Carroll County democrat. (Huntingdon, Tenn.) 188?-1971, 1913-01-17

CT mighty power, only 10 go down U
decay and oblivion. Unpeopled plains have bee
converted into hives of Industry, and hives q II
dustry have reverted back to unpeopled plains
New lands have been discovered and peopled an
new seas have been navgated and charted. Every
where progress has changed the physical condition
Of the people Everywhere progress has change
the historical and geographical Importance OF ma
lions and countries Here, alone, In the Noun
Sinai Valley, where the nation that gave us thu
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 where
once the hum Of thousands Of voices was heard ant
where the valley rang with the resounding marcel
of the hosts Of Israel.
On the peak Of Ras-es-Safsafeh, the cross, thu
symbol of Christianity has been planted on the very
spot upon which Moses, the great law giyer anC
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 and
civil Now unpeopIed and deserted, the very
Ionesomeness Of the place Is aweinspring, and
the silence of the tomb is not more impressive
than the well OF silence" that envelops Raises
Safsafeh and Its surroundings
The mount on which God is said to have re-
vealed himself to Moses Is situated In the south
ern half OF the socaed peninsula OF Sinai, pro
tecting 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
porphyry mountains which may be divided into
three groups, a northwestern, reaching in Jebel
Serial height OF 6712 feet; a central includ-
ing Jebel Musa Mount Of Moses), 1858 feet,
and Jebe Katerin, 1887 feet; and an eastern
and southern, whose highest peak Is JeDei Umm
shomer S449 feet Whether the Biblical Sinai
was Jebel I1mm Shomer Of Jebel Musa was long
disputed by leading authorities The former was
advocated by Eusebius, Jerome, Cosmas Indico-
pIeustes and insmOre modern times by Lepsius
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
Moses and the erection Of q monastery upon
4 which goes back to the days Of Justinian. The
northern peak OF Jebel Musa, known as Raises
safsafeh (654O feeD, meets the conditions re-
ouired since there is an open space at Its base
aufficient to accommodate large encampment
Standing on the lofty summit OF Mount Sinai
what thoughts and visions are 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 we're delivered to the assembled chill
dren Of Israel
Fxcepting for the Mount Sinai monastery,
which from these heights looks like little toy
sovt hIf,t Of blocks the region is still and
hnshed and almost deserted The massive walls
OF the monastery raised by the peaeeloVlhg anu
rod-fearing monks under Justinian IN 677 A. D.
-as protection against the maTaudtng bands
Of Bedouins that infested that part of the eoun-
nv when the wealth OF empire was possessed
by the builders and occupants Of the monastery
ara In the same condition as when built 1900
years ago Today, however, the Christian world
Teens watchful eye over this mountain monas
.erv and its contents, and the Bedoutns, knowing
Ms 10 be the fact, keep on friendly rs well as
yissting terms with the monks
n the monastery are stored the priceless
,ooka narrating the history Of Christianity in
ne tongue Of every Christian nation Slowly
re brotherhood Of Mount Sinai monks are dy-
IS out there being but twenty or twenty-five
4 the present time The life and the pay-not
roueh to buy tobacco-are not sufaeient IN
cement for young recruits to join the forces
: wear BY year are growing smaller. In the
~ 81 few years the Treasurer Of the
astery VIII remain but memory to remind
IF ire greatness Of It's founder 5ustinian.
King northwest from Jebel AusA to Wadi 81