The 'Cave of Elijah' at Jabal al-Lawz
A rock-cut chamber claimed as the cave of 1 Kings 19
Found 1988 — Bob Cornuke and Larry Williams (1988); also Ron Wyatt; later filmed by the Doubting Thomas Research Foundation
Where Slopes of Jabal al-Lawz / Jabal Maqla, Tabuk Province (Saudi Arabia)
Dates from c. 1st century CE (by inscription style); claim 9th century BCE · Reported as a Nabataean rock-cut tomb · Eliyahu at Horeb (claimed)
Now at Site (Saudi Arabia)
How The 'Cave of Elijah' at Jabal al-Lawz was found
A cave-like opening on the mountain's slope was noted by explorers and paired with the story of Eliyahu (Elijah) lodging in a cave at Horeb. Some also call it the 'cleft of the rock' of Exodus 33.
What it is
A cut chamber in the rock face, roughly room-sized, with a squared doorway. Short inscriptions near the opening are in the Nabataean script.
Why it matters for the Bible
1 Kings 19 says Eliyahu reached Horeb and spent the night in 'the cave'. Proponents offer this chamber as that cave. Gordon Franz reports the Saudi survey's view that the so-called 'Cave of Moses' is 'clearly a first-century AD Nabataean tomb', with lettering that matches dated Nabataean tombs elsewhere. Other writers note the region is tectonically active and full of fissures. The feature is genuine and old, but it belongs to the Nabataean kingdom, not to Israel's prophets.
The Hebrew word: me-ah-RAH
מְעָרָה
מְעָרָה is pronounced me-ah-RAH and means cave (Strong's H4631).
People this discovery connects to
- Elijah — אֵלִיָּהוּ (eh-lee-YAH-hoo) — my God is YHVH
Places
- Horeb — חֹרֵב (choh-REV) — dry place, waste
Events
Eliyahu's flight to Horeb and the still small voice (claimed location)
The 'Cave of Elijah' at Jabal al-Lawz in Scripture
Exodus 3:1 First mention of Horeb in Scripture.
Exodus 33:22 YHVH hides Moshe in a cleft of the rock; some proponents attach this verse instead.
1 Kings 19:8-9 Eliyahu comes to Horeb, the mountain of Elohim, and lodges in the cave; this is the verse attached to the chamber.
Questions people ask
What is The 'Cave of Elijah' at Jabal al-Lawz?
A cut chamber in the rock face, roughly room-sized, with a squared doorway. Short inscriptions near the opening are in the Nabataean script.
When was The 'Cave of Elijah' at Jabal al-Lawz discovered?
It was found in 1988 by Bob Cornuke and Larry Williams (1988); also Ron Wyatt; later filmed by the Doubting Thomas Research Foundation, at Slopes of Jabal al-Lawz / Jabal Maqla, Tabuk Province.
Where is The 'Cave of Elijah' at Jabal al-Lawz today?
Site (Saudi Arabia).
Which Bible verses does The 'Cave of Elijah' at Jabal al-Lawz relate to?
Exodus 3:1, Exodus 33:22, 1 Kings 19:8-9.
Is The 'Cave of Elijah' at Jabal al-Lawz authentic?
Identified by Saudi surveyors as a first-century Nabataean tomb on the basis of its inscriptions; no evidence links it to Eliyahu or Moshe.
Related discoveries
- מַצֵּבָהThe 'Altar of Moses' and 'Twelve Pillars' at Jabal al-LawzStone structure and column fragments at the mountain's foot, claimed from Exodus 24
- עָשָׁןThe Blackened Summit of Jabal MaqlaThe dark peak said to be scorched when YHVH descended in fire
- מִדְיָןJabal al-Lawz: The Official Archaeology and the 2019 OpeningWhat Saudi surveys actually found, and how the fenced site became a tour stop
- עַיִןMaqna 'Springs of Moses' (Arabian Elim and Marah claims)Palm-oasis springs on the Gulf of Aqaba offered as the twelve wells of Elim
- צוּרThe 'Split Rock of Horeb' near Jabal MaqlaA giant cleft boulder in Saudi Arabia claimed as the rock Moshe struck
- עֵגֶלThe 'Golden Calf Altar' Petroglyphs at Jabal al-LawzBoulder pile with cattle carvings, claimed as Aharon's calf altar
Sources
- Franz, 'Mount Sinai Is NOT Jebel al-Lawz in Saudi Arabia' (ABR)
- Living Passages, 'Elijah's Cave at Mount Sinai in Arabia' (proponent view)
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