The Madison journal. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1888-current, 1913-01-18

- - ORE than 5000 years ago there were
!: !"
HS2 gathered at the command Of Moses,
N|Y DI on the plains Of Assemblage in the
vNN VI M valley of Mount Sinai all Of the
IKEA Az children of Israel to listen to the
NzUiH vi reading of the laws that were re-
VYXQRMgEAN, vealed to Moses during the forty
EIEWQNk)BX days and forty nights" he spent In
&@ the midst Of a cloud communing with
the God Of the chosen people.
3ZWNZS Since that momentous and epoch
GItN making event nations have risen to
-0 mighty power, only to go down to
aacav and oblivion Unpeopled plains have been
converted into hives of industry. and hives OF In
dustry have reverted back to unpeopled plains.
New lands have been discovered and peopied ana
new seas have been navigated and charted. Every
vhere 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 Mount
Sinai Valley where the nation that gave us tne
Savior first sprang into prominence progress mas
stood still Surrounded by the peaks OF the Forty
Martyrs all is hushed and still the plain where
once the hum of thousands Of voices was heard. and
where the valley rang with the resounding march
Of the hosts Of Israel
On the peak of Raises Safsafeh, the cross the
symbol Of Christianity has been planted on the very
spot upon which Moses the great law giver and
leader of the Jews, stood and gave to his people
the ten commandments the basis Of all religious
beiefs and the foundation Of all law. moral and
OWL. NOW unpeOpleQ anu ueseTteu' INC 'oiy
lonesomeness of the place is aweinspiring and
the "silence of the tomb" Is not more impressive
than the well of silence" that envelops Raises
0afsafeh and its surroundings.
The mount on which God is said to have re-
yesled 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 a mass OF granite and
IL ha dpfd cd
three groups a northwestern, reaching IN Jebei
Eerbal height Of 6,712 feet; central includ'
ing Jebel Musa Mount Of Moses), 1858 feet,
and Jebel Katerin. 1857 feet; and an eastern
and southern whose highest peak is Jebel Umm
Ehomer SAC 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 INDIGO
pleustes, and In more modern times by Lepsus
and Ebers. Jebel Musa, however is preferred by
most authorities and is favored by tradition
(Which dates, however, only from Christian
times), indicated by the name Mountain OF
Noses" and the erection Of monastery upon
It which goes back to the days Of Justinian The
northern peak Of Jebe Musa. known as Ras-es-
Safsafeh (6,540 feet, meets the conditions re-
CURED since there is open space at its base
sunncient to accommodate a large encampment
Standing on the lofty summit Of Mount Sinai,
what thoughts and visions conjured 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 were deliverd to the assembled chill
dren Of Israel.
Excepting for the Mount Sinai monastery.
which from these heights looks like a little toy
fort built Of blocks, the region is still and
hushed and almost deserted The massive walls
of the monastery raised by the peaceloving and
Godfearing monks under Justinian in 527 A. d
las 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
ARE In the same condition when built 1900
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
visiting terms with the monks.
In the monastery stored the priceless
books narrating the history Of Christianity in
the tongue of every Christian nation. Slowly
the brotherhood Of Mount Sinai monks dy
ing out, there being but twenty twenty-five
1t 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 are growing smaller. In the
course Of few years the Treasurer of the
monastery will remain but a memory to remind
one Of the greatness of its founder. Justinian.
Looking northwest from Jebel Musa to Wadi ell