The Red Cloud chief., 1913-01-16

Eye = : = ):
HDNI1NMNNCtsN, vealed to Moses during the forty
SAVY}yElKNX days and forty nights" he spent In
S1GZ&tMJ the midst OF u cloud communng with
fSX y the God OF the chosen people.
O-/1WNNS Since that mOmentous and epoch.
ACW making event nations have risen to
" CD mighty power only to go down to
decay and Oblivion. Unpeopled plains nave seen
converted into hives OF Industry. and hives or In
dustry have reverted back to unpeopled plains
New lands have been discovered and peoped and
new seas 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 Mount
Sinai Valley, where tho nation that gave US the
Savior first sprang into prominence, progress mas
stood still. Surrounded by the peaks OF the Forty
Martyrs all In hushed and still on 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 Ras.es 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
beliefs and the foundation OF all law. moral and
civil. Now unpeopled and deserted. the very
lonesomeness OF tho place Is awe-insplrng, ana
the silence OF the tomb Is not more impressive
than the well Of silence" that envelops Rases.
Safsafeh and its surroundings.
The mount which God Is said to have re-
vealed himself to Moses Is situated in the south
~Arn half of the so-called peninsula Of Sinai pro
jecting 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
Serbal a height OF 6.712 feet; n central. tnclud
ing Jebel Musa Mount Of Moses). 1868 feet
and Jebel Katerin, 8537 feet: and eastern
and southern. whose highest peak Is Jebel Umm
shomer. SAC feet. Whether the Biblical Sinai
was Jebel Umm Shomer OF Jebe Musa was long
disputed by leading authorities. The former was
advocated by Eusebus. Jerome. Cosmas lndico'
pleustes and In more 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
Noses" and the erection OF monastery upon
II which goes back to the days OF Justinian. The
northern peak OF Jebel Musa known rs Ras-es-
Safsafeh (6540 feet). meets the conditions re-
Iuired since there is open space at It's base
suficient to accommodate large encampment.
Standing on the lofty summit OF Mount Sinai.
what thoughts and visions are conured up as
one contemplates that there the vast plain OF
Assemblage that stretches before the eye hun
dreds OF feet below. ifty centuries ago, the com
mandments were deverd 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 627 A. d.
AS a protection against the maraudlng 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 a watchfui eye this mountain monas
terry and its contents and the Bedouns, 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 sufficient 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 a memory to remind
one Of the greatness of its founder. Justinan.
Looking northwest from Jebe Musa to Wadi el