Jabal al-Lawz: The Official Archaeology and the 2019 Opening
What Saudi surveys actually found, and how the fenced site became a tour stop
Found 1980 — Saudi Department of Antiquities regional surveys (1970s–1980s) and later the Saudi Commission for Tourism and National Heritage (now the Heritage Commission)
Where Jabal al-Lawz range and Al-Bad', Tabuk Province (Saudi Arabia)
Dates from c. 5th millennium BCE – 1st millennium CE · Neolithic rock art; Midianite, Nabataean and Islamic remains · Land of Midian
Now at Site; finds held by the Saudi Heritage Commission and Tabuk Museum
How Jabal al-Lawz: The Official Archaeology and the 2019 Opening was found
Government surveys of the Tabuk region recorded rock-art panels, cairns, Nabataean tombs and Midianite pottery around Al-Bad' (ancient Madyan) and the Jabal al-Lawz range. After the 1980s intrusions the 'altar' boulders were fenced. In late 2019 Saudi Arabia introduced tourist visas and the first licensed Christian tour groups (Living Passages, October 2019) entered the site; the area now lies at the edge of the NEOM development zone.
What it is
The archaeological picture is of a long-used desert landscape: Neolithic and later petroglyphs of cattle, ibex and camels; burial cairns; the Midianite town at Al-Bad' with its Nabataean rock-cut tombs (Mugha'ir Shu'ayb); Nabataean pottery and column fragments at the foot of the mountain; and Islamic-period graffiti. A guard station and fence still control access to the boulder pile.
Why it matters for the Bible
Readers deserve the professional view alongside the popular one. The Saudi survey, as reported by Gordon Franz, dated the cattle art to the Neolithic, found only Nabataean pottery at the 'altar', and classed the 'cave' as a Nabataean tomb. Saudi Arabia itself has never claimed the mountain as Sinai; the tourism opening was commercial, not archaeological. The one thing the Bible and archaeology agree on here is that this was Midian, where Moshe (Moses) lived with Yitro (Jethro), which is why the area carries so many Moses traditions.
The Hebrew word: mid-YAHN
מִדְיָן
מִדְיָן is pronounced mid-YAHN and means Midian, the people and land east of the Gulf of Aqaba (Strong's H4080).
People this discovery connects to
- Jethro — יִתְרוֹ (yit-ROH) — his abundance
Places
- Midian — מִדְיָן (mid-YAHN) — strife (traditional); a son of Avraham and Keturah
Events
Moshe's years in Midian; the Midianite kingdom of the Iron Age
Jabal al-Lawz: The Official Archaeology and the 2019 Opening in Scripture
Genesis 25:2 First mention of Midian in Scripture.
Exodus 2:15 Moshe flees to the land of Midian; Al-Bad' beneath Jabal al-Lawz is the traditional Madyan of Arabic sources.
Exodus 3:1 Moshe leads Yitro's flock to Horeb; proponents read this as placing Horeb within reach of Midian.
Questions people ask
What is Jabal al-Lawz: The Official Archaeology and the 2019 Opening?
The archaeological picture is of a long-used desert landscape: Neolithic and later petroglyphs of cattle, ibex and camels; burial cairns; the Midianite town at Al-Bad' with its Nabataean rock-cut tombs (Mugha'ir Shu'ayb); Nabataean pottery and column fragments at the foot of the mountain; and Islamic-period graffiti. A guard station and fence still control access to the boulder pile.
When was Jabal al-Lawz: The Official Archaeology and the 2019 Opening discovered?
It was found in 1980 by Saudi Department of Antiquities regional surveys (1970s–1980s) and later the Saudi Commission for Tourism and National Heritage (now the Heritage Commission), at Jabal al-Lawz range and Al-Bad', Tabuk Province.
Where is Jabal al-Lawz: The Official Archaeology and the 2019 Opening today?
Site; finds held by the Saudi Heritage Commission and Tabuk Museum.
Which Bible verses does Jabal al-Lawz: The Official Archaeology and the 2019 Opening relate to?
Genesis 25:2, Exodus 2:15, Exodus 3:1.
Is Jabal al-Lawz: The Official Archaeology and the 2019 Opening authentic?
The archaeology (Neolithic rock art, Midianite and Nabataean remains) is not in dispute; the Sinai identification is rejected by professional archaeology, while the region's Midianite identity is widely accepted.
Related discoveries
- מִשְׁכָּןTimna Hathor Shrine and Midianite Tent SanctuaryAn Egyptian temple turned into a tent shrine with a copper serpent
- מַצֵּבָהThe 'Altar of Moses' and 'Twelve Pillars' at Jabal al-LawzStone structure and column fragments at the mountain's foot, claimed from Exodus 24
- מְעָרָהThe 'Cave of Elijah' at Jabal al-LawzA rock-cut chamber claimed as the cave of 1 Kings 19
- עֵגֶלThe 'Golden Calf Altar' Petroglyphs at Jabal al-LawzBoulder pile with cattle carvings, claimed as Aharon's calf altar
- עָשָׁןThe Blackened Summit of Jabal MaqlaThe dark peak said to be scorched when YHVH descended in fire
- מַצֵּבָהHar KarkomA Negev mountain covered in rock art, proposed as Sinai by Emmanuel Anati
Sources
- Franz, 'Mount Sinai Is NOT Jebel al-Lawz in Saudi Arabia' (ABR), citing the Saudi survey
- Faithwire, 'Saudi Arabia to Allow Access to Ancient Biblical Sites' (Oct 2019)
- Saudipedia, 'Antiquities in Tabuk Province'
Open Jabal al-Lawz: The Official Archaeology and the 2019 Opening in Hebrew Explorer →