This is another intriguing book by an author we have featured before. Where is the biblical Mount Sinai located? Richardson seeks to persuade us that the true location of Mount Sinai is not the traditional Jebel Musa in the Sinai Peninsula, but the alternative Jebel al-Lawz in modern-day Saudi Arabia.

Richardson freely admits his book is by no means a comprehensive treatment of the matter and that he is building upon the research of others before him. He asserts that “Exodus studies can quickly become quite complex and any thorough treatment of the subject would require a substantially larger volume than this” (p4).¹ However, such books tend to appeal only to a small number of specialists and scholars, something which Richardson wanted to avoid.

Rather he aims “to unpack the most important underlying issues, while responsibly interacting with the most up to date and best scholarship on the subject, and to present my findings in a way that any reader can easily understand and appreciate” (p4). This he has most definitely achieved. With his guidance we are able to make our own assessments based upon the primary arguments and main strands of evidence.

Strands of Evidence

The author starts by examining claims for the traditional site of Mount Sinai and explains how this theory came to be generally accepted, before beginning a modern search for ‘the real Mount Sinai’.

Next, he tackles the thorny issue of the crossing of the ‘Red Sea’ (more accurately known as the ‘Yam Suph’) and where this is most likely to have occurred – signposting the location of Mount Sinai. Richardson’s ability to demonstrate convincingly that “the Exodus sea crossing took place on the eastern side of the Sinai Peninsula, through the Gulf of Aqaba” (p27) is key to his whole thesis.

In a later chapter the author examines ancient Jewish, Christian and Islamic traditions which all agree that Mount Sinai is in the land of Midian, in modern-day northwest Saudi Arabia. Richardson then calls upon the testimony of the Apostle Paul, who not only visited Arabia (Gal 1:17) but declared that Mount Sinai was indeed in that area (Gal 4:25).

Richardson is clearly an author who, once he gets the bit between his teeth, doesn’t let go until he has understood a subject thoroughly and put himself in a good position to teach it so that others can benefit. He explains how this topic first captured his interest but that he was hesitant to form strong opinions until he had thoroughly examined the matter, including studying articles, papers and books that took the opposite view. Though he criticises those who simply dismiss the Jebel al-Lawz theory by belittling it, he is prepared to consider valid objections and addresses some of the most common of these in the appendix.

Richardson is clearly an author who, once he gets the bit between his teeth, doesn’t let go until he has understood a subject thoroughly and is able to teach it.

More Recognition to Come?

Richardson has based his conclusions not just on biblical evidence (which he refers to constantly) but on a personal visit to the various sites in 2018. He provides plenty of archaeological evidence for his views and has taken special note of what is reported by others who have also been there or who live there. This personal touch enhances the book considerably.

One motivation for writing the book was Richardson’s belief that it won’t be long before the region around Jebel al-Lawz will be opened up more to the world at large, especially if the Saudi plan to build the city-state of Noem is successful. In which case, he is “fully confident that in the years ahead, this mountain will become increasingly recognised by a wider segment of the academic and international community not merely as a place of tremendous sacred and historical importance, but as the actual location where the Creator himself personally appeared in history’s most overt and powerful theophany” (p17).

One helpful feature of the book is that it contains two 12-page inserts of colour photos of maps, locations and artefacts. The book is also well-indexed and the endnotes provide plenty of references for further reading.

‘Mount Sinai in Arabia: The True Location Revealed’ (158pp) is available from Amazon for £14.02. Also available on Kindle, as a free PDF download and as a nine-session teaching series on DVD (US shipping).

Joel Richardson is author of a number of other books, including ‘When a Jew Rules the World’ and ‘MidEast Beast’, both of which have been reviewed by Prophecy Today UK.

Notes

1 See for example The Exodus Case by Lennart Möllar, which is recommended by one of our readers.