On The Ordnance Survey Of Sinai.

The inscriptions are far more generally distributed over the Peninsula than has been supposed-There is a collection near Ain Hudhera almost as lai-ge as that in Wady Mukatteb , on the road from Feiran to Beuat , and from Jebel Musa to Sherm

there are numbers , and Mr . Palmer has lately found them at the head of Wady Gharundel and on the outskirts of the ill . Inscriptions are also found in the valleys near Jebel Musa ancl Jebel Serbal . At the latter place they are found on

three occasions under peculiar circumstances : 1 st . On the monastic road to Sigillyeh in such positions that they must have been written after the road was made , and consequently after the introduction of Christianity ; 2 nd . In a cave near the summit

of Serbal , where they are made Avith AvhiteAvash , evidently by the same men Avho built the signal tower , of which there are the remains close by !; and 3 rd . On Jebel Moneija , a hill overlooking Wady Aleyat ; this is one of the places in Avhich

God is supposed to have spoken to Moses , and the Bedawin sacrifice there every year at the time of date harvest .

An examination Avas made of the Egyptian mines at Maghara and Sarabit el Khadem ; a plan Avas made of the temple at the latter place , and photographs and paper impressions Avere taken of the tablets and inscriptions . These mines are Avell

known , and have been described and figured by Lepsius , Laborde , Laval , and others ; but Dr . Birch , the distinguished Egyptologist , AVIIO has kindly consented to contribute a description of them to the Avork Avhich is now in course of

preparation , has informed me that he is able to decip her many parts of the inscriptions from our pbotographs , which were illegible in the copies of previous travellers .

Several new inscriptions and tablets Avere found ; one indicating that the miners Avere accompanied by their wives and families Avhilst working at Maghara . The oldest monument appears to be that of Cheops , the builder of the Great Pyramid ,

and from his reign down to a time posterior to the Exodus there is a pretty constant succession of tablets recording the Avorking of the mines . At Maghara may still be seen the ruins of the village in Avhich the miners lived on an almost

isolated hill opposite the mines , and connected with them by a causeAvay , of Avhich there are still traces . The mines Avere A \ orked for copper and turquoise , the latter possibly oa account of its colouring matter , as no turquoises have yet been

found in the ancient jewellery of the Egyptians . A question has been raised as to whether the Mountain of the LaAv > vas really in what we call the Peninsula of Sinai ; time Avill not permit me to

enter upon this at present , but there seems to be no sufficient reason for believing that the present tradition , Avhich is certainly as old as Josephus , is Avrong-, and I am able to announce that the members of the expedition have unanimously come to the conclusion that the mountain mass of Jebel

Musa is the true Mount Sinai . NoAvhere else rathe Peninsula is there the same conjunction of mountain , plain , and Avater , and even when we come to minute details they agree in a most marked manner with the requirements of the Bible

narrative . In comparing the rival claims of Musa and Serbal , it will be as well to consider what are the topographical features which the Bible narrative appears to require in connection with Mount Sinai , and to examine IIOAV far each of them fulfils the

requisite conditions . They may be stated thus : — 1 st . A mountain summit overlooking a place upon Avhich the children of Israel could be assembled . It does not seem necessary to suppose that

there must have been space in front of the Mount sufficient for their permanent encampment "; indeed it would rather appear that the tents were scattered about in the neighbouring valleys , Avhence they could easily be summoned to take part in any solemn act , such as the delivery of the ten commandments .

At Musa there is the great cliff of the Ras Sufsafeh overlooking the plain of Er Rahah , which slopes gently down to its base , a remarkable geographical feature , which Avould attract the attention of a traveller if there Avere no other

circumstances connected witli it . At Serbal there is no such plain , but there is sufficient space for the host to have assembled in Wady Aleyat and Er Kimm in sight of the summit of Serbal , which , by the Avay , is invisible from

Wady Ajeleh . This arrangement Avould necessitate the assembly of the Israelites in tAvo valleys separated from each other by a hig h , ridge of granite , and the beds of the valleys are UOAV and must ahvays have

been of the roughest description , and a direct contrast to the even plain of Er Rahah . 2 nd . The place on which the Israelites assem-