The Springfield herald. (Springfield, Baca County, Colo.) 1887-1919, 1913-01-17

y o mighty power only to so down tt
decay and oblivion. Unpeopled plains nave pee
converted into hives of industry. and hives OF II
dustry have reverted back to unpeopled plains
New lands have been discovered and peopled an
new seas have been navigated and charted, Every
where progress has changed the physical CONDITION
Of the people. Everywhere progress has change
the historical and geographical Importance OF nn
tions. and countries Here, alone. In the Noun
Sinai Valley. where the nation that gave us TN
Savior first sprang into prominence. progress ma
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 marcl
Of the hosts OF Israel
On the peak of Rases-Safsafeh, the cross tn
symbol OF Christianity has been planted on the YER
spot upon which Noses the great law giver an
leader of the Jews. stood and gave to his peopl
the ten commandments the basis OF all religion
beliefs and the foundation OF all law, moral AM
civil. Now unpeoped and deserted. the very
lonesomeness OF the place is a~einspfring. ana
the .'silence of the tomb Is not more impressive
than the well of silence" that envelops Raises
Safsafeh and Its surroundings.
The mount 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-
5ecting 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 Jebei
Serbal a height of 6,712 feet central includ-
ing Jebel Musa Mount of Moses). 1858 feet.
/, and Jebel Katerin. 1887 feet: and an eastern
and southern whose highest peak is Jebel IImm
i. Shomer, 8,449 feet Whether the Biblical Sinai
was Jebel Umm Shomer of Jebel Musa was long
disputed by leading authorities. The former was
advocated by Eusebius Jerome. Cosmas lndico-
peustes. and In more modern times oy Lepslus
and Ebers. Jebel Musa however. ID preferred by
most authorities. and Is favored by tradition
(which dates however. only from Christian
times) indicated by the name Mountain of
Moses" and the erection OF monastery upon
poes haCk O
northern peak of Jebel Musa. known as Raises
safsafeh (6.540 feet), meets the conditions re-
quired. since there Is an open space at It's base
suf6cient to accommodate large encampment
Standing on the lofty summit OF Mount Sinai,
what thoughts and visions are con1ured up as
one contemplates that there on the vast plain OF
Assemblage that stretches before the eye hun
dreds of feet below fifty centuries ago. the com
mandments we're delivered to the assembled chill
dren Of Israel.
Excepting Tor 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 peaceiovng ana
God.fearng monks under Justinan In 527 A. D.
as a protection against the marauding bands
of Bedouins that infested that part of the coun-
try when the wealth of an empire was possessed
by the builders and occupants OF the monastery
in the same condition as when built l.5oo
years ago. Today. however, the Christian world
keeps watchful eye over this mountain monas-
terry and its contents. and the Bedouins knowing
this to be the fact keep on friendly as 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 suf1cent In
ducement for young recruits to join the forces
that year by year are growing smaller In the
course of a 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