E05195: The pilgrim Egeria, in her Itinerary, describes her ascent to the top of Mount Sinai, where she found a church, tended by a monk, and the cave of *Moses (Old Testament prophet and lawgiver, S00241); descending the mountain she visited the Burning Bush, where there was also a church and monks' cells. Written in Latin during Egeria's journey to the East, probably in 381-384.

Egeria, Itinerary 3.2-5 and 4.6-8


After a long climb, Egeria and her party reach the summit of Mount Sinai:

3.2 ... hora ergo quarta peruenimus in summitatem illam montis Dei sancti Syna, ubi data est lex in eo, id est locum, ubi descendit maiestas Domini in ea die, qua mons fumigabat. (3) In eo ergo loco est nunc ecclesia non grandis, quoniam et ipse locus, id est summitas montis, non satis grandis est; quae tamen aecclesia habet de se gratiam grandem. (4) Cum ergo iubente Deo persubissemus in ipsa summitate et peruenissemus ad hostium ipsius ecclesiae, ecce et occurrit presbyter ueniens de monasterio suo, qui ipsi ecclesie deputabatur, senex integer et monachus a prima uita et, ut hic dicunt, ascitis, et - quid plura? - qualis dignus est esse in eo loco. Occurrerunt etiam et alii presbyteri, nec non etiam et omnes monachi, qui ibi commorabantur iuxta montem illum, id est qui tamen aut etate aut inbeccillitate non fuerunt impediti. (5) Verum autem in ipsa summitate montis illius mediani nullus commanet; nichil enim est ibi aliud nisi sola ecclesia et spelunca, ubi fuit sanctus Moyses. (6) Lecto ergo, ipso loco, omnia de libro Moysi et facta oblatione ordine suo, hac sic communicantibus nobis, iam ut exiremus de aecclesia, dederunt nobis presbyteri loci ipsius eulogias, id est pomis, quae in ipso monte nascuntur.'

'3.2 ... So at the fourth hour we arrived on the summit of Sinai, the Mount of God where the Law was given, and the place where God's glory came down on the day that the mountain was smoking. (3) The church which is now there is not impressive for its size (there is too little room on the summit), but it has a grace all its own. (4) And when with God's help we had climbed right to the top and reached the door of this church, there was the presbyter, the one who is appointed to the church, coming to meet us from his cell. He was a healthy old man, a monk from his boyhood and an 'ascetic' as they call it here - in fact just the man for the place. Several other presbyters met us too, and all the monks who lived near the mountain, or at least all who were not prevented from coming by their age or their health. (5) All there is on the actual summit of the central mountain is the church and the cave of holy Moses. No-one lives there. (6) So when the whole passage had been read to us from the Book of Moses (on the very spot!) we made the offering in the usual way and received communion. As we were coming out of the church the presbyters of the place gave us 'blessings', some fruits which grow on the mountain itself.'

During her descent from the summit, Egeria visited a number of other sites associated with Moses and the passage of the Israelites. At one of these, she again found a church and monks:

4.6 Propterea autem ad caput ipsius uallis exire nos necesse erat, quoniam ibi erant monasteria plurima sanctorum hominum et ecclesia in eo loco, ubi est rubus; qui rubus usque in hodie uiuet et mittet uirgultas. (7) Ac sic ergo perdescenso monte Dei peruenimus ad rubum hora forsitan decima. Hic est autem rubus, quem superius dixi, de quo locutus est Dominus Moysi in igne, qui est in eo loco, ubi monasteria sunt plurima et ecclesia in capite vallis ipsius. Ante ipsam autem ecclesiam hortus est gratissimus, habens aquam optimam abundantem, in quo horto ipse rubus est. (8) Locus etiam ostenditur ibi iuxta, ubi stetit sanctus Moyses, quando ei dixit Deus: "Solve corrigiam calciamenti tui" et cetera. Et in eo loco cum peruenissemus, hora decima erat iam, et ideo, quia iam sera erat, oblationem facere non potuimus. Sed facta est oratio in ecclesia nec non etiam et in horto ad rubum; lectus est etiam locus ipse de libro Moysi iuxta consuetudinem: et sic, quia sera erat, gustauimus nobis loco in horto ante rubum cum sanctis ipsis: ac sic fecimus ibi mansionem. Et alia die maturius uigilantes rogauimus presbyteros ut ibi fieret oblatio, sicut et facta est.

'4.6 Our way out took us to the head of this valley because there the holy men had many cells, and there is also a church there at the place of the Bush (which is still alive and sprouting). It was about the tenth hour by the time we had come down from the Mount and reached the Bush. This, as I have already said, is the Burning Bush out of which the Lord spoke to Moses, and it is at the head of the valley with the church and all the cells. The Bush itself is in front of the church in a very pretty garden which has plenty of excellent water. Near by you are also shown the place where holy Moses was standing when God said to him: "Undo the fastening of thy shoes", and so on. Since it was already the tenth hour by the time we got there, it was too late for us to be able to make the offering, but we had a prayer in the church, and also in the garden by the Bush, and as usual the appropriate passage was read from the book of Moses. Then, because it was late, we had our meal with the holy men in the garden near the Bush, and stayed there for the night. Next morning we were awake early, and the presbyters made the offering there at our request.'


Text: Franceschini and Weber 1965, 42-43. Translation: Wilkinson 1971, 96.