Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1913-01-22

- ORE than 5000 years ago there were
! !
81 81 gathered at the command of Moses,
z In QNIY mi on the plains of Assemplage in the
q RNV WI IM valley of Mount Sinai, all Of the
4 N4MN M children Of Israel to listen to the
lk&9Nh WI reading of the laws that were re-
lVta(7 QFMXR|HSN vealed to Moses during the forty
&SSTQ|N[glRI4yX days and forty nights" he spent ID
b G22YI the midst Of cloud communing Win
the God OF the chosen people.
&@16VMS Since that momentous and epoch
. HHN\SA making event nations have risen TO
~ - % mighty power, only to go down 70
docov and oblivion Unpeoped plains have oeen
converted into hives Of industry. and nlves Oh III
dustry have reverted back to unpeopiea p1a aas
New lands have been discovered and peopiea dilu
nov aeas have been navigated and charteo. Every
who're nroeress has changed the physical conditlon
Of the people, Everywhere progress mas cnensea
the historical and geographical importance ~ ~ 10
tions and countries. Here, alone, IN the Aouli.
sinai Valley where the nation that gave US Jus
savior Arst sprang into prominence, progress mas
stood still Surrounded by the peaks OF the rory
Martyrs" all is hushed and still on the pam wieie
once the hum of thousands OF voices was hearu' au
where the valley rang Win Tue Acoooe -
of the hosts Of Israeli
On the peak of RasesS afsafeh the cross tue
symbol Of Christianity has been planted on tne 'el
spot upon which Noses the great Ia" eiVei anu
leader of the Jews stood and gave to his people
the ten commandments the basis OF all rengous
beliefs and the foundation OF all law, morai anu
civil Now unpeopled and deserted the very
3lonesomeness OF the place Is awe-nspirlns, anu
<
Than the i"yeil OF silence that envelopS Has'es
Safsafeh and its surroundings.
The mount on which God Is said to nave re-
vaalad himself to Moses is situated In the SOUTH
am hair Of the socaled peninsula Of Sinai, pro-
1ectinR into the northern extremity OF the heo
sea- between the Gulf Of suez on the west aho
the Gulf OF Akabah on the east This park OF tne
peninsula consists Of mass OF granlte ana
nornhyry mountains which may be divided into
three groups a northwestern reaching IN Jeoe
serbal height Of 6.7l2 feet central, anclu ".
ing Jebel Musa Mount Of Moses), 1893 1eee'
and Jebel Katern, 1857 feet; and an eastern
I and southern, whose highest peak is Jebel Umm
shomer SAG feet. Whether the Biblical Sinai
was Jebel Umm Shomer OF Jebel Musa was ions
disputed by leading authorities. Inc former was
advocated by Eusebius, Jerome, Cosmas lnolco-
nleustes and in more modern times by Lepslus
and Ebers. Jebel Musa, however, is preferred oy
most authorities and Is favored by traoAtioh
(which dates, however. only from Christian
times) indicated by the name Mountain OF n
Moses" and the erection of monastery upon
1t which goes back to the days OF Justinfan. me
northern peak OF Jebel Musa, known as Has-es
safsafeh (6,540 feet), meets the condtions re-
ouired since there Is an open space AT us base
suf9cient to accommodate large encampmenLT
Standing on the lofty summit of Mount Sinai,
what thoughts and visions are con1ureo up as
one contemplates that there on the vast pam OF
Assemblage that stretches before the eye nun
dreds of feet below fifty centuries ago. the com
mandments were delivered to the assembled chill
dren of Israel.
Excepting for the mount ihonooeeA''
which from these heights looks like little toy
fort built of blocks the region Is still anu
hushed and almost deserted. The massive "ails
of the monastery raised by the peaceloving and
God-fearing monks under Justinian IN 521 A. ~.
as protection against the marauding bands
of Bedouns 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 as when built l,ooo
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
i 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
q course of a 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