The Riddle of Mount Sinai
Archaeological Discoveries at Har Karkom

This book presents archaeological evidence unearthed by Prof. Emmanuel Anati at Har Karkom, in the Negev desert, Israel. Geographically, Mount Karkom is situated approximately half way between Kadesh Barnea and Petra.

Har Karkom was a paramount cult centre and a sacred mountain beginning in the Palaeolithic Age, reaching its peak of religious activity in the third millennium BC, when it was a true "Mecca" for the desert people.

If the epic accounts described in the books of Exodus and Numbers rely on a historical background, and if indeed an exodus from Egypt took place with stops at Mount Sinai and at Kadesh-barnea, the chronological context may refer only to the BAC period, and more precisely to phase BAC IV (2350-2000 BC).

Har Karkom was a primary sacred mountain in that period, and the topography and archaeological evidence of its plateau appear to reflect the location and character of the biblical Mount Sinai.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Emmanuel Anati Biography

From the book "The Riddle of Mount Sinai - Archaeological Discoveries at Har Karkom"

I. Mount Sinai Rediscovered
II. The Mountain of Sanctuaries
III. The Birth of a Hypothesis
IV. Topography and Exegesis
V. The Testimony of Archaeology
VI. The Human Landscape: Camping Sites and Other Structures from the Bronze Age
VII. Enigmatic Discoveries
VIII. Rock Art and the Cult of Stones
IX. People, Climate, and History
X. Conclusions
Acknowledgements
Bibliography
Mount Sinai Images Gallery

From the Survey report of Har Karkom map

Har Karkom Survey
HK Periods analysis
BK Periods analysis
HK Rock Art analysis
Glossary

The detailed corpus description of over 1200 archeological sites found at Har Karkom (HK) and Beer Karkom (BK) - By site number

HK Corpus 1-99
100-199
200-299
300-399
BK Corpus 100-399
400-499
500-599
600-699
700-799
800-899

Additional informations

Edizioni del Centro
CCSP General Informations
Links

...Sanctuaries and altars located on the mountain and at its foot, as well as numerous remains of campsites, tell the hitherto unknown story of a sacred mountain in the heart of the desert of Exodus, which seems to reflect with surprising precision the events and conditions described to us, albeit in miticised form, in the Old Testament.

But the archaeological discoveries go far beyond this; in opening up new areas to archaeological investigation the book provokes lively and enlightening discussion. This web site, which features a rich iconography of over 200 illustrations, also helps to clarify a major question: to what extent may we consider the biblical narrative as a source of historical documentation.

This web site contains in full the book The Riddle of Mount Sinai - Archaeological Discoveries at Har Karkom by Emmanuel Anati, the mission Survey Report, and the Corpus describing over 1200 archeological sites. The author generously released it to the web in order to enable the general public to fully understand Har Karkom findings and facts.

First English Edition, 2001. Revised and updated text from the original title: HAR KARKOM, 20 ANNI DI RICERCHE ARCHEOLOGICHE, 1999. Translation and editing by the author with the collaboration of Valeria Damioli, Liz Nussbaum and Kathryn Pickles. The archaeological expedition to Har Karkom is carried on within the frame of the Italian Archaeological Project in Israel, with the support of the Direzione Generale Relazioni Culturali, Ministero Italiano Degli Affari Esteri. The photographic archive is supported by CIPHS, International Council for Philosophy and Humanistic Studies.

Key words:Mount Sinai; Biblical Archaeology; Cult sites; Exodus; Geoglyphs; Hebrews; Israelites; Midianites, Negev desert; Rock Art; Sancturies; Sinai; Shrines; Worship. Periods: Palaeolithic; Neolithic; Chalcolithic; Bronze Age; Iron Age; Hellenistic; Nabatean. Layout and graphics: The graphic laboratory at Centro Camuno di Studi Preistorici. Printed in Italy February 2001 ISBN 88-86621-15-9