The Appeal. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. ;) 1889-19??, 1913-01-18


decay and oblivion. Unpeopled plains have beer
converted into hives of industry, and hives OF IN
dustry have reverted back to unpeopled plains
New lands have been discovered' rand peoped ant
have been navigated and charted Every
where progress has changed the physical condition
of the people. Everywhere progress has changed
the historical and geographical Importance of ma
tons and countries. Here, alone, in the Noun
Sinai Valley, where the nation that gave us thu
Savior first sprang into prominence, progress ha
stood still. Surrounded by the peaks OF the Fort.
Martyrs" all is hushed and still on the plain Wher
once the hum Of thousands of voices was heard, AM
where the valley rang with the resounding marcel
OF the hosts Of Israel.
On the peak of Ras-es-Safsafeh, the cross, tn
symbol of Christianity, has been planted on the yer.
spot upon which Moses, the great law giver ant
leader of the Jews, stood and gave to his people
the ten commandments, the basis of all religious
beliefs and the foundation of all law, moral AM
civil. Now unpeoped and deserted, the very
consequences Of the place is aWe-inspiring, and
the silence of the tomb is not more impressive
than the well of silence that envelOps Raises
Safsafeh and it's surroundings.
The mount on which God is said to have re-
vealed himself to Moses is situated in the south
ern half Of the so-called peninsula Of Sinai pro-
jectng into the northern extremity of the Red
sea, between the Gulf of Suez on the west and
the Gulf Of Akabah on the east This park of the
peninsula consists of mass OF granite and
porphyry mountains which may be divided into
three groups, northwestern, reaching in Jebel
Serbal height Of 6,712 feet; central, includ-
ing Jebe Musa mount of Moses), 1858 feet
and Jebel Katerin 1857 feet: and an eastern
and southern whose highest peak is Jebel Umm
ShOmer. S449 feet Whether the Biblical Sinai
Jebel Umm shomer of Jebe Musa long
disputed by leading authorities. The former
advocated by Eusebius jerome, Cosmas Indico-
pleustes, and in more modern times by Lepsus
and Ebers. Jebel Musa however, is preferred by
most authorities, and is favored by tradition
(which however, from Christian
times) indicated by the name ''Mountan of
Noses and the erection of monastery upon
it which goes back to the days of Justinian The
northern peak of Jebel Musa known Raises
Safsafeh (6,54O feet meets the conditions
qured since there is open space at it's base
sufficient to accommodate a large encampment.
Standing on the lofty summit of Mount Sinai,
what thoughts and visions conjured up as
contemplates that there on the vast plain of
Assembage that stretches before the eye hun
dreds of feet below, fifty centuries ago, the COM
mandments were deliverd to the assembled chill
dren of Israel
Excepting for the Mount Sinai monastery,
which from these heights looks like little toy
fort built Of blocks. the region is still and
hushed, and almost deserted. The massive walls
of the monastery raised by the peace-loving and
God-fearing monks under Justinian in 527 A. D.
as a protection against the maraudng bands
of Bedouns that infested that part Of the
try when the wealth of empire was possessed
by the builders and occupants of the monastery
are in the same condition when built $500
years ago. Today, however, the Christian world
keeps watchful eye over this mountain monas-
terry and it's contents, and the Bedouins, knowing
this to be the fact, keep on friendly well as
visiting terms with the monks.
In the monastery are stored the priceless
books narrating the history of Christianity In
the tongue of every Christian nation Slowly
the brotherhood of Mount Sinai monks are dy-
ing out, there being but twenty or twenty-five
at the present time. The life and the pay-not
enough to buy tobacco-are not sufficient in
ducement for young recruits to join the forces
that year by year growing smaller In the
of few years the treasurer of the
monastery will remain but memory to remind
one of the greatness of its founder, Justinian
Looking northwest from Jebel Musa to Wadi ell