Jebel al-Lawz (Arabian 'Mount Sinai' claim)
A popular candidate in Saudi Arabia that specialists do not support
Found 1984 — Ron Wyatt (1984); promoted by Bob Cornuke and Larry Williams (1988) and later documentaries
Where Jebel al-Lawz, Tabuk region, northwest Saudi Arabia (Saudi Arabia)
Dates from Claimed c. 1450 BCE; actual remains mostly Nabataean and later · Claim first publicized 1984; rock art and structures of mixed dates · Mount Sinai (claimed)
Now at Site (restricted area, Saudi Arabia)
How Jebel al-Lawz (Arabian 'Mount Sinai' claim) was found
Amateur explorers entered the site without permits and reported a blackened summit, a 'golden calf altar' with petroglyphs of cattle, a split rock, and stone circles. No licensed excavation has been carried out.
What it is
A 2,580 m mountain near the Gulf of Aqaba. The dark summit is a natural volcanic-looking rock; the petroglyphs of cattle are common across the region; the 'altar' and stone circles are typical of desert sites from many periods.
Why it matters for the Bible
The claim rests on Paul's phrase 'Mount Sinai in Arabia' (Galatians 4:25) and on a Gulf of Aqaba crossing. Egyptologists and archaeologists, including those sympathetic to the Exodus, reject it: the rock art is undatable and generic, the structures are Nabataean or later, 'Arabia' in Paul's day included Sinai, and no material evidence for an Israelite camp exists. It is listed here so readers can see why scholars set it aside.
The Hebrew word: choh-REV
חֹרֵב
חֹרֵב is pronounced choh-REV and means Horeb, 'dry place'; the other name for the mountain of Elohim (Strong's H2722).
People this discovery connects to
- Moses — מֹשֶׁה (moh-SHEH) — drawn out
Places
- Mount Sinai — הַר סִינַי (hahr see-NAI) — mountain of Sinai
Events
The giving of the Torah (claimed location)
Jebel al-Lawz (Arabian 'Mount Sinai' claim) in Scripture
Exodus 3:1 First mention of Sinai in Scripture.
Exodus 32:4-5 The golden calf; cattle petroglyphs at the site are cited as the calf altar, though such carvings are common in the region.
Galatians 4:25 'Mount Sinai in Arabia' is the verse behind the Arabian claim; in Paul's day 'Arabia' included the Sinai Peninsula.
Questions people ask
What is Jebel al-Lawz (Arabian 'Mount Sinai' claim)?
A 2,580 m mountain near the Gulf of Aqaba. The dark summit is a natural volcanic-looking rock; the petroglyphs of cattle are common across the region; the 'altar' and stone circles are typical of desert sites from many periods.
When was Jebel al-Lawz (Arabian 'Mount Sinai' claim) discovered?
It was found in 1984 by Ron Wyatt (1984); promoted by Bob Cornuke and Larry Williams (1988) and later documentaries, at Jebel al-Lawz, Tabuk region, northwest Saudi Arabia.
Where is Jebel al-Lawz (Arabian 'Mount Sinai' claim) today?
Site (restricted area, Saudi Arabia).
Which Bible verses does Jebel al-Lawz (Arabian 'Mount Sinai' claim) relate to?
Exodus 3:1, Exodus 32:4-5, Galatians 4:25.
Is Jebel al-Lawz (Arabian 'Mount Sinai' claim) authentic?
Not supported by professional archaeology or Egyptology; no licensed excavation; claims rest on undated surface features.
Related discoveries
- 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
- מַצֵּבָהThe 'Altar of Moses' and 'Twelve Pillars' at Jabal al-LawzStone structure and column fragments at the mountain's foot, claimed from Exodus 24
- גְּבוּלThe 'Boundary Markers' around Jabal al-LawzStone cairns claimed as the fence Moshe set around the mountain
- סִיןGabal Sin Bishar (Har-El's Mount Sinai)A low peak in western Sinai proposed by an Israeli geographer
- הַר סִינַיJebel Musa (traditional Mount Sinai)The mountain Christian tradition has honored as Sinai since the 4th century
Sources
- Franz, 'Is Mount Sinai in Saudi Arabia?', Bible and Spade 13 (2000)
- Wikipedia: Jabal al-Lawz
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