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where pharaohs and their companions on the journey could be viewed. As a journalist, learning about the hieroglyphic writing system, the world’s oldest known writing formula, was very interesting for me. This system composed of some 500 symbols can represent a word, a phoneme or a silent determinative; and the same symbol can serve different purposes in different contexts. It is easy to see what an advanced people these early Egyptians were. Father Bob had been to Egypt three times prior, so his knowledge of the people and what places to visit was a valuable tool. Through his guidance and the hiring of our guide and Egyptologist, Soha Sabbour, our journey was packed with intellectual study and interesting understanding about each place and opportunity we visited. We traveled five times by plane during our visit. With each flight we moved further towards Upper Egypt, stopping to see temples and tombs, learning about how papyrus is made, watching craftsmen form pottery and create alabaster stone carvings, visiting a perfumery where your specific scent could be made. And what would traveling to a distant land be without shopping? There was time for all to shop for products made by these Egyptian artisans. Out of the entire trip two places stood out as having the most impact on me; the monastery of Saint Catherine and Mount Horeb-Sinai. “The whole Israelite community set out from Elim and came to the Desert of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after they had come out of Egypt.” Exodus 16:1. The Monastery of St. Catherine The smallest diocese in the world is also the oldest Christian monastery still in existence in the world. It is also believed to have the richest collection of icons and precious manuscripts. The original monastery was replaced in 530 AD by a large basilica called the Church of the Transfiguration. A fort to protect the monks was also built around the church. The Chapel of the Burning Bush is the most sacred of the buildings in the monastery. Dating from the 4th century AD, the chapel is the oldest part of the church. Its walls are covered with icons. The monastery has 2,000 icons in its collection. Outside the chapel you can see the purported bush. The root area is enclosed. The bush is now more like a tree. It was relocated from the original place where an altar in the chapel was erected over the roots. It is believed that God appeared to Moses through this bush. Mount Horeb-Sinai We flew to Sharm-El-Sheikh, an oasis city located on the southern tip of the Sinai Peninsula on the beaches of the Red Sea. From there we boarded a bus for our 149-mile trip northeast and arrived at the base of Jabal Moussa, Mount Horeb-Sinai. In 1934 a small chapel dedicated to the Trinity was built on the summit covering the ruins of a Justinian temple. The climb up the mountain is a strenuous one. You start out in warmth and get colder as you advance. The wind also plays a role, whipping strongly at times during your climb. The adventure takes about four hours each way. Out of the 18 of us on the tour, eight made this incredible journey to the summit. In this very place God sealed a sacred marriage covenant with Israel amidst volcanic fire, smoke and wind. Looking up, the summit of the mount appeared miles away, tucked away within the clouds of heaven. A trail of 320 stairs carved roughly out of rock made by monks centuries earlier, leads to the top. Entering the last hour of climbing, I made one last turn on the path and noticed that light from above had broken through the clouds and was shinning on the trail in front of me. Looking ahead, I saw the final steps leading to a chapel and walkway surrounding the summit. I had made it. I was standing where Moses had stood thousands of years before. Words cannot truly express the feeling that entered my heart and touched every nerve in my body. Although others were there, in that priceless moment I heard only one voice; felt only one touch. Time stood still for me at that moment. My pilgrimage to Egypt ranks next to a visit to the Holy Land I had the pleasure to experience several years ago. Egypt will long rest in my mind and heart. My feet stood on holy ground. I experienced the treasures and mysteries of Egypt. A blessing indeed!
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