THE BIBLICAL SIGNIFICANCE OF JABAL AL LAWZ A Dissertation Presented to the Faculty of Louisiana Baptist University In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for Doctor of Philosophy In Bible and Theology By Charles A. Whittaker May 2003 ABSTRACT This dissertation is concerned with exposing the Biblical significance of a mountain in the northwest corner of Saudi Arabia. The mountain is Jabal al Lawz and it is significant because it is the conclusion of this paper that it is the best candidate for the Biblical Mt. Sinai. There are over twenty sites that various scholars have identified as the sacred mountain, the most popular being Jebel Musa, at Saint Catherine’s Monastery in the southern Sinai Peninsula. This study examines the testimony of ancient and modern scholars, maps, atlases and books, as well as the most recent archeological site surveys and excavations conducted at the mountain. This paper will include the observations of Western and Arab sources who have studied the site first hand. Every attempt has been made to present both sides of the argument and present an objective viewpoint. The intention of this study is to present a comprehensive treatment of the topic, with some attention to detail. This will include the testimony of ancient historians and the latest scientific analysis of the site by archaeology and satellite imagery. Upon careful and objective consideration of the arguments presented in this dissertation, it is believed that the reader will acknowledge the Biblical significance of Jabal al Lawz, and conclude that it may be most convincing candidate for Mt. Sinai. i ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS With a project as large as a dissertation, no one individual can accomplish it alone. There are many people to thank for helping me through the many months of research and writing. First I want to thank my parents who have been the best encouragers and supporters of my education for my entire life. I dedicate this work to my father, who still has a desire to read, learn, travel, and explore. I would like to thank my wife Lisel and my two children, Eric and Leah, who have had to be very patient with me over the past year and a half. Their love, understanding, and continued support during these days were invaluable for the completion of this paper. I am very thankful for Dr. Roy Wallace, who was my faculty advisor for this dissertation. His enthusiasm for my topic, his helpful guidance, and his availability for a host of questions, is something that I will always remember. The Cobb County Library System and especially the Interlibrary Loan Department of the Main Branch has been extremely helpful, professional, and thorough in assisting me on this project. Their diligence in helping me find the needed resource material to write this work, truly made the difference in the quality of my research. To them I am deeply grateful. I am thankful for the new friends I have made as a result of the research for this paper. Jim and Penny Caldwell not only provided many of the illustrations for this work from their photo-record of Jabal al Lawz and environs, but also took the time out of their lives for two days of interview at their home. During this visit, I not only received key ii information and evidence, but warm Christian love and a wonderful friendship. Thank you Jim and Penny. I want to thank a dear friend and very able proofreader, Rhonda Snow, who spent hours pouring over this manuscript, checking it for errors in grammar and form. I am also grateful to Mike Lightner for his tireless help and expertise with the electronic aspects of this manuscript. His invaluable assistance with the function of Microsoft Word, printing of this document, and needed equipment, is greatly appreciated. Finally, and most importantly, I am grateful for the strength and guidance I received from the Holy Spirit of God, He was my Rock during the many hours of work on this manuscript. iii TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS................................................................................................ ii TABLE OF CONTENTS................................................................................................... iv INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................ vii I. The Bible as a Reliable Historic Record.......................................................................... 1 A. The Authority, Inerrancy, and the Historical Accuracy of the Scripture................ 1 B. Archaeological Verification of Biblical Accounts.................................................. 5 II. A Summary of the History of the Search for Mount Sinai ........................................... 7 III. Arguments Concerning the Location of Ancient Midian in Northwest Saudi Arabia and Jordan ................................................................................................................... 11 A. Arguments from within the Biblical Text............................................................. 11 B. Other Arguments................................................................................................... 13 1. The Testimony of Josephus .............................................................................. 14 2. The Evidence from the Septuagint/Old Greek Version .................................... 16 3. The Boundaries of Midian ................................................................................ 18 a. The Testimony of Midianite Pottery............................................................ 18 b. The Testimony of Bible Atlases .................................................................. 20 c. The Testimony of Egyptian Territory.......................................................... 24 d. The Testimony of Prominent Scholars ........................................................ 32 4. The Testimony of Saudi Arabian Scholars/Archaeologists.............................. 34 IV. Arguments Concerning the Location of the Apostle Paul’s “Arabia” in Northwest Saudi Arabia and Jordan ........................................................................... 40 A. Insights from the Biblical Text and Context......................................................... 40 iv B. The Testimony of Atlases ..................................................................................... 43 C. The Testimony of Ancient Historians and Scholars ............................................. 45 1. Josephus (AD37 – 100)..................................................................................... 45 2. Philo of Alexandria........................................................................................... 47 V. Arguments Concerning Jabal al Lawz as the Biblical Mount Sinai ........................... 50 A. The Testimony of Ancient Scholars ..................................................................... 50 1. Philo of Alexandria –(20 BC-AD 50)............................................................... 50 2. Claudius Ptolemy (AD 100 –155).................................................................... 52 3. Origin (AD185 –254)........................................................................................ 52 4. Eusebius of Caesarea (AD 270–340)............................................................... 55 5. Jerome (AD 340-420) ....................................................................................... 62 B. The Testimony of Islam........................................................................................ 64 C. The Testimony of Modern Archaeology............................................................... 66 1. Prominent Modern Scholars and Archeologists ............................................... 69 a. Charles Beke (1800-1874) .......................................................................... 70 b. Sir Richard Francis Burton (1821-1890) .................................................... 73 c. Charles Doughty (1843 -1926) ................................................................... 74 d. Alois Musil (1868 –1944)............................................................................ 76 e. Harry St. John Philby (1885-1960).............................................................. 81 2. The Testimony of Rock Art .............................................................................. 85 3. The Testimony of Inscriptions........................................................................ 100 4. The Testimony of Natural Features and Phenomenon.................................... 105 a. The Rock At Horeb.................................................................................... 105 v b. The Mountain Stream ................................................................................ 116 c. The Black Top of Maqla............................................................................ 121 d. The Cave .................................................................................................... 132 e. Camp Sites................................................................................................. 135 f. The Plateau.................................................................................................137 g. The Trees of Lawz ..................................................................................... 139 5. The Testimony of Ancient Structures............................................................. 145 a. Wells/Cisterns/Filters or Cairns................................................................