest that divine law
which to this day forms The basis Of tine
legislation of all civilized nations, and
the rule Of their religious and social con-
duct" still remains uncertain and In
volved in the gravest doubt. As we write
IN expedition is preparing In England.
under the leadership of distinguished
traveller and scholar, 10 determine the
true position of the famous mountain.
The northern extremity of the Red Sea
ia fork-shaped, separating into two
branches, the Gulf Of Suez on the west
and the Gulf of Akaba on the east. Be-
tween these gulfs il the triangular penin-
sula Of Akabs. In the southern portion
Of this peninsula rises the group Of
mountains to which the name Of Sinai
Ia usually given. Although tradition
places Mount Sinai In this region, biblical
scholara have been unable to agree upon
any particular summit as that whence
Moses received the law. Al least four
different peaks of the group have been
regarded by respectable authorities as the
true "Mount of God" 1t should b.
noted that the traditional location OF
Mount Sinai in the Akaba peninsula 10
wolves the assumption that the Gulf Of
Suez was the Red Sea OF the Bible,
through which the Israelltes made their
miraculous escape from the army Of
Pharaoh.
A strong argument has lately been ad-
vanced by DR.. Charlss Il. Beke, the Eng
lish geographer aud explorer ofAbyssin-
Ia, to prove that Mount Sinai Ia nowhere
within the peninsula to which students Of
the Bible have hitherto assigDed II, but
lie in reality volcano, now extinct, eitu
ated far IN the eastward, near the Great
Aarbian De.ert. He believes 1t will be
found in ragged tract Of igneous origin
| lying Al no great distance east OF the
head of the Cult of AdHba lr his theory
is correct, IL was this branch, and not
The Gulf of Suez, that the lsraelites pscs-
ed thu ough In their exodus from the land
Of bondage. The reasons offered by DR..
Beke in support Of his views ere interes-
ting aud worthy OF consideration, and
his sincerity is attested by the avnwal Of
his intent!On-in spite of his advanced
ago of seventy years aud upward u
make a personal exploration Of the vol
canlc region referred TO at an early day.
The volcanic districts OF Arabia are
called hGrrdg by the natives of he coun-
try, meaning "tracts ,ysred with rugged
b. ack stones that look burnt with fire."
The position attributed to the true Mount
Sinai by DR.. BeSe is somewhere about 2t
deg. 80 sec. north latitude, and 80 deg
cast longitude, 10 one Of these wastes,
known az the Harra Radjla. II is doubt
full whether any European has eyel
penetrated this wilderness, though Burk'
hardt aud other travellers must have
skirted It's borders, on the route trou
b Damascus to Mecca. The location o
Mouut Sinai here renders 1t imTossibl,
that the biblical Kingdom of Mitzraim-
the ecripturql land OF bondage--should b.
Identical with the Egypt Of pr0fane his
tory. DR.. Beke expressly contends tha
it is not. Al the time o. the exodus II
was powerful and populous monarchy
situated, as he believes, altogether 10 th'
northeast Of the realm OF the PtOlemies
near the Phiiistine country. II was ffon
this land that The Israelites fed on tina
. wonderful journey in which we are toll
: "the Eternal want before them by day II
. a pillar of cloud, to lead them tne way
2 and by night in a pillar of fire to Civ
= them light"
, The language Of this and many othe
: passages Is cited 20 chow that at thi
. period Mount sinai was an active volcano
which blazed like "A beacon before III
: Israelites-on their perilous path. In th
4 nineteenth chapter of the Book of Exodu
} we read that When the children OF sfat
4 we're encaInped before the Mount of Co
In HoIeb, sit came TO pass on the thir
= day 10 the morning, that there were thur
ders and lightniugs, and thick c,ou
f upon the mount, and the voice Of II
+, trumpet exceedingly loud so that all th
: Dc opie that we're in the camp tremb &c
| And Mount Sinai was altogether on
II smoke, because the Eternal desccnde
upon il In fire; and the smoke therec
!. ascended as the smoke of furnace, an
the whole mount quaked greatly" Th
I narrative relates IN the next chapter
/ how, "all the people saw the laundering
h and the ightnings, and the aose of tn
. trumpet. aud the mountain smoking an
n when the people saw it, they removed an
n stood afar vii " Further on, In the sam
book of the Scriptures, 1t Is said ths
d "Moses went up into the mount, and
q cloud covered the mount. And the glof
, Of the Eternal abode upon Mount 5iua
a and the cloud covered 1t SIX days an
4 the seventh day He called out unto MosI
out Of the midst Of the cloud. And u
m sight of the glery of the Eternal was lii
s devouring fire on the top OF the mount,
~ The eyes OF the children Of Israeli"
There is an undeniable similarity b
le tween these figurative expressions an
n the language used to describe Vo!can
We action IN later ages.
an II is asserted, then, that Mount SiD
was q volcano In active eruption whl
~ the children Of israel began their wa
/ derings that IL was BY tue light of d
eruption, principally II not entirely, th
they passed through the Red sea al
=, that the mighty earthquake which accol
nv panied the volcanic oulburst caused {
4, rising Of tho waters whereby tue puTs
~ ing host OF Phareh was overwhelmed.
'o' DR.. Beke is by 10 means skeptic
. religion. Gu the contrary he is a Oh
W sdlerent OF the Christian faith. He
=, lieves, ho sever, that the doubts and dit
uI culties which have In late years be
" employed to discr, dit old Testament h
tory. should be dehr itei, set At reg
,VE lust sucn seitn.idc inve,uigatlun aG Il
H H1s' which he now proposes to make.