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Mount Karkom (Israel)

Mount Karkom

Mount Karkom

In the southwest Negev desert, in Israel, there is the Mount of Karkom – Har Karkom, also called Jabal Ideid in Arabic.

It was one of the main objectives during our journey to Israel in December of 2013 to visit Mount Karkom and study the religious and spiritual significance of this astounding place, and to witness one of the most spectacular natural phenomena – the “Burning Bush”, which can be observed for several weeks a year, in winter, when the sun bends low over the horizon.

According to a number of Bible scholars and archeologists, Mount Karkom is the very Biblical Mount Sinai, on which the Lord gave Moses the Tablets of the Law. One of the most ardent supporters of this theory is Italian by origin (and Israeli by his second citizenship) archeologist Emmanuel Anati.

As they came out of Egypt and headed for the Promised land, the children of Israel moved toward Petra. Their journey on the Sinai peninsula was more or less straightforward, and Mount Karkom was the first spot where they camped; and it was at this very site where the Lord called Moses to come up to Him on the mountain.

Altar of Twelve Stones

Altar of Twelve Stones

When Emmanuel Anati carried out his excavations in the Mount Karkom area, he discovered a large cult monument, which was used from the times of Upper Paleolithic period to the Bronze Age; it had many altars, cromlechs1, menhirs2 and more than fourty thousand cave drawings.

On the basis of his findings and discoveries, made at Mount Karkom, Anati supports the idea that it is the very Mount Sinai that is mentioned in the Bible. Nevertheless, chronologically, the discovered monument doesn’t match the dating of the Biblical Exodus.

Picture of Delivering Woman with her Husband Standing nearby and Praying

Picture of Delivering Woman with her Husband Standing nearby and Praying

The peak of the religious activity on Mount Karkom falls upon 2350-2000 years before our Era, and altogether this place was abandoned by people between 1950-1900 years BE, whereas the Book of Exodus is usually dated back between 1600-1200 years BE. In order to bridge the gap, Emmanuel Anati proposed to shift back the dating of the Biblical events, but his point of view does not have everyone’s support.

But let us leave alone the discussions among the scholars and turn to the books of the Holy Scriptures, to refresh our memory, or to learn how the Old Testament prophet Moses under God’s guidance led the sons of Israel into the Promised land. Concerning these historic events there is a record in the book of Exodus – one of the five books of Moses.

Picture of Tablets

Picture of Tablets

«Now Moses was tending the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian, and he led the flock to the far side of the wilderness and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. There the angel of the Lord appeared to him in flames of fire from within a bush. Moses saw that though the bush was on fire it did not burn up. So Moses thought, “I will go over and see this strange sight—why the bush does not burn up. ”When the Lord saw that he had gone over to look, God called to him from within the bush, “Moses! Moses!”

And Moses said, “Here I am.”

“Do not come any closer,” God said. “Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground.” Then he said, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob.” At this, Moses hid his face, because he was afraid to look at God.

Burning Bush (photo from botinok.co.il)

Burning Bush (photo from botinok.co.il)

The Lord said, “I have indeed seen the misery of my people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their slave drivers, and I am concerned about their suffering. So I have come down to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land into a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey—the home of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites. And now the cry of the Israelites has reached Me, and I have seen the way the Egyptians are oppressing them. So now, go. I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring My people the Israelites out of Egypt.”»

Burning Bush (photo from botinok.co.il)

Burning Bush (photo from botinok.co.il)

This is how chapter 3 of the Book of Exodus starts, verses one through ten. Moses was shepherding the flock on his father-in-law’s pastures. And one of those days in the desert the Lord appeared to Moses from within a burning thorn bush, which was not consumed by fire. Indeed, it was a great and inexplicable phenomenon which is called by people the Burning Bush. In our days, this name is used to denote a natural phenomenon that can be observed near Mount Karkom in the Negev desert only in winter, when the winter sun lowers down over the horizon, and as its light goes through a cave and is reflected on the rocks, it creates an impression of a burning fire. But in my opinion, Mount Karkom is the object worthy of our special attention, as well as many archeological monuments that are located near it. For as I have already mentioned above, according to the thought of some scientists and archeologists, Mount Karkom is the very legendary Mount Sinai, which is mentioned in the Holy Scriptures.

«On the first day of the third month after the Israelites left Egypt—on that very day—they came to the Desert of Sinai. After they set out from Rephidim, they entered the Desert of Sinai, and Israel camped there in the desert in front of the mountain.

Burning Bush

Burning Bush

Then Moses went up to God, and the Lord called to him from the mountain and said, “This is what you are to say to the descendants of Jacob and what you are to tell the people of Israel: ‘You yourselves have seen what I did to Egypt, and how I carried you on eagles’ wings and brought you to Myself. Now if you obey Me fully and keep My covenant, then out of all nations you will be My treasured possession. Although the whole earth is Mine, you will be for Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words you are to speak to the Israelites.” So Moses went back and summoned the elders of the people and set before them all the words the Lord had commanded him to speak. The people all responded together, “We will do everything the Lord has said.” So Moses brought their answer back to the Lord.

The Lord said to Moses, “I am going to come to you in a dense cloud, so that the people will hear Me speaking with you and will always put their trust in you.” Then Moses told the Lord what the people had said.

And the Lord said to Moses, “Go to the people and consecrate them today and tomorrow. Have them wash their clothes and be ready by the third day, because on that day the Lord will come down on Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people. Put limits for the people around the mountain and tell them, ‘Be careful that you do not approach the mountain or touch the foot of it. Whoever touches the mountain is to be put to death. They are to be stoned or shot with arrows; not a hand is to be laid on them. No person or animal shall be permitted to live.’ Only when the ram’s horn sounds a long blast may they approach the mountain.”

After Moses had gone down the mountain to the people, he consecrated them, and they washed their clothes. Then he said to the people, “Prepare yourselves for the third day. Abstain from sexual relations.”

On the morning of the third day there was thunder and lightning, with a thick cloud over the mountain, and a very loud trumpet blast. Everyone in the camp trembled. Then Moses led the people out of the camp to meet with God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain. Mount Sinai was covered with smoke, because the Lord descended on it in fire. The smoke billowed up from it like smoke from a furnace, and the whole mountain trembled violently. As the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder, Moses spoke and the voice of God answered him. The Lord descended to the top of Mount Sinai and called Moses to the top of the mountain. So Moses went up and the Lord said to him, “Go down and warn the people so they do not force their way through to see the Lord and many of them perish. Even the priests, who approach the Lord, must consecrate themselves, or the Lord will break out against them.”

Moses said to the Lord, “The people cannot come up Mount Sinai, because You Yourself warned us, ‘Put limits around the mountain and set it apart as holy.’”

The Lord replied, “Go down and bring Aaron up with you. But the priests and the people must not force their way through to come up to the Lord, or He will break out against them.”

So Moses went down to the people and told them.»

This is how chapter 19 of the Book of Exodus begins and ends. In chapter 20 of Exodus there is a list of all ten God’s Commandments which were declared by the Lord and later cut on the Tablets.

«And God spoke all these words:

“I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. “You shall have no other gods before Me.

“You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation of those who hate Me, but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love Me and keep My commandments.

“You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses His name.

“Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns. For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but He rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.

“Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you.

“You shall not murder.

“You shall not commit adultery.

“You shall not steal.

“You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.

“You shall not covet your neighbor’s house. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his male or female servant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.»

For a believing person the name of Mount Sinai has symbolic significance. For a believer the place does not mean that much, what matters is the event itself and the fact that it happened. And this important historic event was the fact of receiving God’s Commandments.

Of course, if one is to study the history of Exodus of the sons of Israel in full, and the story of receiving the God’s Commandments as well, one can still learn a lot of interesting facts. But our purpose was to study Mount Karkom and see whether it can really be the historic site described in the Bible, near which the twelve tribes of Israel camped as they were coming out of Egypt, and where the Lord entered into a Covenant with them and handed them the Commandments of God.

Among a great number of cave pictures, the one that deserves, probably, most attention is a picture upon which, according to some scholars and archeologists, the very Tablets of the Law are portrayed. Of course, they look different from the traditional Tablets that we are accustomed to see in written sources. This is not two stone plates, but just one. One can surmise that it is the picture of the tablet because of the sequence of the Commandments upon it. First, there are two most important commandments between God and man – they are made distinct and portrayed as horns that decorated the ancient altars. Then there are six so-called social commandments, which regulated human relationships. The Covenant concludes with another two commandments that connect man and God.

After journeying to Mount Karkom and studying scientific and historic theories and archeological discoveries, and feeling the energy and “magic” of this place, I was convinced that Mount Karkom is the very Biblical site – Mount Sinai, where the Lord through prophet Moses handed to the sons of Israel the Commandments of God cut on the Tablets of the Law.

1Cromlech – is an ancient construction that consists of several cut or uncut oblong stones that are set vertically in the ground to form one or more concentric circles.

2Menhir – is a natural stone roughly cut by man with its vertical size significantly exceeding the horizontal one.

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