a
year. Hundreds of years later, Elijah retreated to a cave in the mountain
when Jezebel threatened to kill him (this incident is related in 1 Kings
19). Clearly Mount Sinai was a sacred site for the Israelites and, because
of the importance of the Ten Commandments, an important site for the entire
world. So how is it that no one knows where Mount Sinai is?
The traditional location of Mount Sinai is a mountain called Jabal Musa, located in the Sinai peninsula. It has been the supposed site of the mountain ever since Emperor Constantine sent an expedition to locate the mountain in the 300s AD, and built a monastary at the base of the mountain. Through the years, several nearby mountains have been suggested, but Jabal Musa has always been the generally accepted location. Recently, however, there have been doubters.
In 1988, two men - Larry Williams and Bob Cornuke
- became convinced that Mount Sinai was not in the Sinai Peninsula. Instead,
they believed that Mount Sinai was in fact a mountain called Jabal
al Lawz, which was located in extreme northwestern Saudi Arabia. This
theory was not new, but their discoveries at Jabal al Lawz convinced them
- 
and
many Bible scholars - that Jabal al Lawz was Mount Sinai.
However, there are many scholars who believe neither of these theories. Some do not believe that Mount Sinai has been located, but others propose other locations for Mount Sinai.
There are plenty of unanswered questions that do not directly concern Mount Sinai, but are very important in understanding the Exodus. For an overview of these important questions, go to the Unanswered Questions page.
Finally, I have compiled a list of books and web sites that have assisted me in my research. For information on those resources, go to the Works Consulted page.
Note: There are several ways to spell the Arabic word Jabal (meaning mountain). In this site, I have chosen to spell it Jabal, but in quotations from other scholars you may find it spelled Jebel or Gebel. Similarly, Aqaba can be spelled many different ways.
Web site created and maintained by Katie Roberts. Last update: 10/18/04. See a list of changes made since the history fair.