Under a canopy of dark midnight sky dotted with a few observable stars, and a wary moon hiding beneath thick clouds, we started our hike over a narrow trail speckled with loose rocks. As scorching as the wind was when we arrived in Saint Catherine—after a couple of hours wheeling along the long highway of the Israeli and Egyptian border—the wee-hour breeze drifted by a little colder for comfort. Guided only by the small flashlight of our Bedouin guide, we trod the shadowy trail, slowly lost in the silence of the hush sounds of our huffing and puffing alongside the rhythmic breathing of a trio of camels.
Scaling Mount Sinai Before Sunrise | Egypt
Soon, we met other guides at the foot of Mount Sinai who offered their camels for some of us to ride for twenty dollars, taking passengers to the deck just below the peak and back down the slopes again. A few of my hiking companions availed themselves of the camel service almost midway through our hike, but I opted to complete the journey entirely on foot. There wasn’t much to see during the pitch-black hours—I just felt the sensation of my feet sliding over loose rocks, and as the minutes passed, the silhouettes of the surrounding mountains slowly became noticeable.
We stopped at a small mountain café where dozens of locals were hanging out, despite how early it was. It was almost four in the morning, and the sun was scheduled to rise in an hour. "We have time to rest and drink," one of our guides told us. I sat down and sipped a mug of hot tea while listening to the animated conversations of the Bedouins.
Nomadic Jebeliya Bedouins
The Bedouins of Sinai in Saint Catherine belong to the Jebeliya Bedouin—a nomadic tribe that originated in Southeastern Europe and settled in the vast Egyptian desert and the Arabian Peninsula during the sixth century CE. Initially a Christian group, the Jebeliya Bedouins converted to Islam after intermarrying with people from other nomadic communities over time.
The Jebeliya are known to be skillful farmers and gardeners. Evidence of their skills can be seen even in the dry valleys of Saint Catherine, where, despite extreme land conditions, they are still able to transform the soil and nurture vegetation. In Saint Catherine, the Bedouin community remains largely marginalized by the national government, making it difficult for them to find regular employment in the region’s hotels and resorts. As a result, many earn their livelihood as mountain and tourism guides.
The sky started to gleam with daylight as a thin red line along the far horizon signaled the impending sunrise. My guide, walking behind me, pointed to a barely noticeable structure far below us and said, "That’s Saint Catherine’s Monastery—where we came from." It was the same monastery we had visited the previous afternoon, home to the biblical Burning Bush.
Saint Catherine’s Monastery
Saint Catherine’s Monastery, situated at the foot of Mount Sinai, is one of the oldest active Christian monasteries in the world, constructed between 548 and 565 CE. The traditional site of the "Burning Bush" is preserved near the Chapel of the Burning Bush inside the monastery walls.
Secluded from much of the modern world and built inconspicuously against the gleaming golden granite of its environs, Saint Catherine’s Monastery is a UNESCO World Heritage Site under the authority of the autonomous Church of Sinai, which forms part of the broader Eastern Orthodox Church.
This monastery also houses one of the world's oldest continually operating libraries, containing thousands of rare manuscripts and early books. Among them is the Syriac Sinaiticus, a three-hundred-fifty-eight-page fourth-century manuscript comprising a Syriac translation of the four canonical gospels of the New Testament.
The Codex Sinaiticus (or the Sinai Bible)—one of the Great Uncial Codices written in handwritten Greek—was also preserved here until 1859 before major portions were transferred to the British Library in London.
Catching Sunrise at Sinai’s Peak
Having climbed countless mountains in the past, none resonated with more exhilaration than ascending the peak of biblical Mount Sinai. After a grueling trek through dark, steep terrain, we finally reached the summit just as the sun broke through the horizon. Surveying the breathtaking landscape laid out before me, I saw glistening golden hues across distant, barren mountain ranges stretching almost infinitely—a landscape resembling something out of this world.
All at once, elation overwhelmed me completely. After gathering myself and taking photographs of the stunning sunrise, the otherworldly landscape took a back seat to the spiritual emotion consuming my being. As I planted my feet at the very spot widely believed to be where God handed the Ten Commandments to Moses, the full weight and significance of the moment hit me.
Temporarily entertaining the idea of performing a celebratory dance, I instead resorted to stomping my feet on the rounded mound of Mount Sinai’s peak, hoping the specks of dust would stay on my shoe soles forever. Finding a newfound spiritual catalyst to strengthen my own faith, I stretched out my hands as I gazed at the surrounding mountains. Delighted by the thought that this may well be the very ground where foundational elements of faith, piety, and worship were established, I recited a short prayer of gratitude for the journey that brought me there.
