The most awesome moments of history were the crossing of the Red Sea and the giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai.
Ironically, the actual locations of both of these monumental events are shrouded in mystery. Generations of scholars and researchers have, since time immemorial, aspired to find these unique sites but (although many theories have been propounded), none as yet have yielded any decisive archaeological evidence.
Most of the suggestions have taken on the assumption that the crossing took place at the western arm of the Red Sea, and that Mt. Sinai must lie somewhere in the Sinai Peninsula.
In recent years, however, suggestions have come to include the eastern arm of the Red Sea and to the adjacent wilderness in Saudi Arabia.
The Talmud attaches great importance to knowing the location of these historical sites, as do Maimonides (Rambam) and Nachmanides (Ramban). Certain laws depend on knowing their location, and knowledge of their location - and the location of the various sites of encampment of the Israelites - will lead to a more accurate understanding of the Biblical verses and at the same time pave the way for attaining a clearer picture of this crucial period in history.
In this unique and ground-breaking book, readers will:
- investigate various possible locations of Mt. Sinai and the crossing of the Red Sea and judge if they conform to the Biblical narrative and Rabbinic Tradition
- trace the footsteps of the Israelites from the Exodus until their arrival at Mt. Sinai.
- be guided by clues hidden between the words of the Biblical narrative, ancient Rabbinic sources and a topographical study of the area.
In the course of our investigation, we will be led to new and startling locations for both the crossing of the Red Sea and Mount Sinai.