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The 'Altar of Moses' and 'Twelve Pillars' at Jabal al-Lawz

Stone structure and column fragments at the mountain's foot, claimed from Exodus 24

Egypt & the Exodus · temple / altar, city / site · Disputed · found 1988

Low stone walls and white column fragments on a desert plain below a dark mountain
Photo: وكالة الأنباء السعودية · CC BY-SA 4.0 · via Wikimedia Commons

Found 1988 — Bob Cornuke and Larry Williams (1988), following Ron Wyatt (1984); described in Cornuke's 'In Search of the Mountain of God' (2000)

Where Plain at the foot of Jabal al-Lawz / Jabal Maqla, Tabuk Province (Saudi Arabia)

Dates from c. 1st century BCE–1st century CE (Nabataean); claim c. 1446 BCE · Pottery at the structure reported as Nabataean · Covenant ceremony at Sinai (claimed)

Now at Site (Saudi Arabia)

How The 'Altar of Moses' and 'Twelve Pillars' at Jabal al-Lawz was found

Cornuke and Williams described a large stone structure with two 'wings' (each about 9 by 20 m) at the base of the mountain, together with pieces of marble columns and a row of stone piles they counted as twelve.

What it is

A low, roughly built stone enclosure of local granite with two arms, plus scattered drums of white marble columns and a line of small stone cairns or mounds. Nothing is inscribed. Proponents identify the enclosure as Moshe's altar and the mounds as the twelve pillars for the tribes.

Why it matters for the Bible

Exodus 24:4 says Moshe (Moses) built an altar and twelve pillars at the foot of the mountain, so any candidate for Sinai is tested against this verse. Gordon Franz reports that a Saudi archaeologist found the pottery at the structure to be 'purely, and only, Nabataean', and the marble columns match Nabataean temple architecture of the Roman period. Scholar Allen Kerkeslager observed that the twelve mounds resemble desert burial cairns found across the region, some thousands of years older than Moshe. The features are real; the Exodus 24 identification has no support from dated material.

Disputed: Surface pottery reported as Nabataean; marble columns are Roman-period Nabataean style; the mounds are typical desert cairns. No licensed excavation.

The Hebrew word: mats-tseh-VAH

מַצֵּבָה

מַצֵּבָה is pronounced mats-tseh-VAH and means standing stone, pillar (Strong's H4676).

People this discovery connects to

Places

Events

Sealing of the covenant with blood at the foot of the mountain (claimed location)

The 'Altar of Moses' and 'Twelve Pillars' at Jabal al-Lawz in Scripture

Exodus 16:1 First mention of Sinai in Scripture.

Exodus 20:24-25 The altar law: an altar of earth or unhewn stone; proponents note the rough granite blocks.

Exodus 24:4 Moshe builds an altar and twelve pillars at the foot of the mountain; this is the verse the structure and mounds are matched to.

Questions people ask

What is The 'Altar of Moses' and 'Twelve Pillars' at Jabal al-Lawz?
A low, roughly built stone enclosure of local granite with two arms, plus scattered drums of white marble columns and a line of small stone cairns or mounds. Nothing is inscribed. Proponents identify the enclosure as Moshe's altar and the mounds as the twelve pillars for the tribes.

When was The 'Altar of Moses' and 'Twelve Pillars' at Jabal al-Lawz discovered?
It was found in 1988 by Bob Cornuke and Larry Williams (1988), following Ron Wyatt (1984); described in Cornuke's 'In Search of the Mountain of God' (2000), at Plain at the foot of Jabal al-Lawz / Jabal Maqla, Tabuk Province.

Where is The 'Altar of Moses' and 'Twelve Pillars' at Jabal al-Lawz today?
Site (Saudi Arabia).

Which Bible verses does The 'Altar of Moses' and 'Twelve Pillars' at Jabal al-Lawz relate to?
Exodus 16:1, Exodus 20:24-25, Exodus 24:4.

Is The 'Altar of Moses' and 'Twelve Pillars' at Jabal al-Lawz authentic?
Surface pottery reported as Nabataean; marble columns are Roman-period Nabataean style; the mounds are typical desert cairns. No licensed excavation.

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Sources

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