of Moses to its real base; consequently, the distance was considerable; this coincides with our remark on mount Sinai, on Exod. xxiv.

8thly, Characters coarsely engraven, apparently with some pointed instrument of iron in the rock. I take for granted that these characters are ancient; whether so ancient as the days of Job, I do not af firm; but this seems to be an instance agreeable to the desire of Job, chap. xix. 23, 24.

O! that my words were now written!
O! that they were firmly cut in a book!

By an iron pen upon lead, the leaden leaves of a book;
Or, in a lasting rock cut deeply.

That Job had the thought of perpetuity attending such incisions in the live rock is evident, and with the utmost propriety, as Niebuhr's account demon

strates.

9thly, When the waters are gone off the valley it is soon covered with grass. No doubt it was the same in the valley of Paran, and around where Israel was encamped; this assists in accounting for the means whereby the cattle of the camp were fed, for they, we presume, did not subsist on the manna.

10thly, We have supposed that of the same nature as these roving tribes of independent Arabs, was the Amelek which attacked Israel, which Joshua discomfited, and which Saul exterminated, Exod. xvii. 8, 14; 1 Sam. xv. 3, 18.

11thly, The stress laid by Niebuhr on the beauty of the springs on mount Sinai, on the goodness of their water, and their abundant supply, deserves our especial consideration. Was Moses acquainted with Was Moses acquainted with these springs, and their excellency? One would think so: and that he did not mean to bring his caravan to a spot where no water was procurable to quench their thirst. In short, he led them to where the best in quality, and the most in quantity, which this region afforded, was to be found; and when, whether through an increased demand for it, or a scanty supply, owing perhaps to unfavourable seasons, it proved insufficient, then the Divine goodness opened a breach in the rock, which, could it be distinguished, runs most probably like the fountain of Samson, unto this day.

We observe, moreover, that Niebuhr says, the springs do not form streams of a permanent description. It may, nevertheless, be conjectured, that Moses was acquainted with some that did run constantly; though, perhaps, when they reached the

Niebuhr says he did not go to the west of Sinai ; probably, therefore, his map is in these parts drawn from an estimate by his eye; the same I suppose of the southern parts of his map. If Dr. Shaw had been his equal in the art of design, we might have put more confidence in his map than we can at present. We have, however, traced Dr. Shaw's route on the map of Niebuhr; which, from Suez to Elim, seems to have been precisely that of the ancient Israelites. In fact, the mountains seem to determine the track decidedly; but, at Elim, the reader will observe two courses to Sinai: one leading N. E. as direct as may be to the Greek convent; the other to the south of mount Sinai. Dr. Shaw seems in his map to have marked the latter, while his narrative agrees only with the former. If there be any passable way to the south, it were very desirable that it should be inspected: as possibly it may have been the scene of interesting events.

It will be observed that we have added those Scripture names which appear to be ascertained by Dr. Shaw; and, in this respect, we have preferred his opinion to that of Niebuhr.

On the whole, we hope this Map will communicate information of a desirable kind to the reader; and contribute to render the route of the Israelites to mount Sinai better understood by those who wish to obtain a competent acquaintance with this part of their Bibles. The addition of the view of mount Sinai from Tor, not only shews how that mountain appears when seen from the Red Sea, but enables us to judge of the distance to which that mountain commands a prospect.

This is no less true of mount Sinai than of any other mountain; itself a granite rock, and surrounded on all sides by granite rocks, it offers much the same aspect to beholders now, as it did when Moses fed his flock around it, or when he was here the "King in Jeshurun."

By inquiring what is the present character, geography, and appearance of this mountain, we may better understand some of those histories of which it was anciently the seat, and of which we read in Scrip

ture.

Baumgarten travelled to mount Sinai A.D. 1505. After describing, with resentment, the impositions he suffered from the Arabs, he tells us :

"About the second hour of the night we went up to mount Horeb. There were in company with us two Greek monks, whom they call Calageri, and three Arabians who lived in the monastery of St. Catharine; whom our interpreter had deputed to be our guides, himself being so fat that he could not climb to such a height. We ascended the mountain by the light of the moon, and carried victuals and other necessaries along with us; we often rested ourselves by the way to recover our lost breath, and encouraged and roused one another to undergo the labour. The ascent of this hill is both steep and high, and, as the monks that were our guides told us, it has seven thousand steps of square stone, besides the greater part where the ascent is natural. Having come half way up the mountain we found a chapel dedicated to Mary, and within it a pure spring that was very useful to strangers.

"From thence we went to Helias's chapel, where they say he staid when he fled from Jezebel, 1 Kings, xix. At last, after much sweating and a great deal of toil and labour, we reached the top of mount Horeb, where in most humble posture we offered up our most hearty thanks to Almighty God who had preserved us hitherto.

"From thence we went to the church dedicated to our blessed Saviour which is built in that place, where, as it is said, Moses spake with the Lord and received the tables of the law, Exod. xxxiv. Hard by that church is a rock, the highest in all the mountain, and twenty paces round, in which place the Lord is said to have talked with Moses, while it smoked and looked terrible with clouds, thunder and lightning; and indeed to this day both this and some other neighbouring mountains shine with a sort of brightness resembling that of polished copper. About fifteen paces from hence is a Saracen mosque, built over the place where Moses is said to have fasted forty days and forty nights, by a special Divine assistance, before he received the law, Exod. xxiv. In the church dedicated to our Saviour we lay down on

"On the 18th about sunrising we came down the west side of mount Horeb, by a very steep and dangerous way; and came into a valley betwixt mount Horeb and Sinai, in which was a monastery dedicated to forty saints, where, refreshing ourselves a little, we left our baggage under the care of a certain monk." To ascend Sinai,

"We began our journey, with much more toil and danger than in mount Horeb. For by this time the sun had reached the middle of the heavens, and the tops of the mountains with which we were surrounded intercepted the cool and refreshing breezes; and besides, such was our stupidity, that we had quite forgot to bring bread with us, and our perfidious guides had made us believe that we should find water enough on the mount.

"The ascent was both slippery and steep, insomuch that we were for the most part forced to make use of all four; which way of creeping was so uneasy, that I cannot express how wearisome and dangerous it was, and how strong one's knees must needs be that could endure it. For while one that is going up treads upon these stones that lie loose, they presently yield; and in a steep ascent, if one does not take care to set his feet warily, if one of the stones be moved out of its place, the rest follow, and tumble down upon the followers. And besides, while we were below, the roughness of them was very uneasy to us, because they were often tumbling down, and we were forced to handle them often when we were beginning to scramble up: but having got up higher, we were a little refreshed by a cooler breeze, and the sight of the goats that were running along the rocks diverted in some measure the thoughts of the toil. Afterward refreshing ourselves with a little sugar, and resuming new vigour, we encountered the difficulty again, and sometimes climbing, sometimes creeping, we had almost quite lost our breath, and were mightily distressed.

"And besides, the monks and Arabians were so tired that they could hardly know the mountain; for there were a great many high tops of mountains so like one another, that for a long time it was very hard to tell which was which, if there had not been some heaps of stones lying here and there, which had been gathered by others to direct succeeding travellers in their way; by which means our guides at last coming to know the top of Sinai, got before, and called to us with a great deal of joy; which so inspired us with courage and vigour, that we followed them quickly. But at last the ascent grew so difficult, that all our former toil and labour seemed but sport to this. However we did not give over, but imploring the Divine assistance, we used our utmost endeavour. At last, through untrodden ways, through sharp and hanging

rocks, through clefts and horrible deserts, pulling and drawing one another, sometimes with our belts and sometimes with our hands, by the assistance of Almighty God, we all arrived at the top of the mountain. But our Arabians, who were not spurred on by devotion, and who had no inclination to the thing, thinking it impossible to get up, staid below the rock, admiring our fervour, eagerness, and strength. The top of mount Sinai is scarce thirty paces in compass; there we took a large prospect of the countries round about us, and began to consider how much we had travelled by sea and land, and how much more we had to travel, what hazards and dangers, and what various changes of fortune might probably befall us; while we were thus divided between fear and hope, and possessed with a longing for our native country, it is hard to imagine how much we were troubled.

"Mount Sinai raises its lofty head so far above those of other mountains, and affords such a vast prospect on all hands, that although the Red Sea be three days journey distant from it, it seemed to us but about a gun shot. From thence we saw several desolate islands in that sea, and beyond it the desert and mountains of Thebais, where the hermits, Paulus, Antonius and Macarius, are said to have lived. From thence also we descried Althor, that famous port on the Red Sea, into which all the ships laden with spices from India come; and from thence they are carried on camels through the desert into Alexandria, and distributed almost through all the world.

"But because thirst and the importunity of our guides would not allow us to stay longer, we of fered up our humble devotion to the most high God, and went down; and the descent being easier than the ascent, in a short time, sometimes tumbling, sometimes walking, we came to the middle of the mountain; where finding a little spring, but clear and wholesome, we drank heartily, to make amends for the long thirst we had endured.

"Near the monastery of the forty saints there is a most delightful garden of olive, fig, pomegranate, almond, and several other sorts of trees. Leaving this place, and taking a compass about Horeb, we came to a certain stone at the foot of the mountain, which Moses, as it is recorded, Numb. xx. having struck with his rod, brought forth as much water as served all the men and beasts that were in the Israelites army.

"Though Moses is said to have struck the rock only twice with his rod, yet there are twelve marks or prints on it. A miracle the more wonderful, because this stone, though separated from the rest of the rock, and almost of a square figure, yet is fixed in the ground by only one pointed corner, and consequently not in so fit a posture to extract any moisture from the earth; and therefore its sending forth such abundance of water must have been the work of an Almighty hand, and to this day there comes a sort of

liquor out at one of these marks; which we both saw and tasted.

"Not far from hence is a place where, Numb. xvi. the earth opened its mouth and swallowed up Dathan and Abiram, with their families and all that they had.

"A short way from hence is that well of which Moses made the people drink the waters of malediction, by which many of them died and were buried there, after their adoring the molten calf. Hard by this place is the burial place of the Greek brethren, where

about nine thousand of them are said to be buried.

"Having fetched a compass almost about mount Horeb, near sunset we entered the monastery of St. Catharine; and though we were almost spent with weariness and hunger, yet weariness afflicted us most; for next day we were not able to stand."

The following is from Dr. Shaw's Travels, p. 350. "We were near twelve hours in passing the many windings and difficult ways which lie betwixt the deserts of Sin and Sinai. The latter is a beautiful plain, more than a league in breadth, and nearly three in length, lying open toward the N.E. where we enter it, but is closed up to the southward by some of the lower eminences of mount Sinai. In this direction likewise the higher parts of it make such encroachments upon the plain, that they divide it into two, each of them capacious enough to receive the whole encampment of the Israelites. That which lies to the eastward of the mount, may be the desert of Sinai, properly so called, where Moses saw the angel of the Lord in the burning bush, when he was guarding the flocks of Jethro, Exod. iii. 2. The convent of St. Catharine is built over the place of this divine appear

ance.

It is near three hundred feet square, and more than forty in height, being partly built with stone, partly with mud only and mortar mixed together. The more immediate place of the Shekinah is honoured with a little chapel, which this old fraternity of St. Basil has in such esteem and veneration, that, in imitation of Moses, they put off their shoes from off their feet, when they enter or approach it. This, with several other chapels dedicated to particular saints, are included within the church, as they call it, of the transfiguration, which is a large beautiful structure, covered with lead, and supported by two rows of marble columns. The floor is very elegantly laid out in a variety of devices in Mosaic work: of the same workmanship likewise are both the floor and the walls of the presbyterium, upon the latter whereof is represented the figure of the emperor Justinian, together with the history of the transfiguration. Upon the partition, which separates the presbyterium from the body of the church, there is placed a small marble shrine, wherein are preserved the skull and one of the hands of St. Catharine.

"Mount Sinai hangs over this convent, being called by the Arabs, Jibbel Mousa, The Mountain of

Moses, and sometimes only by way of eminence, El Tor, The Mountain. St. Helena was at the expense of the stone staircase, that was formerly carried up entirely to the top of it; but at present, as most of these steps are either removed, washed out of their places, or defaced, the ascent up to it is very fatiguing, and frequently imposed upon their votaries as a severe penance. However, at certain distances, the fathers have erected, as so many breathing places, several little chapels, dedicated to one or other of their saints, who are always invoked upon these occasions, and, after some small oblation, are engaged to lend their assistance.

"The summit of mount Sinai is somewhat conical, and not very spacious, where the Mahometans as well as Christians, have a small chapel for public worship. Here we were shewn the place where Moses fasted forty days, Exod. xxiv. 18; xxxiv. 28. where he received the law, Exod. xxxi. 18. where he hid himself from the face of God, Exod. xxxiii. 22. where his hand was supported by Aaron and Hur, at the battle with Amalek, Exod. xvii. 9, 12, &c.

"After we had descended, with no small difficulty, down the western side of this mountain, we came into the other plain formed by it, which is Rephidim," Exod. xvii. 1.

Niebuhr informs us, that

"The Arabs call Jibbel Musa, The Mount of Moses, all that range of mountains at the exterior extremity of the valley of Faran; and to that part of the range on which the convent of St. Catharine stands, they give the name of Tur Sina. This similarity of name, owing, most probably, to tradition, affords ground for presumption, that the hill which we had now reached was the Sinai of the Jews, on which Moses received the law. It is, indeed, not easy to comprehend, how such a multitude of people as the Jews, who accompanied Moses out of Egypt, could encamp in those narrow gullies, amidst frightful and precipitous rocks. But, perhaps, there are plains, on the other side of the mountain, that we know not of.

"Two German miles and a half up the mountain, stands the convent of St. Catharine. The body of this monastery is a building one hundred and twenty feet in length, and almost as many in breadth. Before it stands another small building, in which is the only gate of the convent, which remains always shut, except when the bishop is here. At other times, whatever is introduced within the convent, whether men or provisions, is drawn up by the roof in a basket, with a cord and a pulley. The whole building is of hewn stone; which, in such a desert, must have cost prodigious expense and pains.

"Next day our schiechs brought me an Arab, whom they qualified with the title of schiech of mount Sinai. Under the conduct of this newly created lord of Sinai, with our schiechs, I attempted to clam

ber to the summit of that mountain. It is so steep, that Moses cannot have ascended on the side which I viewed. The Greeks have cut a flight of steps up the rock. Pococke reckons three thousand of these steps to the top of the mountain, or rather bare, pointed rock.

"Five hundred steps above the convent, we found a charming spring, which, by a little pains, might be improved into a very agreeable spot. A thousand steps higher, a chapel dedicated to the blessed Virgin; and five hundred above this, two other chapels, situated in a plain, which travellers enter by two small gates of mason work. Upon this plain are two trees, under which, at high festivals, the Arabs are regaled at the expense of the Greeks. My Mahometan guides, imitating the practices which they had seen the pilgrims observe, kissed the images, and repeated their prayers in the chapels. They would accompany me no further; but maintained this to be the highest accessible peak of the mountain; whereas, according to Pococke, I had yet a thousand steps to ascend: I was therefore obliged to return, and content myself with viewing the hill of St. Catharine at a distance."

The result of these informations is, 1st, That there are now goats fed on this mountain: So Moses fed his father Jethro's flock, Exod. iii. 1. and came to the mountain of God, Horeb. Probably the flock he guided and guarded was not numerous, as it should seem that Moses was alone at the time. 2dly, That there are now a considerable number of Arabs resident around it, or who occasionally visit it. 3dly, That there are trees on it, that it yields dates, and that, by cultivation, its fruits are excellent: they are even sent as presents to the bashaw of Cairo. 4thly, That the mountain is seen from a great distance: so that any thing of a striking nature, as a storm of thunder and lightning, &c. may be seen on it even at the Red Sea. 5thly, That the exterior base is far from the central peak or greatest elevation of it, "two German miles and a half," [of 15 to a degree] says Niebuhr. 6thly, That there is no suf ficient open space around the peak wherein a large camp might be arranged: though the valley adjacent to the convent of St. Catharine may hold many persons, yet not many thousand persons: as but narrow and uneven. 7thly, That there is a space of considerable length, nine miles, and breadth three miles, before the exterior base of it. This i Niebuhr's map is marked as a water course; and i still retains the name of Pharan: which was ancient ly that of the district circumjacent. It is uncertai whether the camp of Israel stood in this open space or in any other south of the mountain; but there no place more suitable marked to the south in Ni buhr's map of this neighbourhood.

Tradition is uniform in asserting that the conve