The LORD descended to the top of Mount Sinai and called Moses to the top of the mountain. So, Moses went up and the LORD said to him, “Go down and warn the people so they do not force their way through to see the LORD and many of them perish. Even the priests, who approach the LORD, must consecrate themselves, or the LORD will break out against them.” Moses said to the LORD, “The people cannot come up Mount Sinai, because you yourself warned us, ‘Put limits around the mountain and set it apart as holy’” (Exodus 19:20-23).
Throughout the Old Testament, there is no denying the biblical significance of Mount Sinai. As the passage above mentions, it was in that exact spot where the Lord gave Moses the Ten Commandments. Personally, I have never really thought much about the location. But recently, I discovered that some naysayers doubt the events of the Israelites’ exodus ... all because they don’t know the current location of the famous mountain mentioned in the Bible.
What can be done to relieve those doubts?
Filmmaker Tim Mahoney decided that the best way to address these ideas was to find out, for himself, where the location was. So, in his new investigative documentary, Patterns of Evidence: Journey to Mount Sinai, Part 1, he and his team set out to try to uncover the precise location of the holy mountain.
Throughout two films, Mahoney interviews different archeologists, explorers, and professors with varying opinions on the location of the mountain. Mahoney explores all evidence available for six possible locations, the traditional Mt. Sinai, Jebel Saniyah, Hashem el-Tarif, Har Karkom, Hala-‘l Bedr, and Jabal al-Lawz. In Part 1, he examines the first three.
One exciting aspect of Mahoney’s project is that he encourages viewers to form their own opinions based on the evidence presented. Before exploring the different locations, he presents viewers with an interactive scorecard for individuals to use in correlation with the film. As he created the card, Mahoney included specific scriptural events recorded in the Israelites' miraculous journey. These truths include the trip to the mountain (campsites & wilderness), location in Midan, that it was located in the backside of the wilderness, attributes of the mountain, and artifacts that have been located.
The film is very informative and sure to pique the interest of anyone interested in learning about Mount Sinai. The film is not rated, but appropriate for all ages. However, with a runtime of 125 minutes, Patterns of Evidence: Journey to Mount Sinai, Part 1 may not be a good fit for young kiddos with short attention spans.
Tonight, Patterns of Evidence: Journey to Mount Sinai, Part 1, will be shown in select theaters. For information regarding this movie and other Tim Mahoney projects, visit patternsofevidence.com. At this time, Patterns of Evidence: Journey to Mount Sinai, Part 2 is expected to have a theatrical release in early 2023.
