This sheet on Deuteronomy 33 was written by Yogev Bar-Gad and Sarah Browning Ben Saadon for 929 and can also be found here
Where is Mt. Sinai? The surprising answer, based on our chapter and supported by other chapters in the Bible, is that Mount Sinai is not in the southern edge of the peninsula Sinai. Mount Sinai is in the area of Mount Paran and Mount Seir in the Negev region.
Moses, who knew the answer thanks to self-experience, describes it, in our chapter, by using four synonym phrases:
“The LORD came from Sinai;
He shone upon them from Seir;
He appeared from Mount Paran;
And approached from Ribeboth-Kodesh” (Deuteronomy 33:2).
As the four verbs are alike: came, shone, appeared and approached, so are the four names: Sinai, Seir, Mount Paran and Ribeboth-Kodesh.
Sinai and Paran are mentioned together also in the book of Numbers. As written:
“And the Israelites set out on their journeys from the wilderness of Sinai. The cloud came to rest in the wilderness of Paran” (Numbers 10:12).
Sinai and Seir are mentioned together also in the song of Deborah in the book of Judges:
“O LORD, when You came forth from Seir… the LORD, Him of Sinai” (Judges 5:4-5).
The LORD, Him of Sinai, considered leading the Israelites from Egypt to Mount Sinai by way of the land of the Philistines, because it was closer (Exodus 13:17).
Amalekites that dwell in the Negev region (Numbers 13:29) in the land of Seir (Genesis 36:16) were not far from Mount Sinai (Horeb) when they came and fought with Israel at Rephidim (Exodus 17:6-8).
Not so long was young Moses’s journey, with Jethro’s flock, to Mount Sinai (Horeb) from Midian, that was in the country of Moab (Genesis 36:35, Exodus 3:1, Numbers 22:4).
Also, Old Jethro’s journey with his daughter and grandchildren from Midian to Mount Sinai was not such a great distance (Exodus 18:5).
In conclusion, our chapter and other chapters in the Bible indicate that Mount Sinai is not in the southern edge of the peninsula Sinai, but more to the north, in the Negev region, in the area of Mount Seir and Mount Paran.
Moses, who knew the answer thanks to self-experience, describes it, in our chapter, by using four synonym phrases:
“The LORD came from Sinai;
He shone upon them from Seir;
He appeared from Mount Paran;
And approached from Ribeboth-Kodesh” (Deuteronomy 33:2).
As the four verbs are alike: came, shone, appeared and approached, so are the four names: Sinai, Seir, Mount Paran and Ribeboth-Kodesh.
Sinai and Paran are mentioned together also in the book of Numbers. As written:
“And the Israelites set out on their journeys from the wilderness of Sinai. The cloud came to rest in the wilderness of Paran” (Numbers 10:12).
Sinai and Seir are mentioned together also in the song of Deborah in the book of Judges:
“O LORD, when You came forth from Seir… the LORD, Him of Sinai” (Judges 5:4-5).
The LORD, Him of Sinai, considered leading the Israelites from Egypt to Mount Sinai by way of the land of the Philistines, because it was closer (Exodus 13:17).
Amalekites that dwell in the Negev region (Numbers 13:29) in the land of Seir (Genesis 36:16) were not far from Mount Sinai (Horeb) when they came and fought with Israel at Rephidim (Exodus 17:6-8).
Not so long was young Moses’s journey, with Jethro’s flock, to Mount Sinai (Horeb) from Midian, that was in the country of Moab (Genesis 36:35, Exodus 3:1, Numbers 22:4).
Also, Old Jethro’s journey with his daughter and grandchildren from Midian to Mount Sinai was not such a great distance (Exodus 18:5).
In conclusion, our chapter and other chapters in the Bible indicate that Mount Sinai is not in the southern edge of the peninsula Sinai, but more to the north, in the Negev region, in the area of Mount Seir and Mount Paran.
Yogev is a lawyer and a Torah lecturer. Sarah is a mentor and coach.
929 is the number of chapters in the Tanakh, the Hebrew Bible, the formative text of the Jewish heritage. It is also the name of a cutting-edge project dedicated to creating a global Jewish conversation anchored in the Hebrew Bible. 929 English invites Jews everywhere to read and study Tanakh, one chapter a day, Sunday through Thursday together with a website with creative readings and pluralistic interpretations, including audio and video, by a wide range of writers, artists, rabbis, educators, scholars, students and more. As an outgrowth of the web-based platform, 929 English also offers classes, pop-up lectures, events and across North America. We invite you to learn along with us and be part of our dynamic community.
To join 929's listserv for new and dynamic content each week click here
To join 929's listserv for new and dynamic content each week click here
