Recent Archeological Adventures

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One Saturday morning at 10 am I began to read "The Gold of Exodus." I couldn't put it down until 1 am the next morning. It is an extraordinary adventure story on the order of "Raiders of the Lost Ark" -- except it is non-fiction rather than fiction. It is a story of two non-believing adventures who want to steal a cache of gold allegedly buried by Moses at the base of Mount Sinai. You need to read it. I bought my copy through Amazon.com.

The traditional site of Mount Sinai is in the southern portion of the Sinai Peninsula. However, the two adventurers are convinced that they have found the true Mount Sinai in the northwestern corner of Saudi Arabia.

As I surfed the net, my books and atlases, and a seminary library, I found that not only have various adventurers found the true Mount Sinai, but some claim to have found the Ark of the Covenant, Noah's ark, and bunches of other Biblical stuff. Lots of books, videos, TV shows, Christian radio specials, and web sites seek to convince. The question then looms, are these reports actually reliable?

The true Mount Sinai has been found at three locations.

The tradition that the true Mount Sinai is in the southern part of the Sinai Peninsula can only be traced back to the early part of the first millennium AD. Aviram Perevolotsky and Israel Finkelstein believe that around 324 AD monks moved into Southern Sinai and located where they could find water. Later they associated the physical features of the land with the Exodus story. Most will say that there is no archeological evidence available in the whole peninsula from the time of the Exodus, early or late date, except for evidences of Egyptian activity on the northern coastal strip. The tourists started coming and now it is written, so to speak, in stone ("The Southern Sinai Exodus Route in Ecological Perspective," Biblical Archaeology Review, July/August 1985, pp. 27-41). Few scholars will argue that the traditional site is the actual site.

The two adventurers I spoke of earlier, Larry Williams and Robert Cornuke, believe that Jabal al Lawz is in Saudi Arabia. Let me review some of their arguments:

In Galatians 4:25, the Apostle Paul says that Mount Sinai is located in Arabia. Today that area is called Saudi Arabia. However, it is quite certain that in Paul's day Arabia was thought of as including the Sinai Peninsula. You can confirm this by consulting any reputable Bible atlas like the Harper Atlas of the Bible and the Macmillan Bible Atlas.

Exodus 3:1 states that Mount Sinai is in Midian which was just east of the Gulf of Aqaba in the area now known as Saudi Arabia. Although some will criticize this understanding thinking that Midianites were nomadic. But most acknowledge an area actually designated as Midian (again see the atlases like Hammond's Atlas of Bible Lands). Others do not believe that Mount Sinai was in Midian because Jethro went back to his country, Midian, after meeting Moses in the vicinity of Mount Sinai (Exodus 18:27). However, the Hebrew for "country" can also refer to territories in a larger area (Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament, 1:74-5). It could mean Jethro left the Mount Sinai area of Midian and returned to the area of Midian in which he resided. Williams and Cornuke probably have a good point, we should be looking in ancient Midian for the true Mount Sinai ("Frank Moore Cross, an Interview, Israelite Origins," Bible Review, August 1992, pp. 23-32, 61-63, remembering Cross is not a conservative scholar).

Williams obtained satellite pictures which are believed to contain evidence of the route of the exodus from Egypt to Jabal al Lawz (The Gold of Exodus). However, these pictures need to be studied by independent experts.

Williams and Cornuke believe the Jews used an underwater land bridge across the mouth of the Gulf of Aqaba when God parted the sea. It is about thirty feet below the surface.

The Hebrew word "Red Sea" (Exodus 13:18; 15:4, 22) is often translated "Reed Sea" in order to identify the Exodus crossing of the sea with the reed filed area which extends from the north end of the Gulf of Suez. However, the expression is also used of the Gulf of Aqaba (1 Kings 9:26). Indeed, most of the uses of "Red Sea" refer to areas other than the "Reed Sea." The traditional Mount Sinai is usually connected with a crossing through the "Reed Sea." Jabal la Lawz is associated with a crossing through the Gulf of Aqaba. The Hebrew will support either site.

In addition Williams and Cornuke claim to have found Marah (Exodus 15:22-23) and Elim (Exodus 15:27) on the way to Jabal al Lawz and a charred peak (Exodus 19:18), boundary markers (Exodus 19:23), the golden calf altar with a cult engraving of an Egyptian bovine (Exodus 32:4-5), the stone altar with twelve pillars (Exodus 24:4-5), the split rock of Horeb (Exodus 17:6), and the cave of Elijah (1 Kings 19:8, 13) at Jabal al Lawz.

A review in the July 1999 edition of the Biblical Archaeology Review accuses Williams and Cornuke or the author of The God of Exodus, Howard Blum, of rearranging facts. The book indicates that in 1988 a professor read an article to Williams and Cornuke indicating that Jabal al Lawz could be the true Mount Sinai. This was allegedly one of the reasons the team decided to investigate the mountain. However, the article was not published until 1992 ("Frank Moore Cross, an Interview, Israelite Origins," Bible Review, August 1992, pp. 23-32, 61-63).

Ron Wyatt provided the map Williams and Cornuke used to find Jabal al Lawz (The God of Exodus). His stories can be found at www.anchorstone.com/wyatt/number2.html, at www.anchorstone.com/wyatt/number6.html, and at other sites on the internet.

Wyatt believed he discovered the crossing point of the Gulf of Aqaba directly west of Jabal al Lawz. An underwater bridge can also be found at this site about three hundred feet below the surface. He also said he discovered pillars marking the crossing. There was no inscription on the pillar on the Sinai Peninsula side of the gulf because it has been damaged. Wyatt said the pillar on the Saudi Arabia side was inscribed in Hebrew and indicates Solomon installed the pillars to commemorate the crossing. The eastern pillar has disappeared. Wyatt also claimed to have found chariot parts in the gulf at the crossing site. However, there are non-first hand reports indicating Wyatt planted the parts.

Wyatt reported he also found a Hebrew inscription at Jabal al Lawz. He buried it at the site and it apparently has never been seen by anyone else. He also found a cave, an altar, a golden calf altar, a stone altar, the rock of Horeb, and other items.

Wyatt's web page indicates that Astronaut Jim Irwin (another archeological adventurer) was told by Saudi Arabian scholars that the items found at Jabal al Lawz have no connection with Solomon or Moses.

At one point in his adventure, Wyatt exercised a previously unknown ability to speak in tongues which helped him escape from authorities.

Some of Wyatt's reports evolve into theological discussions supporting Seventh Day Adventists' theology. He has said that he was helped in finding the crossing by the book, "Patriarchs and Prophets," written by Prophetess, Ellen G. White, who was one of the founders of the Seventh Day Adventist Church and who experienced over one hundred visions.

One non-first hand report has Wyatt failing a lie detector test concerning his discoveries. Another report has his public relations agent crediting him with an bogus doctorate in antiquities.

Ron Wyatt passed away in August 1999.

But do not fear. A recognized archeologist has found that Har Karkom, located near the Israel border with Egypt, is the true Mount Sinai (Emmanuel Anati, "Has Mt. Sinai Been Found?" Biblical Archaeology Review, July/August 1985, pp. 43-57)! Anati offers the following finds in order to buttress his candidate: (1) 35,000 engravings of cultic rock art including what he has interpreted as pictures of the tablets on which the Ten Commandments were written and other Biblical scenes. (2) an altar with twelve pillars. (3) water and space for Moses's camp of 2,000,000 persons. (4) remains of numerous campsites. (4) a cleft in the rock (cave) for Moses and Elijah. (5) a model of the tabernacle.

Unfortunately, there is no evidence of human occupation at this site at the time of the early or late dates of the Exodus. But Anati is so sure that Har Karkom is the true Mount Sinai that he suggests changing of the date of the Exodus to the third millennium--which is impossible (William H. Stiebing, Jr., "Should the Exodus and the Israelite Settlement be Redated?" Biblical Archaeology Review, July/August 1985, pp. 58-69).

So, where is the real Mount Sinai? Hershel Shanks, editor of the Biblical Archaeological Review says, "Jabal al-Lawz is the most likely site for Mount Sinai, but we need a serious archeological investigation ("Religion: On the Trail of the Real Mount Sinai," Newsweek, February 23, 1998, p. 56)." All I can conclude is that a site in the ancient land of Midian is probably the place to look.

Come back to this site often. The Ark of the Covenant has been found at several locations! Later on, a link will be added to a discussion of those finds.