Arabia / Mountain Sinai

[Andrewn]

In Galatians, the Apostle Paul mentions that he spent 3 years in Arabia (1:17) and that Mount Sinai is in Arabia (4:25).

In which part of Arabia was he for 3 years after his conversion?

 

[HTacianas]

In Galatians, the Apostle Paul mentions that he spent 3 years in Arabia (1:17) and that Mount Sinai is in Arabia (4:25).

In which part of Arabia was he for 3 years after his conversion?

In those days most everthing east of Israel was referred to as Arabia. Paul first went to Damascus in Syria where he was baptized. From there going to Arabia could mean just about anything.

 

[Quid est Veritas?]

In Roman times, the area immediately southeast of Palestine was termed Arabia Petraea or Nabataea, which included the Sinai Peninsula. This was incorporated as a Roman province in the 2nd century, but was a Roman client state prior to this. Yemen was called Arabia Felix, and the area of Arabia between Petraea and Felix was termed Arabia Deserta.

Paul merely says he went to Arabia, but an area in Arabia Petraea seems most likely, especially as it was in the Greco-Roman sphere - perhaps he went to Mt Sinai in the Peninsula, for all we know. Arabia Petraea's population centres were mostly in what would be termed Jordan today, so likely he went there.

 

[Lazarus Short]

I tend to agree with those who propose that Jebel el-Lawz is the Mountain of God. It is in the southwest corner of the Saudi kingdom, and in the ancient land of Midian.

 

[Andrewn]

I tend to agree with those who propose that Jebel el-Lawz is the Mountain of God. It is in the southwest corner of the Saudi kingdom,

There are many theories. What makes this site more probable to you?

in the ancient land of Midian.

I'm leaning more and more toward the idea that Midianites didn't have a land east of the Aqaba Gulf but were rather a nomadic tribe forming a section of society in a widespread area.

 

[Quid est Veritas?]

I tend to agree with those who propose that Jebel el-Lawz is the Mountain of God. It is in the southwest corner of the Saudi kingdom, and in the ancient land of Midian.

I don't really know what to make of this. True, we can't really say that our modern Sinai is the original Sinai/Horeb, but all these other sites seem conjectural - like Jebal el Laws or the Burnt mountain, that I've heard are often confused for one another. Or people that look for some sort of volcano. Modern Sinai at least has tradition from at least the third or so century in support. I also find it important to note that the oldest reference to the Tetragrammaton, occurs amongst the Shasu of YHW in the Sinai peninsula in Egyptian sources of the 14th century BC.

Further, we don't know that Sinai is in Midian, as that is largely a supposition based on the Documentary Hypothesis; or extrapolated from seeing the burning bush occuring while Moses was with his father-in-law's people. The OT doesn't say so, and Exodus 18:27 implies Sinai was not in Midian at all.

That said, Jebal el Lawz means Mount of Almonds. Almonds are closely associated with the Temple service, in that the Menorah is a representation of an almond branch, Aaron's staff budded almonds, and in Jeremiah 1:11 that an Almond branch represents Jerusalem. Don't know how relevant all this is, but it gives pause.

I can't say for sure, but I would be more inclined toward the traditional site myself.

 

[Andrewn]

I also find it important to note that the oldest reference to the Tetragrammaton, occurs amongst the Shasu of YHW in the Sinai peninsula in Egyptian sources of the 14th century BC.

The question of who the Shasu are is unsettled. The best evidence is probably against them being Israelites. Could they be Midianites?

"Some scholars have suggested that 'Midian' does not refer to geographic places or a specific tribe,[3][4] but to a confederation or 'league' of tribes brought together as a collective for worship purposes. Paul Haupt first made this suggestion in 1909,[5] describing Midian as a 'cultic collective' (Kultgenossenschaft) or an 'amphictyony', meaning 'an association (Bund) of different tribes in the vicinity of a sanctuary'. Elath, on the northern tip of the Gulf of Aqaba was suggested as the location of the first shrine, with a second sanctuary located at Kadesh. Later writers have questioned the identified sanctuary locations but supported the thesis of a Midianite league."

Midian - Wikipedia

I've always learned that the Midianites lived east of the Aqaba Gulf but when I read the Bible I encounter Jethro at Mount Sinai, at Moab in the incident of Baal of Peor, and attacking land of Job and Gideon where they're identified at Ishmaelites.

I can't say for sure, but I would be more inclined toward the traditional site myself.

This is rather strong evidence. But I don't see a good reason for the fleeing Israelites to take a difficult southern route after the Egyptian army drowned. The usual routes across Sinai were in the north or in the middle. I can understand them avoiding the northern route. But the middle route seems like a good possibility. There are new theories for Mount Sinai being along the middle route either west or east of the Sinai.

 

[Quid est Veritas?]

This is rather strong evidence. But I don't see a good reason for the fleeing Israelites to take a difficult southern route after the Egyptian army drowned. The usual routes across Sinai were in the north or in the middle. I can understand them avoiding the northern route. But the middle route seems like a good possibility. There are new theories for Mount Sinai being along the middle route either west or east of the Sinai.

Why should they take an established route? Was not their goal the Mountain of God? If this happened to be in the south, they would head that way. If we are looking for the real world places of the Biblical narrative, there is no reason to suppose Moses would just pick a mountain on a standard route to Canaan, instead of heading to a specific place. They were journeying to this mountain, not just happened to pass it on their way out.

Anyway, many groups have gone along unexpected routes in the past, such as Japan before Pearl Harbour, or Hannibal over the Alps, or the Gauls that invaded Anatolia to found Galatia, etc. The Bible does depict difficulty, anyway.

The question of who the Shasu are is unsettled. The best evidence is probably against them being Israelites. Could they be Midianites?

Shasu is a generic term for Semitic 'nomads on foot' in Egyptian sources, so they added qualifiers. Who the Shasu of YHW were we don't know, but maybe Midianites, or a later part of the Israelite confederacy, or Kenites, etc. are all possibilities. After all, another generic term for nomadic band, Habiru, is probably related to the term Hebrew.