Sculpted by time, serene granite massifs of the Sinai heights dwarf the fortified monastery complex of St. Catherine’s nestled below Jebel Musa. From this aerial vantage point, looking northeast, the outlines of the monastery’s enclosure wall stand out to the right of an olive grove. Although most of the monasteries built during the Byzantine period now lie in ruins, St. Catherine’s has never been pillaged or conquered in its 1,400-year history.