In Search of the Mountain of God: The Discovery of the Real Mt. Sinai

[Originally posted on 2004, May 6.] I do quite a bit of reading with fairly critical eyes, and yet I don't hesitate to give IN SEARCH OF THE MOUNTAIN OF GOD five stars. It is an exciting adventure story about a very significant subject. The evidence that Mr. Cornuke provides in support of his belief that Jabal al Lawz in Saudi Arabia is the REAL Mount Sinai is absolutely overwhelming. It is an excellent book that may very well challenge some of your previously held beliefs while it authenticates the historicity of the Bible's Old Testament. What I primarily wish to do here is to correct some remarks in three of the other online reviews which I suspect might confuse others: A READER FROM USA states that Jabal al Lawz cannot be the real Mount Sinai because Colin Humphreys evidently claims in his book, 'The Miracles Of Exodus', that Mount Sinai had to have been a volcano (due to its burning, smoking peak, and its trembling.) Yes, that would be true, but only if one feels compelled to attribute natural phenomena to all of the miracles described in The Bible. If a person accepts that God is quite capable of transcending His own creation, then finding a "rational" explanation for every miracle is not necessary, and probably fruitless. Because the circumstances on Mount Sinai when Moses met there with God describes what we commonly associate with volcanic activity, it does not at all follow that Mount Sinai MUST have been a volcano. God may heal a person of cancer, but that DOES NOT mean that God MUST be a surgeon. WILLIAM E. THOMPSON seems to be reviewing two of Cornuke's books simultaneously and that is bound to cause confusion for those unfamiliar with the other book. The statement that the explorers should have (admittedly) returned to the site for further investigation is in regards to Cornuke's, 'In Search Of The Lost Mountains Of Noah', in which he relates his failure to locate Noah's Ark. Although Chapter Twenty-Six ('The Blood Of The Lamb') of that book is quite moving - in which the sacrifice of a lamb is compared with the sacrificial act of Jesus - I agree that the book ultimately should have been shelved until the author had legitimate evidence to offer. But that is no reason to avoid this superior book on the discovery of Mount Sinai. In his review, ABUJIFAN far too easily dismisses the many indicators that point to Jabal al Lawz as the REAL Mount Sinai. He fails to address many of the historic landmarks that (coincidentally?!) happen to be in the same general location as the burnt Mountain, and also the coral reef that (conveniently) connects the lower tip of the Sinai Peninsula (across The Red Sea) with Saudi Arabia and the immediate area where all of these landmarks are found! He didn't mention the existence of the water-worn Split Rock (referenced in Exodus 17:5-6 and Isaiah 48:21 of The Bible) - an astonishing find! And he dismisses the photograph of the (presumed) Golden Calf Altar as a pile of rocks that "look like many natur

This book is not only interesting from a factual point of view, but the author also does an excellent job recounting his adventures in an entertaining manner. (I disagree with the reviewers on the bottom that said this book was tedious reading.) The pictures in the middle are fascinating as well as the text which is very convincing. He goes into detail about what he has found and brings the Scriptures to life. I am looking forward to re-reading Exodus as now it seems more real. The discoveries the author made are compelling evidence that this may well be the real Mt. Sinai

Bob Cornuke's story is both entertaining and convincing. This quick-read is in two distinct parts. First, the riveting true-life story that carries the reader along on a vicarious adventure ride, chronicling Bob Cornuke and Larry Williams' exploits . However, it's the last section that provides the "guts" of Cornuke's persuasive argument. Facts and photos seem to support that these two intrepid adventurers have actually found the real Mount Sinai of the Bible. Clearly, it's an injunction for further research that the academic world cannot ignore.Refreshing in their approach, Cornuke and his friend Larry Williams used the Bible as their guidebook and discovered that Mount Sinai is exactly where, and as, the Bible describes it. Too often we are hampered by baseless traditions, such as the Mountain of God being located in the Sinai Peninsula. All too often we see pseudo-scholars attempt to discredit the Bible by using baseless facts such as this. Unfortunately, most true experts have been armchair-bound due to the recalcitrant attitude of the Saudi government. For decades, Western archeologists, Bible scholars and nearly everyone else have consistently been refused entry into Saudi Arabia.Though I can't condone the illegal scheme used to sneak into Saudi Arabia, nor the surreptitious methods they used on-site, the results of their clandestine mission are nevertheless staggering. Actually written by one of the participants, I see that an effort has been made to tactfully correct some of the factual errors brought forth previously in various national and international media accounts. "The Gold of Exodus," written by New York Times correspondent Howard Blum about this same adventure, misses the spiritual elements and many of the facts described in this volume. Yet, the "Gold of Exodus" remains an interesting companion piece -- especially to those interested in the friction between Israel and the Arab world. The very-human story of Cornuke's spiritual struggle, along with ample Bible references, facts and photos, make Cornuke's effort a valuable work. I heartily recommend "In Search of the Mountain of God: The Discovery of the Real Mt. Sinai" to anyone that enjoys an exciting real-life adventure story, or to anyone who is serious about personally investigating the accuracy of the Bible and this archeological find-of-the-century. Sig Swanstrom Director, The Society of Fellows, Seattle Pacific University

As a former professional journalist and current university professor in Old Testament studies, I am impressed with Bob Cornuke's willingness to retrace the biblical account farther back than the consensus of liberal scholarship, and to seek hard, physical evidence based on eyewitness accounts and extrabiblical testimony. Having conducted extensive research on the actual "crisis point" at the "Sea of Reeds," I believe Cornuke is dead-on in locating that point at the Straits of Tiran at the entrance to the Gulf of Aqaba, where all the physical landmarks come together in the way the Exodus account describes. He is equally correct in contending that Mt. Sinai must have, by definition, been located outside the jurisdiction of Egypt in that day. His boldness in taking his life in his hands to see the Bible's geography attested firsthand is not only commendable -- it is potentially historic!

I recently finished reading The Mountain of God. Without a doubt, it has to be one of the most fascinating books I have ever read. I am currently studying the book of Genesis. The Scriptures have come alive in a new and exciting dimension since reading about your discoveries. The way every detail lines up so precisely with the Bible is incredible, and has convinced me that Bob and Larry found the true route of the Exodus from Egypt to Sinai.The way you wove the events together held me spellbound.