Egypt - 2

As we continued on our journey through Egypt, I couldn't help but notice the poverty. Years ago, the Egyptian government decided not to tax their citizens and only use revenue from tourism to build infrastructure. This prevented the country from having support systems and proper education for their large population. Cairo is the sixth largest city in the world with 25 million people.

Today, their government is taxing their citizens and using the much needed revenue to improve their roads, schools, and infrastructure, to tear down dilapidated buildings, and impose strict building regulations to ensure safe housing. It will take time, but at least it's in the right direction.

Our path East took us under the Suez Canal through a tunnel and out into the Sinai Peninsula.

I took these pictures to show the harsh environment that Moses and the Israelites walked in for 40 years as they escaped slavery in Egypt.

In Exodus 15:27, the Bible states that "they came to Elim, where there were twelve springs and seventy palm trees, and they camped there." Here's the place where it's identified as Elim. There are 12 springs and a natural orchard of palm (date) trees. 

Exodus 16:1 On the fifteenth day of the second month after they had left the land of Egypt, the whole congregation of Israel set out from Elim and came to the Desert of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai. 

As we approached Mount Sinai, there's a rocky area that, if you look close in the middle of the picture, bears resemblance of a calf. This is said to be the inspiration for the golden calf which was a false idol created by the Israelites from melted gold.

At the base of Mount Sinai is the Monastery of St. Catherine, one of the oldest monasteries in the world. A quick biography here...Catherine was born in Alexandria, Egypt in 305AD. In her early teens, she converted to Christianity and chose not to marry despite her many suiters. This angered the emporer who also wanted to marry her, so he sent many scholars and philosophers to debate her. Instead, she converted them to Christianity. He then commanded her to be executed on a wheel. (This is important later in my post from Israel.)

When Catherine touched the wheel, it shattered. Unable to execute her through torture, she was then beheaded. Later in a dream, some monks were told that St. Catherine's body was carried by angels to the top of Mount Sinai. When they awoke, they climbed the mountain and found her body just as it was fortold. Thus, the monastery was built at the base in her memory in the 6th century.

Here's the road to St. Catherine's Monastery and Mount Sinai.

St. Catherine's Monastery.

Our visit was timed perfectly, as the service was just finishing up. Our small group was allowed inside to look around.

The monastery houses a well called the "Well of Moses" where Moses is said to have met his future wife, Zipporah. 

The burning bush is also here. The bush was originally a few yards away in the mountainside, but transplanted here to give it a protected stone wall and is cared for by the monks. The bush (or one of it's shoots), is still alive today.

Also here is a unique stone that is found no where else but on Mount Sinai. If you break open these rocks, you'll find markings that resemble the burning bush.

The monastery is home to several ancient manuscripts. 

Back outside, I found Luke in his sheek scarf eyeing Mount Sinai.

We decided to come back at midnight to start the climb!

The climb to the top was no joke. After 2/3 the way up a not-so-gentle slope, you start the steepest part containing 750 steps. And, they don't have hiking poles like we have in the US. Instead, they use walking canes which actually came in handy on the way down to soften my knees. The kids were making fun of me, though. The local Bedouin guide taught them to say Yalla Yalla, or hurry up old woman. It was funny.

We arrived on the top at 3:30am. Our guide kept trying to motivate us by saying there's Starbucks at the top. None of us wanted coffee, but we decided to purchase a cup anyway to support the Bedouins who live on the mountain and rely on on tourists as their source of income. It was pretty gross, with lots of sediment at the bottom.

One of the very cool things at the top was a cave where Moses camped as God spoke to him. The Muslims have a strong reverence for Moses, so this was holy ground for all of us.

Sunrise was not for another hour, we posed for a few more pictures and enjoyed the starry night sky with a very bright Milky Way.

To ensure we were back at the hotel by 7am, we headed down the mountain a little before sunrise. Then just as the horizen began to brighten, we stopped for photos.