Travelling Through Sinai From the Fourth to the Twenty-First Century

by Manley, Deborah; Abdel-Hakim, Sahar

• ISBN13: 9789774160226
• ISBN10: 9774160223
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2006-11-01
• Publisher: The American University in Cairo Press

Summary

Seated at the crossroads of Asia and Africa, and bounded by the Red Sea and the Mediterranean, Sinai has long attracted travelers to its ancient caravan routes and haunting landscapes. From early Christian pilgrims to medieval merchants and nineteenth-century Europeans on the Grand Tour, visitors to Sinai have frequently left written accounts of their experiences in this historic peninsula. In this wide-ranging anthology, Deborah Manley and Sahar Abdel-Hakim have collected dozens of accounts and observations from travelers who have written about Sinai, its people, its sights, and its historical and biblical landmarks. Starting with Egeria, a fourth-century Christian who relates her visit to Mt. Sinai and the Burning Bush, Traveling through Sinai offers a diverse collection of voices over the centuries. Among them are the German friar Felix Fabri, who visited in 1492, and nineteenth-century antiquarian William Flinders Petrie, giving his impressions of the Bedouins of the peninsula. French novelist Alexandre Dumas writes of meeting two monks in the desert carrying a letter signed by Napoleon, while others describe crossing the canal at Suez, the ancient inscriptions of Wadi Mukattab, and the harrowing experiences of desert travel. For many of the visitors included here, their ultimate destination was St. Catherine's monastery, a major site for Christian pilgrims since its founding in the fourth century. With an array of narratives from the writings of Procopius, Sir John Mandeville, John Lewis Burckhardt, Isabella Bird, Pierre Loti, Michael Haag, and others, Traveling through Sinai offers a varied portrait of this fabled peninsula that has drawn travelers and pilgrims to it for centuries.

Table of Contents

Introduction	p. 1
To Sinai and Back	p. 7
In That Mount Up High, 1425	p. 8
Why People Go There: Pilgrims to Sinai, 1835	p. 8
A Version of the Story, 1437	p. 9
A Monk's Tale, 1836	p. 10
The Peninsula of Sinai, 1864	p. 11
The Wadis, 1872	p. 12
The Climate, 1873	p. 12
The Foundation of the Convent, 7th century	p. 13
From Jerusalem, 384	p. 13
The Routes of the Journey, 12th century	p. 14
Babylon to Mount Sinai, 1322	p. 15
The Routes of the Journey, 1873	p. 17
The Routes of the Journey, 1853	p. 18
On the Sinai Road, 1882	p. 18
Which Route Did the Israelites Take? 1887	p. 19
Did They Go This Way at All? 1845	p. 20
Mount Sinai! All Change! 1938	p. 21
The Place, the People, and the Travelers	p. 23
The Land, 1937	p. 23
The Land, 1920	p. 25
The Story of the Convent, 1739	p. 26
The Building of the Convent, 933-40	p. 27
Who Was St. Catherine? 1938	p. 27
A Building With History, 1865	p. 28
The Mountain of Moyses, 1322	p. 29
Moses before the Exodus, 1846	p. 29
The People, 1920	p. 30
The People of the Land, 1935	p. 30
Making a Living, 1860	p. 31
A Harsh Life, 1882	p. 31
The Arab and the Modern World, 1931	p. 32
The Route Thither and the People Who Followed It 1, 1878	p. 33
The Route Thither and the People Who Followed It 2, 1937	p. 34
No Pleasure Trip, 1878	p. 35
I Could Go On a Journey, 4th century	p. 35
Preparations for the Journey	p. 37
Obtaining Permission, 1843	p. 38
Booking 1, 1816	p. 39
Booking 2, 1878	p. 39
Advice, 1906 Baedeker's Palestine and Syria	p. 40
Our Ghafir or Guard, 1762	p. 40
Sheich Hussein, 1839	p. 41
Companions 1, 1815	p. 41
Companions 2, 1912	p. 41
Preparations 1, 1547	p. 42
Preparations 2, 1835	p. 42
Preparations 3, 1873	p. 43
Clothing 1, 1873	p. 44
Clothing 2, 1839	p. 45
Clothing 3, 1842	p. 45
Preparations 4, 1872	p. 45
Preparations 5, 1878	p. 46
Preparations 6, 1868	p. 46
Servants and Staff, 1762	p. 46
What to Read?	p. 47
No Guidebook, 1835	p. 47
Guided by the Bible, 1846	p. 47
Traveling with the Bible, 1823	p. 48
Reading Burckhardt, 1843	p. 48
Reading Laborde, 1937	p. 48
The Moment of Departure, 1835	p. 49
From Cairo to Suez	p. 51
Setting Out from Cairo, 1845	p. 51
Cairo from a Camel, 1846	p. 52
Donkeys First, 1857 Horatius Bonar	p. 53
Camels, Dromedaries, and Bones, 1835	p. 53
A Joyous Start, 1838	p. 54
Al-Jifar and Its Capital al-Farma, c. 1000	p. 55
Coming from Gaza, 1835	p. 55
Passing through Sinai, 1326	p. 55
To Suez	p. 56
A Hard Journey, 1437	p. 56
Seeing in the Desert, 1820	p. 57
This Desert, 1872	p. 57
Joining the Caravan, 1815	p. 58
The Route, 1843	p. 59
Hardly a Desert, 1852	p. 59
The Parting of the Roads, 1836	p. 60
Trade and Slavery, 1843	p. 61
Suez-Ancient Clysma	p. 61
Clysma, 12th century	p. 61
The Red Sea and Suez, 1722	p. 61
Suez as It Was, 1739	p. 62
Suez in Decay, 1816	p. 62
A Gathering Place, 1835	p. 63
The Mecca Caravan, 1835	p. 64
Sand and Pilgrims, 1853	p. 64
The Suez Hotel, 1873	p. 65
Babel, 1881	p. 65
Onward from Suez by Land, 1861	p. 65
The Route of the Exodus? 1838	p. 66
Routines, Hardships, and Pleasures of the Journey	p. 67
Sweet Fish and Huge Desert, 384	p. 67
In Ancient Times, 1882	p. 68
Our Retinue, 1857	p. 69
With the Caravan, 1792	p. 70
Our Caravan, 1872	p. 70
Our Guides 1, 1820	p. 71
Our Guides 2, 1846	p. 71
Our Guides 3: The Celebrated Hussein, 1846	p. 71
Our Guides 4, 1857	p. 72
The Bedaween, 1878	p. 73
The People of the Peninsula, 1739	p. 74
Desert Mornings, 1816	p. 74
Our Days, 1868	p. 74
The Daily Round, 1860	p. 75
Square Meals in the Desert, 1846	p. 76
The Health of Desert Life, 1868	p. 76
Delusions in the Desert, 1836	p. 77
The End of the Day 1, 1822	p. 77
The End of the Day 2, 1878	p. 78
The End of the Day 3, 1878	p. 78
A Luxurious Camp, 1912	p. 78
Desert Evening, 1845	p. 80
Camping in the Desert, 1908	p. 81
The Night Hours, 1865	p. 81
And the Start of the New Day, 1822	p. 82
The Day of Rest, 1860	p. 82
The Sabbath, 1857	p. 83
Telling the Christian Story, 1892	p. 83
Easter Sunday, 1878	p. 84
In a Weary Land, 1878	p. 84
Coming to Sinai across the Red Sea	p. 87
Traveling from Suez through Wadi Musa	p. 87
The Fountains of Moses, 1722	p. 87
A Beautiful Day, 1822	p. 88
Landing at Wadi Musa, 1846	p. 89
An Evening at Wadi Musa, 1878	p. 90
The Palms of Wadi Musa, 1845	p. 91
Where Was the Miracle? 1865	p. 92
The Route of the Children, 1912	p. 92
By Sea-Suez to Tor	p. 93
Sailing from Suez, 1852	p. 93
Steaming from Suez, 1912	p. 94
Crossing the Red Sea	p. 94
The Sea and the Sailors, 1845	p. 94
Safe at Tor, 1863	p. 95
Wide Desert, Deep Wadis, and High Mountains	p. 97
Onward from Ain Moosa, 1873	p. 97
The Usual Route to Mount Sinai, 1816	p. 98
The Khamsin, 1862	p. 98
Desert Day and Desert Night and Morning, 1894	p. 98
To Wadi Ghurandel	p. 99
The Third Halting Place, 1873	p. 99
Where Are We? 1762	p. 99
Maps and Experience, 1815	p. 101
Plants and Insects, 1816 John	p. 101
Toward the Coast and Tor	p. 101
Reaching the Sea, 1906<	p. 101
By the Sea, 1857	p. 102
Elim and the Seventy Palm Trees, 1721	p. 102
And Ne'er a Drop to Drink, 1878	p. 103
Toward the Mountains	p. 103
My Tongue Rattled in My Mouth, 1878	p. 103
Mountains Ahead, 1853	p. 104
The Mount Sinai Group, 1906 Baedeker's Palestine and Syria	p. 104
Where We Passed, 1912	p. 105
The Road through Sinai, 1852	p. 105
Into the Mountains and Wadis, 1839	p. 106
Lightning, Roads, Engineers and Soldiers, 1867	p. 107
Toward the Wished-for Spot, 1483	p. 108
The Written Valley	p. 109
Wadi Mukkateb-The Written Valley, 1873	p. 109
Of the Mountain Inscriptions, 1762	p. 110
By Whom Were They Written? 1853	p. 110
An Early Interpretation, 1863 and A.D. 535	p. 111
The Wadi Mukkateb, 1877	p. 111
Loiterers'Graffiti, 1854	p. 112
Written Valley to Oasis, 1845	p. 112
Careless Writing, 1878	p. 114
Not All That It Seems, 1914	p. 114
Oases and City	p. 115
The Grandest Wadi, 1873	p. 115
A Good Staging Post, 384	p. 116
Approach to Wadi Feiran, 1845	p. 117
Disaster in the Wadi, 1877	p. 117
The Color of the Place, 1938	p. 117
Artists in the Fertile Wadi, 1872	p. 118
The City of Pharan, 1873	p. 118
Visiting the Ruins, 1878	p. 119
Leaving My Name, 1845	p. 120
Detour to Mount Serbal and Serabit	p. 121
A Parallel Road, 1835	p. 121
Mount Serbal, 1854	p. 122
Ascent of Mount Serbal 1, 1864	p. 123
The Ascent of Mount Serbal 2, 1914	p. 123
The Route Via Serabit el Khadim, 1865	p. 124
Clambering to Serabit, 1873	p. 125
No Copying! 1762	p. 126
The Tombs of Serabit, 1835	p. 126
Whose Words Are These? 1838	p. 127
The Monuments and Story of Serabit, 1882	p. 128
Searching for Turquoise, 1835	p. 128
The 'Mazhur,' 1882	p. 129
Another Route	p. 129
Wadi esh-Sheikh, 1816	p. 129
Marks of Thanksgiving, 1839	p. 130
The Valley of the Saint, 1864	p. 130
A Legend of the Journey, 1865	p. 131
Episodes and Encounters on the Journey	p. 133
My Companions, 1845	p. 133
Passing Life, 1816	p. 134
A Fight, 1835	p. 135
Meetings along the Way, 1846	p. 135
Meeting German Journeymen, 1845	p. 135
A Timeless Meeting, 1865	p. 136
Dining With the Bedouin, 1860	p. 136
Meeting Pilgrims, 1860	p. 137
Meeting a Missionary, 1892	p. 138
Visiting a Hermit in Wadi Feiran, 1938	p. 138
A Pilgrimage of Birds, 1854 and 14th century	p. 139
The Grave of an Englishman, 1857	p. 139
Arriving at the Convent	p. 141
The End of the World, 1820	p. 141
The New Road to the Convent, 1857	p. 142
Ask the Monks to Help Us, 1838	p. 143
The Convent in History, 1816	p. 143
Arriving, 1835	p. 144
Mountains and Convent, 1872	p. 145
Pilgrim to Sinai, 1878	p. 145
The Camels Arrive, 1854	p. 146
Our Arrival, 1906	p. 146
Arriving, 1938	p. 148
Returning to the Convent, 1816	p. 148
Our Arabs and the Israelites, 1822	p. 149
The Great Door is Closed, 1722	p. 150
Parleying to Enter, 1857	p. 151
Our Claim Accepted, 1853	p. 151
Up into the Convent, 1839	p. 152
Where Is Your Letter, 1937	p. 153
The Windlass Still Works, 1938	p. 154
Made Welcome 1, 1483	p. 155
Welcomed In, 1860	p. 156
Welcomed at the Gate, 1865	p. 156
Made Very Welcome, 1914	p. 157
Made Welcome 2, 1938	p. 157
An Inscription at the Gate, 1892	p. 158
A Holy Place, 1823	p. 158
The Convent and Convent Life	p. 159
The Convent of St. Catherine	p. 159
The Place, 1892	p. 159
Interior and Backdrop, 1865	p. 160
A Town of Stone, 1634	p. 160
The Convent and the Dwellings Therein, 1872	p. 160
Welcomed In, 1722	p. 162
The Monastery's Protectors, 2004	p. 162
Churches, Chapels, and Mosque	p. 163
This Is the Convent, 1820	p. 163
The Great Church and Small Chapels, 1722	p. 163
The Chapels of the Convent, 1906 Baedeker's Palestine and Syria	p. 164
Fifteen Chapels of the Convent, 1845	p. 164
Escorted by a Monk, 1843	p. 164
The Mosque of the Convent, 1815	p. 165
The Protection of Muhammad, 1816	p. 165
The Coming of St. Catherine, 1816	p. 166
The Most Blessed Virgin St. Catherine and her Holy Relics, 1483	p. 166
Devotion to St. Catherine, 1498	p. 168
The Relics of St. Catherine, 1722	p. 168
The Exterior of the Church, 1839	p. 168
The Exterior of the Church, and Entering..., 1857	p. 168
The Pictures of the Church, 1815	p. 169
The Church of the Transfiguration, 1820	p. 170
The Apse: Matthew 17: 1-3, 2004	p. 170
An Observer at the Service, 1845	p. 171
A Service with the Monks, 1861	p. 171
The Church of the Transfiguration Transfigured, 1938	p. 172
The Burning Bush and Its Chapel	p. 172
The Burning Bush before the Convent, 383	p. 172
The Chapel of St. Mary at Bush, 1483	p. 173
The Burning Bush, 1739	p. 174
Preparing to Enter the Chapel of the Burning Bush, 1820	p. 174
The Chapel of the Burning Bush, 1865	p. 174
...And In, 1872	p. 174
Celebrations	p. 175
Holy Sunday, 1722	p. 175
Christmas Day, 1853	p. 175
The Festival of St. Catherine, 1860	p. 175
The Greek New Year and Epiphany, 1892	p. 177
The Library of the Convent	p. 178
The Library, 1815	p. 178
The Library, 1819	p. 178
The Library, 1820	p. 179
The Library and the Treasury, 1846	p. 180
The Library, 1865	p. 180
Tischendorf and the Codex, 1912	p. 181
The Case of the Codex Sinaiticus, 1938	p. 181
The Library, 1872	p. 182
The Library, 1873	p. 182
The Library Has Changed, 1912	p. 183
The Convent Garden	p. 183
In a Convent Garden, 1722	p. 183
A Change of Weather, 1908	p. 183
Met in the Gardens, 1846	p. 185
Plenty in the Desert, 1872	p. 185
The Cemetery and Charnel House	p. 185
There Are in the House..., 1436	p. 185
The Burial Place of the Dead, 1835	p. 186
Skulls and Sepulchres, 1878	p. 187
The Bone House, 1912	p. 188
Convent Life and the Traveler	p. 191
The Organization of the Convent	p. 191
Balconies and Texts, 1846	p. 191
Convent Life, 1708	p. 191
How the Pilgrims Were Cared For, 1838	p. 192
The Monks, 1816	p. 192
A Monks' Life, 1822	p. 193
The Monks, 1864	p. 193
Convent Life, 1859	p. 194
The Monks' Life, 1861	p. 194
The Monks, 1878	p. 195
The Local Arabs, 1839	p. 195
The Servants of the Convent, 1865	p. 195
Where the Travelers Stayed	p. 196
The Travelers' Room, 6th century	p. 196
Messages in the Travelers' Room, 1815	p. 197
The Travelers' Rooms, 1822	p. 197
The New Travelers' Room, 1846	p. 197
Who Made the Rooms? 1853	p. 197
Accommodation and the Jebellyeh, 1906<	p. 198
My Room at the Convent-and the Rules, 1938	p. 198
Rules of the House, 1857	p. 199
Camping on the Hillside, 1865	p. 200
Sleeping on the Hillside, 1878	p. 201
A Herd of Cats, 1938	p. 202
Convent Meals and the Refectory	p. 202
The Diet of the Convent, 1721	p. 202
The Refectory, 1739	p. 203
The Refectory, 1865	p. 204
Dining With the Monks, 1838	p. 205
The Refectory, 1878	p. 206
A Dainty Discourse Concerning the Manna We Found, 1483	p. 206
Pilgrimage to the Neighboring Holy Places	p. 209
Mountains and Hermits, 383	p. 209
The Environs of the Convent, 1739	p. 210
A Creature of Sinai, 1582	p. 212
Mount Sinai	p. 212
The Ascent of Jebel Moosa, 1873	p. 212
How the Pilgrims Ascended the Holy Mountains, 1483	p. 213
The Summit of Sinai, A.D. 383	p. 214
To the Summit, 1762	p. 215
The Mountain of Moses, 1816	p. 216
On the Mount of Law, c. 1335	p. 216
Mount Sinai and the Troubles, 1822	p. 217
Mount Sinai, 1845	p. 218
The Remarkable Places upon the Mountain, 1721	p. 218
Ascent of Mountains, 1878	p. 219
Miracles on Mount Sinai, 1914	p. 220
The Summit of Jebel Musa, 1820	p. 221
Breakfast on the Summit, 1846	p. 221
From the Summit, 1854	p. 222
From the Summit, 1878	p. 223
Mount Saint Catherine	p. 223
Climbing Mount St. Catherine, 1816	p. 223
Gebel Katherina, 1923	p. 224
Other Sites	p. 224
The Forty Martyrs, 1820	p. 224
El-Erbayn, the 'Forty,' 1846	p. 225
They Showed Us the Bible, 383	p. 225
The Remarkable Places Round about This Mountain, 1721	p. 226
Doubts about the Site, 1865	p. 226
An Amazing Stage Set, 2004	p. 227
The Return from Sinai	p. 229
Not This Way, 1873	p. 229
The Penciling of Visitors, 1820	p. 230
The Book of Strangers, 1836	p. 230
Time to Leave, 1872	p. 230
The Visitors' Book, 1938	p. 231
The Pilgrim Certificate 1, 1822	p. 231
The Pilgrim Certificate 2, 1912	p. 232
Departure 1, 1820	p. 232
Departure 2, 1835	p. 233
Departure 3, 1845	p. 233
Departure 4: The Loading, 1853	p. 234
The First Days Out, 1846	p. 235
Returning, A.D. 383	p. 235
News from Home, 1892	p. 235
Home Comforts, 1860	p. 236
The End, 1722	p. 236
The End, 1914	p. 237
A Beginning, 1912	p. 237
The Travelers: Brief Biographies	p. 239
Bibliography	p. 251
Index of Travelers	p. 255
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