The Truth About Sinai, Giants, and What Makes us Special

 Sadly, there are ideas taken for granted as standard Jewish belief even by seasoned Torah scholars, that are actually Christian in origin, and mistaken. One of them is the location of Mt. Sinai. 

Egypt is well-known to have controlled the “Sinai” peninsula for much of its history. Therefore escaping to the popular “Mt. Sinai” (chosen in the 4^th century by Helena, mother of Constantine!) would hardly be a great get-away. Furthermore, there is hardly room in the adjacent valley and narrow canyons to the accomodate even 600,000 people total—much less over 3,000,000 Hebrews and the `erev rav (the mixed multitude of non-Hebrews who had joined them). Worse still, Moshe Rabbenu is imagined to have schlepped * the flocks of his father-in-law Yithro across the vast Sinai wilderness, to graze on the slopes of a mountain in the south of the “Sinai” Peninsula, over a hundred miles away from Midian (the location of Midian in Northeastern Saudi Arabia is undisputed to my knowledge). Lastly, Josephus, a learned kohen who served in the Beith haMiqdash and was well-versed in the authentic traditions of his day, writes (The Antiquities of the Jews I,12:1[265] ²): “Now this [Sinai] is the highest of all the mountains thereabout…” Helena’s Mt. Sinai is neither the highest mount in the surrounding area, nor is it the lowliest—per the famous midrash (for the solution to this apparent contradiction, see [or recall] O’M 24, the Special Shavu’oth Issue).

The biggest clue to the identity of the true Har Sinai is in this week’s parashah (ch.2) ¹:

In simpler words: Leave Sinai and head north to Edhom (Edhom, being on the Arabian side of the southeastern border of Israel and southern Jordan, is directly north of the general region of Midian, of Jebel el Lawz, not the so-called ‘Sinai Desert’).  If this were not clear enough, it was preceded by parallel verses describing the same event in parashath D:varim (1:6):

In these verses, which are part of the same command as the earlier verses, the nation was to turn and march directly towards the land of the Amorites (which lies just East of the Jordan River, becoming the lands of Reuven, Gadh and half-Menasheh— this is present day Jordan). All this with no mention of crossing the Negev wilderness, where `Amaleq dwelled…which, of course, would have needed to cross first if they were coming up from the Southern “Sinai” Peninsula. They were clearly in the mountains south of present day Jordan, in northeastern Arabia.

Consider Jebel El Lawz, just west of Midian (quoting from Riddle of the Exodus by James D. Long, pp.178-80):

· At 2,580 meters, it is one of the highest mountains in the region, even higher than the mountains in the Sinai Peninsula.[18]

· While it is not volcanic, the summit is visibly blackened, clearly having been subjected to an intense heat from above.

[See citation below³]

· A large, vast plain, large enough to sustain 2-3 million people, is adjacent to the mountain, but still enclosed within the mountain range. This topography clearly alluded to in Deuteronomy 1:6, “The LORD our God spoke unto us in Horeb, saying: ‘You have dwelt long enough in this mountain.” (Clearly, the Israelites did not dwell inside a massive cavern within the mountain, but within an enclosed mountain range.)

[See citation below³]

· A cave is said to be near the top of the mountain.

· It is close [slightly West] to the area that most scholars called ancient Midian.

· According to the Torah, it took 45 days to reach Sinai. Jebel el-Lawz is far enough from the Reed Sea crossing (near the present-day Suez Canal) that it would have taken well over a month to make the journey.

…Jebel el-Lawz is the only mountain where the Israelites could turn around and head due north in the direction of modern-day Jordan. In Deuteronomy we read how the Twelve Tribes, as commanded, journeyed from Sinai to Kadesh Barnea. Rabbi Bar-Ron points out that Kadesh Barnea’s location is only a few miles southwest of the Dead Sea, more evidence that Israel, indeed, traveled north “through the great, terrifying desert on the way towards the Amorite highlands [present day Jordan]” to reach this destination.”

A further point of mine that impressed Long (a first-class researcher and a G-d fearing, critical scholar), is how the attack of ‘Amaleq may hint to the general location where the Israelites were ambushed en route to Mount Sinai:

One point of the evil report of the spies, which injected great fear into the hearts of the Hebrews, was the bone-chilling reminder: “`Amaleq dwells in the land of the Negev.” (Numbers 13:29) The identification of the Negev wilderness as the heartland of `Amaleq may be a clear hint as to the general location of the Amalekite ambush. A nation heading out of Egypt towards the southern Negev region (still well-outside the southern border of the EreS Yisra’el, whose southernmost point is `ASmon, roughly fifty miles south of Beer-Sheva), fits the picture of a nation heading towards present-day Northwestern Saudi Arabia; not one headed deep into the Sinai Peninsula.

According to one evangelical archaeologist (who was crazy enough to visit the area illegally and get imprisoned), local Bedouin do refer to the mountain as “Jebel Musa” and will not touch or graze near it. Although this cannot be verified easily, it’s perfect location can be:

It is clearly far enough outside Egypt and any other nearby country to be truly maqom hefqer (no man’s land), as the rabbis teach in Siphrei. Yet being close to Midian, it fits well with Moshe, dwelling with his father-in-law in Midian, grazing his sheep as far as Horev. (p.181). We further get the sense that Sinai was quite close to Midian in Yithro’s later reunion with Moshe, now head of his nation, camped at the foot of the holy mountain: Only at this point in the sojourn does the priest of Midian bring his daughter Sipporah, and his very young grandchildren to rejoin Moshe. After what is apparently a brief reunion, Yithro takes Moshe’s leave, turns around and returns home. The overall sense is that Yithro’s home is not far away.

A stumbling block for many is the modern appellations of the “Sinai Desert” and “Sinai Peninsula.” I believe the Torah indeed refers directly to this same vast peninsula wilderness, but by a completely different name: In Sh:moth 13:18, the Torah teaches how, steering the Israelites away from the coastal road that led to Kana`an through Philistine territory, HaShem led them “by the way of the wilderness of ‘Yam Suph.’” Although Yam Suph is translated “the Sea of Reeds”, it is also perfectly translated as “The End Sea”, or “Sea of Land’s End.” The “wilderness of the Sea of Land’s End” clearly alludes to the vast wilderness visible from space, surrounded on three sides by “Yam Suph”—one arm of which flowed through what is near the present day Suez Canal, where great evidence points to the historical parting of sea.

Clearly, if the Torah refers to today’s “Sinai” desert peninsula by a completely different name, then what it does refer to as the “wilderness of Sinai” must be a different place, beyond this desert… that is, just beyond today’s “Sinai” desert, beyond the territory of `Amaleq, on the outskirts of Midian, directly south of the Amorite highlands… it is the great desert wilderness where Jebel El Lawz is found.

It is about time the Jewish People woke up and recognized our nation’s true birthplace based on the Torah, as well as geographical and historical facts—not on the visions of Emperor Constantine’s mother.

Travelling north from Sinai, they circumvented hostile Edhom, making their way into the land of the Amorite. There they would encounter the giant `Ogh, and Moshe would do him in personally. How large were the antedeluvian (pre-flood) giants?

Unlike other students of Rambam, I am known to have a profound respect for and even literal understanding of certain midrashim. For example, there is much in Sepher HaYashar that has been proven authentic and historical, thanks to the work of Jim Long and the Abir tradition preserved by the Sopher family. In general, I believe the knee-jerk reaction to chalk up these things up to Semitic imagination or exaggeration, is a sad mistake. That being said, the midrashim on the pre-flood giants are full of contradictions:

On one hand, we learn in Sepher HaYashar:

And `Ogh went up Mount Yahaz, and took there from one large stone, the length of which was three parsa (three miles), and he placed it on his head, and resolved to throw it upon the camp of the children of Israel, to smite all the Israelites with that stone. And the angel of the Lord came and pierced the stone upon the head of `Ogh, and the stone fell upon the neck of `Ogh that `Ogh fell to the earth on account of the weight of the stone upon his neck.  At that time the Lord said to the children of Israel, Be not afraid of him, for I have given him and all his people and all his land into your hand, and you shall do to him as you did to SiHon.  And Moses went down to him with a small number of the children of Israel, and Moses smote `Ogh with a stick at the ankles of his feet and slew him.“

The Midrash Rabbah explains how Moshe, being 10 cubits tall, jumped 10 cubits high, with his 10-cubit-long staff, (that’s approximately 90 feet high) to reach `Ogh’s ankles…

Yet how could both this, as well as the midrash (also in Sepher HaYashar and Midrash Rabbah) that `Ogh survived the deluge by holding on to the ark of NoaH, both be true? Even if he survived the boiling seas, he would have sunk the vessel, animals and all. In Pirqei d’Rabi Eli`ezer, NoaH sustained the then young `Ogh, feeding him through a small opening in the side of the ark. Yet how could all the food aboard the ark feed a kilometer-tall giant? Finally, what are we to do with the teaching of Rash”i and the sages, that the refugee (“pali`t”) who escaped the five kings to inform Avraham that Lot had been taken hostage (B:reshith 14:13), was none other than `Ogh? Could a giant that could hurl a three-mile-long stone be a refugee of war?

I believe the solution to his size is in our own parashah, in simple Hebrew. Consider 3:11:

The ammah (cubit), as is well known, is a forearm’s length (the very word “arm” may come from the Hebrew [Edenic?] “ammah”). The 4 ammoth it is forbidden to carry on Shabboth is slightly longer than 4 even ammoth–which equal the person’s height and width, with outstretched arms and hands. A regular person’s outstretched width and height are about equal. A regular single bed (I measured one of mine) is slightly less than 2 cubits in width, by slightly over 4 cubits in length. Note the same proportions in `Ogh’s bed: 4 x 9. Here we see that `Ogh seems to have had the same bodily proportions of a regular man.

Depiction of one of the Rephaim? (citation below 4)

Now notice the last two words in the above verse: “ba-ammath ish”– “…according to the cubit of a [regular] man.” We learn from this that `Ogh was neatly twice as tall as a regular person in the generation that left Egypt. Now unless there is evidence (besides midrash) that people in the generation that left Egypt were significantly larger than today, that would make `Ogh an incredible yet believable giant, between 13 and 15 feet tall. He would still have have towered above the tallest man in the world today, a nearly 8 (7.75)-foot-tall Mongolian herdsman. (See a nice, recent article about him at http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/6178659.stm. Here is a man who might not only be of the size of antedeluvians, but shows a kindness towards animals reminiscent of NoaH and sons.)

May the day come soon when all the world will not only appreciate the incredible wisdom of the Torah and its bearers, but recognize how we fulfill what is written in it, and how—as a consequence—HaShem dwells among us, as it is written (4:7)

Ultimately it is this closeness to HaShem that makes Yisra’el so special. Yet the way to live up to this great potential, our destiny, is—as the parashah teaches and we recite fervently twice daily—to love HaShem our G-d with all our hearts, with all our souls, and with all our resources.

by mori Michael Shelomo Bar-Ron, Beith Midrash Ohel Moshe

Based on O”M 30 “OUR WISDOM IN THE EYES OF THE NATIONS” from the original ‘Ohel Moshe’ series, written for parashath D’varim and Wa-ethHanan 5767

____________________________________________________________________

* Yiddish for carrying or moving something difficult and burdensome.

¹ All Quotes from Bible are according to the authentic Yemenite manuscript edition posted on www.mechon-mamre.org. The English translations are original, with occasional influence from the JPS Bible based on the electronic text (c) by Larry Nelson, and the The Living Torah: The Five Books of Moses by Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan, Maznaim Publishing Corporation, New York, 647 pp.

² Whiston, William (1667-1752), The Works of Josephus: New Updated Edition, Hendrickson Publishers, Inc, 1987, p.756.

³ Both Jebel El Lawz photos were taken from the Wyatt Archaeological Research website.

(http://www.wyattmuseum.com/mount-sinai.htm). I do not recommend this site; I’m just citing the material, per my legal duty. Besides being an evangelical Christian site, the text is full of ridiculous errors. My thesis, as Jim Long describes in “The Riddle of the Exodus” (© 2006 Lightcatcher Books), is that these bumbling fools somehow bumped into the right mountain)

 4 I cannot find the original source for the photo of this amazing Babylonian cuneiform bas relief, so I must cite an inane, apostate blog that stole it. I do not recommend this site. (http://www.gnosticteachings.org/forum/index.php?showtopic=3669&mode=threaded&pid=22928)

This entry was posted on Monday, July 14th, 2008 at 5:52 pm and is filed under Torah Research and Discoveries, Torath Emeth--A Torah of Truth. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.