Exodus to Egypt - 3 - Sinai Desert - Suez Canal

Entering Egypt, it was a long journey through Sinai Desert. The terrain was mountainous initially, then it was endless sea of sand, with no vegetation at all. It was sandy gray all over. We could see some villages here and there. Sun set at the Sinai was a spectacular sight.

Sinai Desert

The Sinai Peninsula is a part of Egypt connecting the Continents of Asia and Africa. Its area is about 60,000 km. Surrounded by the Gulf of Suez, Red Sea, the Mediterranean Sea, and the Israeli Negev desert. The most interesting sight is the west southern part of the Sinai. It is mountaineous with its highest peak St. Katherine Mt. 2644 m. Here, below the craggy outcrops, St Katherine's Monastery sits beneath the mountain where a 4th century tradition says Moses received the Ten Commandments.Among its treasures is a library of ancient manuscripts and icons second only to the Vatican's itself, and a 6th century church reputed to lie directly on the site of the Burning Bush.

Begins one of the Bible's most memorable sagas, the 40-year wanderings of Moses and the Israelites through the vast and barren prison of Sinai. No story has done more to put Sinai on the map than Exodus, and for many, a visit to the land where manna fell from heaven and Moses received the Ten Commandments is nothing short of a pilgrimage.

Suez Canal

Travelling through Sinai, we passed through a tunnel under the Suez Canal. We could see a ship passing through the Canal.

Suez Canal is an artificial waterway in Egypt, connecting the Mediterranean Sea to Gulf of Suez, and then to the Red Sea.

The canal is 163 km long, and its width varies, and 60 metres at its narrowest. Along most of the length, there is only one lane for traffic available, though there are a handful of passing bays.

The canal is extensively used by modern ships, as it is the fastest crossing from the Atlantic Ocean to the Indian Ocean. Taxes paid by the vessels represent an important source of income for the Egyptian government.

The canal cuts through 3 lakes, the Lake Manzala, in the north which is protected from the canal with a bedding on its western side, the Lake Timsah in the middle, and the Bitter Lakes further south. The Bitter Lakes make up almost 30 km of the total length.

Also See

1. (Sinai Desert):- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biblical_Mount_Sinai

2. (Suez Cananl) :- http://lexicorient.com/e.o/suez_can.htm