Built in the sixth century near the southern tip of the Sinai Peninsula, the Monastery of St. Catherine is named for the early Christian martyr, Catherine of Alexandria, whose relics made the site a popular medieval pilgrimage destination. The monastery, however, was originally built to commemorate key events from the time of Moses and the Exodus. It purportedly encloses both the burning bush (Exodus 3) and the well where Moses first met his wife, Zipporah (Exodus 2), and it is believed to sit at the feet of both Mt. Sinai and Mt. Horeb (identified by local tradition with two separate […]
