Mount Sinai
Sinai PeninsulaMountain in Sinai Peninsula · today Jebel Musa, Egypt (traditional)
Meaning: “Also called Horeb, "the mountain of God"”
The mountain where God gave Moses the Ten Commandments and the Law. Also called Horeb. Moses encountered the burning bush here, and Elijah fled here after Jezebel's threats.
Location
Overview
Mount Sinai, also called Horeb, is "the mountain of God" where the LORD revealed himself to Israel after the Exodus. Its exact location is debated, but tradition places it in the granite peaks of the southern Sinai Peninsula.
The burning bush
It was at Horeb that Moses, tending Jethro’s flock, saw the bush that burned without being consumed and was commissioned to deliver Israel from Egypt (Exodus 3:1–10).
The giving of the Law
Three months after the Exodus, Israel camped before Sinai. Amid thunder, smoke, and fire, God descended and gave the Ten Commandments and the covenant law (Exodus 19:18; 20:1–17), making Israel his "peculiar treasure."
The golden calf
While Moses was on the mountain, the people made a golden calf and fell into idolatry, and the first tablets were broken (Exodus 32). Centuries later the prophet Elijah fled to Horeb, where he heard God in "a still small voice" (1 Kings 19:8–12).
Events Here
Moses sees the burning bush and is commissioned
God gives the Ten Commandments and the covenant law
Israel makes the golden calf while Moses is on the mountain
Elijah hears God in a still small voice at Horeb
Scripture References
0 versesNo verse references found.
Archaeology & History
The traditional site, Jebel Musa, has been venerated since at least the 4th century AD, when Christian monasticism took root in the Sinai. St. Catherine’s Monastery at its foot — built by Justinian in the 6th century and still active — is among the oldest working monasteries in the world and holds one of the most important libraries of ancient manuscripts. Other scholars propose alternative locations for the biblical mountain.
Frequently asked about Mount Sinai
Where is Mount Sinai today?
Today, Mount Sinai corresponds to Jebel Musa, Egypt (traditional).
What does the name Mount Sinai mean?
The name Mount Sinai means “Also called Horeb, "the mountain of God"”.
What happened at Mount Sinai in the Bible?
Key biblical events at Mount Sinai include moses sees the burning bush and is commissioned; god gives the ten commandments and the covenant law; israel makes the golden calf while moses is on the mountain.
Where is Mount Sinai?
Its location is debated; the traditional identification is Jebel Musa in the southern Sinai Peninsula of Egypt, site of St. Catherine’s Monastery.
What happened at Mount Sinai in the Bible?
God spoke to Moses from the burning bush, gave Israel the Ten Commandments and the Law there, and the incident of the golden calf took place at its foot.