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Show - \„ ' \, A V The Moaastery of St. Catheriae staads at ,' the foot of the mountain of Moses in ths heart of t he Sinai -sPeBiasular* Far into the vast and inhospitable wilderness of Biblical renown, it dawns upca the weary traveller and adventurer as a haven of peacs aad a hospitable refuge. Here the three great monotheistic religions of Moses, Christ aad Mohantnad meet ia oomplets harmony. Like a rock, this time honoured foundation has stood out in the saads of Si a si for mors tfaaa fourteea centuries with its digaity undiminished and untarnished. The Monastery of St. Catheriae is reputed to be one of Egypt's greatss* and ancient monastic institutioas. In Mount Siaai, the Byzaatiae rule has left ita. most snduriag monument in St* Catheriae*a Moasstery, a gem *hichf caaiiOt t^^Sverlooked by the devout traveller aad pilgrim* Egypt .was oae* of the first countries in the world to espouse the cause of Christianity and to bear ths brunt of the fiercest Koman persecutions for the ne* faith. It w as during that period of primative Christianity in this country that men fa minds turned to ascetic aad monastic ideas. . At the close of* t he second century, sad during the third ia particular, people began to flee fr©m ths face of the merciless persecutors to the deserts-which bordered the green valley of the Silo end went even further into the wilderness of Mount Sinai* Thus, before the Monastery of*Mount Sinai ca»€ into existaace* Sinai teemed with hermits from Egypt and other territories of- the fioman Empire* *any of them preferred to stay on the Holy Mouataia of Moses* and St. Heleaa, mother of Bmperor Coastantiae the Sreat is said, to have visited this region in A.D.3^7 and ordered the construction of the Chapel of the Buraiag Bush on the spot where God addressed moses. •.'- .'-• Always- -* -":g;-i--;.A.^ "-^ Life was noyeasy aad eventless in those parts. From/ tine to time, heathen Bed oa in/ tribes harassed these monastic aettle-iieats even after Christianity became the official religion of the Empire. Thus, the monks of Mount Sinai decided some time ^ in the first half cf the sixth century to s end a delegation to Emperor ^ Justinian (527-565) ia Constantinople and explain to him teeir precatioua life and ask him to build a monastery to house their scattered brotherhood* Justinian who was one of the greatest builders cf Ghrietian v antiquity, acceded to their request, and the Monastery came into ' existence on its present Bits around the Chapel cf the Burning Bush before the middle of the century - some say it was completed in &45« At its foundation, the Monastery of Mount Sinai did not bear the nans cf St. Catherine, and its cathedral was v called the Cathedral of the Transfiguration. It was not until ths : ninth century that the legend of St. Catherine and- i ts associations wi tb the monastery were widely spread. Later, the remaias of t he Dsloved "„ ' Saint were transferred to the Monastery and were eashriaed within th£ Basilica which was consecrated to her. Siace then, the monastery has" been known as ths Moaastery of St, Catheriae* ' v"; After the Arab Conquest of Egypt in 640 A.D#, it is said that ths J*rophet Mohammad granted the monks of. . Mount Siaai a covenant whereby their lives and property became secure under maqwonaudaseus mtste a nMkotcofetasn Eil ogfe nyrmcepo odtmBl i l ltielhntcses t* 1 i Mo5ton1ea T7rahom*aefs t .eeaT rxhayieOcs ni tSbe iyutnnhl tgetS aualnotdt*trab anmshdor iwSdt eeiehvorlaeninrm d,i r,sIo gi lataltvf shetai ep strt he ctetshl herme avo roOear tfdkitr sgoimanmna nlct h oheCpecoy h mn aerotnfe- rit -• |
