At the base of Jebel Musa (the traditional Mt Sinai) is the oldest continuously-inhabited Christian monastery in the world. It is named after St Catherine, an Alexandrian martyr. It is a part of the Greek Orthodox tradition.
The history of this site goes back to the mid-6th c AD. It was built by the order of Byzantine emperor, Justinian I, over the spot where God confronted Moses at the burning bush.
An enlargement of the legend has the body of Catherine found here as well. Apparently, after Catherine was killed by a Roman blade, her remains were carried away by angels and hidden in the deep desert. Christian monks found it, uncorrupted, built a monastery and named it after her.
See this austere place and witness Mt Sinai for yourself. Join us in Egypt next year!
