Bible Explorer

The way of the Exodus as Byzantine monks and pilgrims understood it: springs by the Gulf of Suez, the oasis of Feiran, the monastery at the foot of the mountain and the night climb to the summit. Three days; most pilgrims come by road and sleep near the monastery.

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Day 1 · Through the desert to Feiran

  1. Springs of Moses (Ayun Musa)Exod 15:22–25A few springs and palms in the sand near the Gulf of Suez, south of the city of Suez.
  2. Wadi GharandelExod 15:27A desert valley with springs, palms and tamarisks where the coastal road crosses it.≈ 74 km from the stop before
  3. Feiran oasisExod 17:1–7The longest oasis of Sinai: palm groves, Bedouin gardens, Byzantine ruins and a small convent of nuns of the Sinai monastery.≈ 91 km from the stop before
  4. Jebel TahunaExod 17:8–13A rocky hill over the palm groves of Feiran, climbed by a stony path.≈ 4 km from the stop before
  5. Mount SerbalExod 19:1–2A jagged granite massif south of the oasis, one of the great peaks of southern Sinai.≈ 5 km from the stop before

Day 2 · The monastery and the valleys

  1. St Catherine's MonasteryExod 3:1–6A fortified monastery built under Emperor Justinian in the 6th century, with its basilica, ancient icons and one of the oldest working libraries.≈ 33 km from the stop before
  2. Plain of er-RahaExod 19:1–2A wide sandy plain at the foot of Ras Safsafa, partly built over by the town of St Catherine.≈ 3 km from the stop before
  3. Wadi el-Arbain: the Rock of MosesExod 17:5–6A valley west of Jebel Musa with the small Monastery of the Forty Martyrs and its olive garden; a path from here climbs Mount Catherine.≈ 3 km from the stop before
  4. Ras SafsafaExod 19:16–17The northern crags of the Jebel Musa massif, looking straight down on the plain of er-Raha.≈ 2 km from the stop before

Day 3 · The night climb

  1. Steps of Repentance and Elijah's Hollow1 Kgs 19:8–9The steep stone stairway from the monastery meets the gentler camel path at Elijah's Hollow, a basin with an old cypress below the last steps.≈ 2 km from the stop before
  2. Summit of Jebel MusaExod 19:18–20A small chapel of the Holy Trinity, completed in 1935, and a little mosque on the summit; pilgrims climb by night to see the sunrise.≈ 0 km from the stop before

Before you travel, check your country’s travel advice. Opening hours and the rules of the sites change — see their official pages.

Land outlines: Natural Earth (public domain).