The word "Sinai" is an Hebrew plural form of "Sin," a loan word which means "moon."
Sinai/Sin was the way Israelite Hebrews translated the Egyptian toponym "Kushu" ("Kush"), which is also meant "moon." Moses mentioned "Sin" ("Sinai") in connection with the full moon of May 26, 1229 BCE when they arrived in the wilderness of Sin, half month before arriving at the wilderness of Sinai.
"And they took their journey from Elim, and all the congregation of the children of Israel came unto the wilderness of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the
15th day
of the 2nd month
after their departing out of the land of Egypt.
And the whole congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness" -Exodus 16:1-2
That "Sinai" is plural, is evident in the report of prophetess Deborah:
"The mountains melted from before YHWH, even that Sinai from before YHWH the God of Israel." -Judges 5:5
She called the entirety of Sinai as "mountains."
One of the Sinai mountains was Mt. Horeb, also known "the mountain of God," which was located at the backside of the desert near Midian (Gen. 3:1).
According to Genesis 37:28, Ishmaelites were Midianites, and these Yishmaelim (Ismaelites) were inhabitants of a land in the Negev (south of Judah), or near Edom (Ps. 83:6).
"And they sat down to eat bread: and they lifted up their eyes and looked, and, behold, a company of Yishmaelim (Ishmeelites) came from Gilead with their camels bearing spicery and balm and myrrh, going to carry it down to Egypt. Then there passed by
Midianites merchantmen;
and they drew and lifted up Joseph out of the pit, and sold Joseph to the
Ishmeelites
for 20 shekels of silver: and they brought Joseph into Egypt." -Genesis 37:25,28
Ishmael was the son of Abram to Hagar who lived between Kadesh and Bered (Gen. 16:14). Ishmaelites were called Midianites because they lived in the land of Midian in the east of Kadesh Barneah near Kedem.
Prophet Habakkuk locates the land of Midian in the earthquake zone burning coal place in Kushan near biblical Teman (Hab. 3:3-10). Archaeologically speaking, biblical Teman is in Kuntillet Ajrud (where YHWH of Teman had religious center).
Kushan (Cushan) was prophet Habakkuk's rendering of the Egyptian toponym "Kushu" ("Kush").
"Kush" is an Hurrian word for "moon," probably as "Yareah" ("Yarik") to the people of Jericho.
Moses used the word "Sinai" for this "Kush," probably because the term "Kushu" sounds derogatoric for Israelites (e.g., as Miriam and Aaron abhorred Moses because of marrying a Kushite woman, Zephorah, the daughter of the Midianite priest Jethro).
"And Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses because of
הַכֻּשִׁ֖ית [ha-Kushit]
the Kushite
woman whom he had married: for he had taken a
כֻשִׁ֖ית [Kushit]
Kushite
woman." -Numbers 12:1
Kushite designation appears here abhorrent, so that what they called Kushite is called "Midianite" by Moses. Zephorah's father was likely an Edomite because his name Rageuel was an Edomite name. It is not an impossibility because Kush, like Kadesh-barneah, was located in the border of Edom, and during the kingdom of Edom Midian was defeated by Edomite king, Hadad ben-Bedad (Gen. 36:35). In Midian, Raguel's name was Jethro (Exo. 18:1).
In the description of the history writer of king Solomon, Midian is a neighborhood of Edom to the west of Paran in Negev south of Judah (1Kings 11:16-18).
The last mentioned of Midianites is when Moses killed all of their males (Num. 31:7) and Phinehas grandson of Aaron killed their five kings, Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur, and Reba in circa 1190 BCE (Num. 31:6-8).
Nonetheless, the land of Midian was synonymous of the toponym Kushan (probably because its well known king was Kushar, whose name might be derived from the toponym "Kushu"). The mountain range there called "Kush" by Egyptians was known to Moses and Deborah by the name "Sinai." In one occasion, in Numbers 10:33, Moses identified one of its mountains by the name "the mount of YHWH."
King Amenhotep III (1380 BCE) and Rameses II (1279-1213 BCE), however, called that place as "Land of Yahweh," whereas king Rameses III (1186-1155 BCE) called it "Yah" (Yiha), which was located in what we now known "Makhtesh Ramon."
Where exactly the Mt. Sinai?
Good thing that Moses did not forget to mention its whereabouts. According to Moses, Mt. Horeb was located between Kadesh-barneah and Mt. Seir, both are known to us.
"There are 11 days' journey from Horeb by the way of mount Seir unto Kadeshbarnea." -Deuteronomy 1:2
Modern cults or anti-Moses so-called archaeologists do not accept this teaching of Moses. Why? Because it does not fit with their feeling-based opinions.
Mount Seir is in Seir, which was conquered by the Edomites and devastated by king Rameses III. Prophetess Deborah confirmed this identification when she recited:
"YHWH, when You went out of Seir, when You march out of the field of Edom, the earth trembled, and the heavens dropped, the clouds also dropped water. The mountains melted on front of YHWH, even that
Sinai
on front of YHWH the God of Israel. The inhabitants of the villages ceased, they ceased in Israel, until that I Deborah arose, that I arose a mother in Israel." -Judges 5:4-5,7
Both Moses and Deborah corroborated each other that Horeb or Sinai was in the field of Edom or Seir exactly in the area of seismic zone and eruption (melting) mountains that destroyed the Israelite inhabitants there during the time of Shamgar Ben-Anath and Jael.
Modern cults do not accept this biblical truth because it does not jibe with their feeling-based opinions.
Can we prove that Moses, Deborah and Habakkuk are accurate of their reports? Yes!
Until now, the pieces of evidence of melting of the area are there in Ha-Minsara in Makhtesh Ramon, and the evidence of fire from the foundations of the mountains erupted, is still there in Makhtesh Ramon, and the evidence that the earth there opened her mouth is very evident in Makhtesh Ramon and now known as the largest soil erosion in the world.
Anti-Bible modern cults do not accept these facts because of not conforming with their feeling-based belief.
Moses reported that the earth there opened its mouth and eaten alive his cousins and fire was poured out from the foundations of the mountains.
"And the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed them up together with Korah, when that company died, what time the fire devoured 250 men: and they became a sign." - Numbers 26:10
"For a fire is kindled in mine anger, and shall burn unto the lowest hell, and shall consume the earth with her increase, and set on fire the foundations of the mountains." -Deuteronomy 32:22
This is the reason why we cannot find the Sinai mountains because the earth there opened its mouth and eaten them and its land's surface eroded 500 meters below the level of the land in the known phenomenon "largest soil erosion in the world." Today, the area is known by the name Makhtesh Ramon.
Fire from the foundations of the mountains melted the mountains and killed many Israelites.
"The mountains melted on front of YHWH, even that
Sinai
on front of YHWH the God of Israel. The inhabitants of the villages ceased, they ceased in Israel, until that I Deborah arose ..." -Judges 5:5,7
King Rameses III (1186-1155 BCE) reported too this removal of land during the presence of the confederation of Shakares (Issacharites), Akwesha (Asherites), Denyen (Danites), etc.
"All at once the lands were removed and scattered in the fray ... Their confederation was Peleset, Dor, Shakares (Issacharites), Dan, and Akwesha (Asher), lands united. " -king Rameses III, cf. KRIT 5:34-35
The pharaoh also mentions the "Troops of Deborah," replacing the Kishon of Jabin.
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Writer: ALLAN POE BONA REDOÑA
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