What is Sinai Mount on the Sinai Peninsula? - What is superstition.

Ieromona Seraphim (Kalugin), Astrakhan, is responsible for readers' questions.

I would like to ask a question that I have long been interested. How does the Orthodox Church refers to superstitions? Is it true that all superstitions are not from God? Why then some signs and superstitions come true?
Irina.

Irina, I welcome you. Superstition is a van faith, which goes into the roots in the square pagan cults, magic, the occultism and other abominations that are improvingly enjoyed on a clean Orthodox teaching.
How does this happen? The fact is that the enemy of the human race - the Devil is absolutely anyway, in which networks to lure believers of Orthodox Christians. For some, he cooked alcoholism, drug addiction, for others - envy, for someone - hatred, for the righteous, he prepares pride, charm, or like in our case - superstition.
After all, see what it turns out: the believer goes to the church, regularly professing, commits, makes some kind of good acts ... but what only he believes! If a black cat met, it is necessary to return and get around the quarter, if the salt crumbled, it is necessary to go into such a state of inecilious grief, which, as a rule, it ends with a scandal. I even saw such "believers" that do not put salt on the table. They are afraid of stitching and cutting items, and if someone met with empty buckets, so it is necessary to return and wait for it, when they go full. On holiday to lunch, they will be waiting for a dream or not, and many are many other absurd rules and believes, for which people begin to build their lives.
So why are all the signs come true? Because our enemy is the envious of our salvation, "Man Bike from the Beginning", "Liar and Father Lie" (John 8, 44). He cannot tolerate when we live according to God's commandments. "If you love me, keep my commandments" (in 14, 15), "says the Lord. And here is the tricky, the devaent begins to put his commandments instead of Divine.
The holy fathers say that the enemy is unreleased, can not know the future, can not work true miracles. But here, our superstition comes to the rescue - fussy confidence in the enemy. Believing in the signs, we, in your will, leaving God, make the enemy of our salvation powerful. Then the "miracles" and "prophecies" begin. For example, to make believe in signs, it is necessary that they come true. Without keeping talking about the future, the enemy by virtue of their huge experience can, however, he can guess about him. And now all sorts of signs begin to come true, and there is a further retreat from God.
Yes, many signs come true, divorce is carried out. But the Lord warns us: "For your faith, you will be" (Matt. 9, 29). What believe, then will lead you life path. It is obvious. After all, through faith we give our will to those who trust. God calls us to subjugate their will of His Holy Will, aimed at our blessing. Therefore, believing in the signs, we ourselves the reason for the ever increasing in the world of demonic abomination, pour the water to his demonic mill, help him destroy all new and new souls and their salvation strongly risks.

Hello, my name is Olga, I'm 21. I met a year and a half with a young man and I loved him very much, I was close to him and soul, and the body. He is unbelieving, and I once a year, two gradually came to faith and felt that I was not enough for some kind of mental, but spiritual return on him. As in the church, during the confession, I repented in such a sin as a fornication, and he listened to the priest a whole sermon that it was to sleep with a loved one - this is one of the 3rd of the most serious human sins, I do not only understand the soul, But the body! He said that I live even worse than people unbelievers, since believers could not behave this way, and that if I don't promise him now to never commit this sin, he will not allow me to communion! For me, still standing on a true way, hear all this was like a knife in the heart, the word "forn" I gave a completely different meaning ... I don't know how to continue to be, because my young man did not understand all this and thought That I'm just not in my mind and sturped at faith. What am I now - throw it and not to meet with anyone? "After all, it is very difficult to find an understanding from the side of the guys, and, I'm afraid if I begin to meet with someone else, he won't want only peace of mind. And the confidence is that our relationships can end the wedding, I also have no ...

Hello, Olga. Thank you for your question. It is very complicated and in the genre of "questions - answers" it is not allowed, so I can only say the following:
The very first thing you need to do is try to find a confessor who will know your situation in detail, which you will regularly confess, you will be completely trusted to trust your soul. He will pray for you with you and, most importantly, will understand your words in the sense in which they will be told you.
The second - you need to get rid of your fear before uncertainty, unnecessarily. Your mistake is what: You think that relations should "end the wedding." In fact, the wedding is the beginning of a ride life, the Declaration before God and the people of the responsibility that you take on for the creation of the family, for the birth and raising children, the family feat that you are going to carry all your life. Therefore, it is necessary to approach this event, one of the most important in your life, clean, chastity, in full bloom of the virgin relics that the Lord generously gives young. That's what leads to the wedding.
And if you have already performed some kind of miscalculation, you need to stop, and with God, it is necessary to restore the pretty forces with the help of God, this is a great treasure - chastity. (The word "chastity" is the church - Slavyanskoye and means literally "sanity"; it comes from the verb "cellery" or from the adjective "whole" - strong, healthy - and from the verb "to witness" - to reason, reflect).
Responsibility is one of the most important laws in the system of human morality. Making an irresponsible act, we neglect this law, and neglected the laws cannot be disregarded, it is dangerous.
About how the sense of danger of sin was developed, when more than our people were the people - the winner, says such a case telling me with one priest. A very old man called him a house for confession and sainted mystery. The priest understood that, probably, this is the last confession of the old man and decided to ask him about sins in more detail, so that the soul is as clean as possible in best world. And now he asks: they say, anything happens in life, did he change when his wife?
- What are you, father, sin - what! - There was an answer.
So quite recently called surprise itself the question of such sins, we are surprised when sin is called that it is so firmly included in our daily life.

Hieromona Seraphim (Kalugin), Astrakhan.

The monastery of St. Catherine is hardly the most ancient Christian monastery on the planet. It was built almost a half thousand years ago, around him Moise Mountain, Safsar Mountain and Mount Catherine. This holy place annually hosts thousands of tourists, and since 2002 it officially comes in the number of UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Objects.

History of construction

The temple is founded in the VI century of our era under the emperor of Constantinople, Justinian. In many ways, due to the fact that the monastery of St. Catherine on Sinai was under the auspices of the prophet of Mohammed and the Arab rulers, he was not progress during arab conquest This area and subsequent military conflicts. In the X century, a mosque was erected on the territory of the temple, and precisely because of this legendary fact, it was preserved until the XXI century. If it were not for this, the monastery of St. Catherine would be demolished.

It is worth noting the fact that for all the time of its existence, the monastery of St. Catherine has never been subjected to a plunder, destroyed or even damaged. On numerous photos it is easy to see how beautiful it is preserved this ancient structure.

Many Christians are specially driving in the Sinai Temple to see the unhapable binding - according to the biblical legend, this is the place where the Lord God first appeared in front of Moses. In 324, Capella was erected here.

For many centuries, the monastery of St. Catherine supports close ties with Russian Christianity. This is reflected in the inner decoration of the temple: here you can see the familiar bells, the faces of the saints, old books and the objects of church ego.

Who is Holy Catherine

The real name of this saint is Dorothea. She was born in the Egyptian city of Alexandria in 294 of our era. Her family was rich enough, so the girl received a wonderful education, and, besides that, she was very beautiful. One day, Monk Sirian told her about Jesus. The girl was so penetrated that he accepted Christianity, and then tried to turn the Maximius emperor himself into the Christian faith. It only got angry the ruler - he ordered to Santa Dorota in Alexandria, and some time later to execute. The body was not found - it disappeared mysteriously. More than 300 years have passed, when the monks rose to Mount Sinai and there were the remains of the girls who were transferred to the Sinai Temple. Since then, the highest mountain on the peninsula is named after Catherine.

The buildings of the monastery of Saint Catherine

The monastery of St. Catherine today looks the same as the 14th centuries ago, and only in 1951 another building was attached to him. It is now located the monastery library, the gallery icons, the refectory and residence of the archbishop. On the territory of the temple there are 12 chapels - Assumption Blessed Virgin Mary, George Victorious, Holy Spirit, John the Forerunner, John the Theologian and others. The main entrance to the monastery is not working now. For monks, tourists and pilgrims, the door is designed to the left of the main entrance. You can easily find out how the main and spare entrance looks like, looking at the photo of the monastery.

• Church
  The church of St. Catherine is made of granite and its external species Reminds the basilica of the oblong form. On both parties are corridors with a festival and apse. Basilica is supported by 12 columns that symbolize every month of the year. Over each of the columns is towers, the icon corresponding to the Holy, which is revered in this or that month. The floor is lined with marble plates. On the capitals are flags, crosses, grapes and lamb brushes, which, according to tradition, personify Jesus Christ. In general, the church is architectural style Reminds the style of the Italian school of the time.
• Mosaic Transfiguration
  Catholicon is the most important temple of the monastery - decorated with a mosaic, which shows the transformation of Jesus. This is one of the most beautiful mosaics of the Orthodox Church, which has been preserved until our time. In her center, Jesus Christ, on the right and left - Elijah and Moses, at the feet - John, Peter, Jacob.

• The chapel of the neutalimate bunk
  The chapel is behind the main altar. She is devoted to the Annunciation of the Virgin Mary. Pilgrims should come here with barefoot, as it is stated in one of God's commandments to Moses. Another attraction, which has the Monastery of St. Catherine, located on Sinai - the bush is neopalized. He grows near the chapel. It is noteworthy that he cannot grow elsewhere - he was trying to transplant, but these attempts remained unsuccessful.
• Library
  The monastery of St. Catherine, and, more precisely, his library, possesses three thousand manuscripts - this amount and value can be compared only with the library in the Vatican. Most of them are written in Greek, the rest - in Arabic, Coptic, Syrian and Slavic languages.
• Gallery icons
  The cathedral has a unique collection, which includes 150 icons, which are a huge historical, artistic and spiritual value. There are ancient icons written by more wax colors during the reign of the ruler of Byzantium of Justinian.

Information for tourists

The monastery of St. Catherine is available for visits daily - the church is open from 9 to 12 pm. During the tourist excursion, they introduce the history of the monastery. They also visit the chapel and, of course, the unhappy bundle.

The monastery of St. Catherine is located on Sinai - approximately 170 km from Sharm El Sheikh. The bus from there leaves daily at 6 am, and back rides at 6 o'clock in the evening. An excursion can be ordered at the hotel or in the city itself, it will be approximately $ 50 for an adult, $ 25 for a child.

October 27th, 2015

Yesterday there was a spark record about our road to Sinai Mountain. Well, we sucked. Arrived in the monastery of St. Catherine is approximately the beginning of the evening service. Located in the hotel and went to the evening. The service is not very long, makes her hieromon, is not included in the altar, all the laid pronounces or in front of the royal gates in the middle of the temple, or from its place as it were on the left closer. They read and sing an antiphon - one hieromon and one layman, standing in Stasidiy opposite each other. Another hieromon performed every service during service. After the evening, pilgrims are endured to worship the relics of St. Catherine and distribute on the blessing of the rings with her inscription. To whom one who two, I got 3, of different sizes, give your own. After the relics, everyone goes to the neutal bay. Applied to the place under the throne of another, where the prophet Moses stood. At the entrance, everyone will certainly remove shoes, in a reminder of biblical words. Cupina itself is located for the altar of the main basilica of the monastery - the temple of the Transfiguration of the Lord. There is no passage to it now, since the pilgrims have all tormented to break down a branch. The temple is not allowed to shoot, so there will be no photo from the main monastery church. By the way, since its foundation in the 4th century and the arrangement of imp. Justinian in the 6th century, the monastery was called in honor of the Transfiguration of the Lord, but by the 11th century, the name in honor of St. Navy. Catherine.

This is what is written in Wikipedia: Monastery of St. Catherine (Sinai Monastery, Greek. Μονὴ τῆς ἁγίας αἰκατερίνης, Arab. دير سانت كاترين) is one of the most ancient continuously existing Christian monasteries in the world. Founded in the IV century in the center of the Sinai Peninsula at the foot of the Sinai Mountain (Biblical Chorive) at an altitude of 1570 m. The fortified building of the monastery was built on the orders of the emperor of Justinian in the VI century. The average of the monastery is mainly the Greeks of Orthodox Religion. Originally was named the monastery of transformation or the monastery of the Neanalius bunk. Since the XI century, due to the spread of the worship of St. Catherine, the power of which was acquired by Sinai monks in the middle of the 6th century, the monastery received a new name - the monastery of St. Catherine.

Details about the monastery are not well stated in Wikipedia https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%9C%D0%BE%D0%BD%D0%B0%D1%81%D1%82%D1%8B%D1% 80% D1% 8C_% D0% A1% D0% B2% D1% 8F% D1% 82% D0% BE% D0% B9_% D0% 95% D0% BA% D0% B0% D1% 82% D0% B5% D1% 80% D0% B8% D0% BD% D1% 8B

our number 209, all the amenities and everything is quite modest.

the main inhabitants of the monastery are cats, they are big beggars even than Bedouins

guest Kellya

before the service - some have already wondered (such an impression)

on the road to the monastery

the strength walls of the monastery - probably preserved from the 6th century

entrance to the monastery

Unpaid bina - as the image of the Virgin and SVV. Moses and Catherine. Very interesting icon

we pass inside the monastery

around and everywhere here is the owners of Bedouin. Sinai inhabit about 16 Bedouin tribes, but around the monastery since the time of Justinian is constantly being only the tribe of Jabalia - the descendants of local Bedouins and resettled from Byzantium Anatolys and Greeks. To the Muslim invasion, they were all Orthodox Christians, however, as almost most of the Bedouins of Egypt, Palestine, Zaindania and the Peninsula of Arabia

Basilica of transformation and bell tower, in the temple besides the main thing even up to 12 chapels and chapel

entrance to the Transfiguration Temple

bratsky corps

These are our accompanying Bedouins - do not depart from the group either a step, very good guys by the way. Some speak Russian very well, some know the "tourist set" of words - "How are you?" "Good" and so on

fresco of the Transfiguration of the Lord at the entrance to the Church

in the altar of the main temple - Sen on the throne, everything is illuminated by the only light bulb in the church, in the temple itself only candles and lamps

in the slots Orthodox people leave notes

Burning bush. History from the Bible, for reminder

EXODUS

Chapter 2.

15... And heard Pharaoh about this business and wanted to kill Moses; But Moses ran away from Pharaoh and stopped in the land of Madiam, and [having come to the land of Madiam] from the well.

16 The priest of Madiam [was] seven daughters, [who grazed the sheep Father's Iofor]. They came, drawn up water And filled the trough to drink the sheep of his father [Iofor].

17 And the shepherd came and moved them. Then Moses got up and defended them, [and embraced the water to them] and drinking their sheep.

18 And they came to Raguil, his father, and he said [him]: What did you come soon today?

19 They said: some kind of Egyptian defended us from shepherds, and even embraced the water to us and drinking sheep [ours].

20 He said to her daughters: Where is he? Why did you leave him? Call him and let him eat bread.

21 Moses liked to live in this man; And he gave out his daughter's daughter for Moses.

22 She [hired and] gave birth to a son, and [Moses] naren his name: Girs, because he said, I became an alien in someone else's land. [And conceived yet, gave birth to another son, and he nare him name: Elizer, saying: God of my father was a helper and delivered me from the hand of Pharaoh.]

23 After a long time, the king of Egyptian died. And the sons of the sons of Israel from work and crying out, and their cry left for God.

24 And God heard the wedding of them, and remembered God covered her with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

25 And I saw the God of the sons of Israel, and godsed their God.

Chapter 3.

1 Moses Pass Sheep at Iofor, the testing of his, the priest of Madiam. Once he spent her herd far into the desert and came to the Mount of God, Choriv.

2 And he was an angel of the Lord in the flame of fire from the middle of the tern bush. And he saw that the crust was burning with fire, but the bush does not burn.

3 Moses said: I'll go and look at this great phenomenon, why the bush does not burn.

4 The Lord saw that he was looking, and God called him from the Wednesday of the bush, and said: Moses! Moses! He said: So I, [Lord]!

5 And God said: Do not come here; Discover your shoes from your feet, for the place where you stand, there is a holy earth.

6 And said [to him]: I am the God of your father, God Abraham, God Isaac and the God of Jacob. Moses closed his face, because he was afraid to look at God.

7 And the Lord said [Moses]: I saw the suffering of the people of mine in Egypt and heard his crying from his attempts; I know his grief 8 and I go rid it from the hand of the Egyptians and bring it out of the Earth to this [and introduce it] to the ground a good and most expensive, where milk and honey flows, in the land of Cananev, Hitteev, Amorrev, Ferrezew, [Gerezheev,] Eveev and Yeevusev.

9 And so, already the cry of the sons of Israel reached me, and I see oppression, how they oppress their Egyptians.

10 So go: I will send you to Pharaoh [King Egyptian]; And bring my people, the sons of Israel from Egypt.

11 Moses told God: Who am I, to go to Pharaoh [the king of Egypt] and bring the sons of Israel from Egypt?

12 And [God] said: I will be with you, and here you have a sign that I sent you: When you bring the people [my] from Egypt, you will manage God on this grief.

13 And Moses told Moses: here, I will come to the sons of Israel and I will tell them: God's fathers sent me to you. And they will tell me: how did he name? What to tell me them?

14 God told Moses: I am American. And he said: so tell the sons of Israel: the judge sent me to you ...

the well of the Iofor (Itro), the testing of Moses - this well, which is now in the territory of the monastery, Moses defended 7 girls of Madiam and met his future spouse of Sepfor.

manual water pump for an ancient well

and the light in the darkness shines ...

After the service and worship of the shrines, everyone moved to a small monastery museum - here icons, ancient manuscripts, church utensils - historical heritage. I most wanted to see "live" on the icon of the Sinai Savior, this is my favorite icon of the Lord. And we saw her! It is a pity that there was no high-quality reproduction in the bench, everywhere distorted colors and / or bad print quality. And so I wanted to have her home ...

Photos from the museum are made to the phone.

hall of alkoustical icons. The iconoborets did not get to Sina, so such wonderful images are preserved here. The Mother of God with the upcoming, the apostle Peter is also a brilliant icon

Moses and Aaron, below, as if the Ioform, but I could be wrong

ancient Crosses and Scriptures

the page of the famous Sinai Code, one of ancient lists Novgori Testament

the door is the 16th century, too, nothing

sakkos Sinai Archbishop, next to the showcase all the rest butt, absolutely wonderful embroidery

sIC! "Paradise" on arabic, it seems the 10th century.

in the hostel (crypt) of the monastery of the power of many hundreds of monks and martyrs, among other non-relics of St. Stephen, who took confession to pilgrims halfway to the top of the Sinai mountain. He is mentioned in the "palp" pre. John Districant

this is the crypt / koster

we constantly went past him from the hotel to the monastery, so he got into the frame several times.

hurry to serve

i really like the color - Ossociation is beautiful in its natural form

monastic gardens

i didn't enter inside, so I don't know what's inside, temple, chapel or something else

Olives and cats - the main wealth :)

"I'm in the house" :)

the courtyard of the hotel - on the left of Kelly, the right coffee shop, straight - the meadow and monastery shop

Updated. Recording is completed. Good health and helping God for the prayers of St. Prophets Moses and Elijah, Navy. Catherine and prep. John the Draveling and All Sinai Desert Foods

In the monastery of Saint Catherine, removed from civilization for many hundreds of kilometers, the greatest shrines of Christianity and unique artifacts are concentrated. Many of them are "come from Russia."

In the monastery of St. Catherine focused the greatest shrines of Christianity and
unique artifacts. Many of them are "come from Russia"

Under the protection of Bedouins

Never in his entire history, numbering almost seventeen centuries, this holy place was not subjected to destruction and desecration. The monastery, based on legend, the Holy Queen of Elena in 330, began with a small church and the tower, where, in the case of a raid of militant tribes, several monks settled in the Sinai Desert next to the neutal bug. In the middle of the 6th century, Emperor Justinian ordered to build a powerful fortress wall around the monastery with a height of twenty meters and sent two hundred families of the Bedouin tribe Jabalia to guard the monastery.

Once, Jabalia was Christians, but during the Islamization of Islamization changed the faith of ancestors, but to the protection of the monastery to this day they consider their sacred debt. Several years ago, during the Arab revolution, when police cordons were disappeared on the roads, the Bedouins took the weapons and went to protect the monastery. About these devotees, monks say this: "We are distinguished by faith, culture - all those things, the differences in which usually lead to conflict. But instead of the conflict, we have harmony, respect and peace. "

... and firman Mohammed

Live relatively calmly surrounded by Muslims and security certificate, according to legend, dictated by the Prophet Mohammed and bonded by the print of his palm. It not only guarantees the monastery of inviolability, but also obliges Muslims to provide monks on the way on the road, share the harvest, and also frees the monastery from taxes.

According to researchers, this one-of-a-kind paper for all subsequent years was "in its versoity of the subject of surprise Magometan." However, under the threat of a curse to break the ban of the Prophet nobody decided. Only Khalif Khakim, who became famous for his cruelty towards Christians.

The holiness of this place that preserved the memory of the Epiphany is recognized by all world religions.

In 1000, he sent his army to the Sinai Desert, intending to destroy the monastery. Having learned about this, the monks urgently rebuilt one of the towers, turning it into a mosque. Hakim was not ready for such a turn of events. After standing in indecision at the walls of the monastery, he ordered to retreat: the place where the mosque is, sacred for Muslim.

Five hundred years later, the Turks captured Egypt, and the danger again hung over the Sinai abode. Monks presented the conquerors of the firman Mohammed. Confirming the monastery of his exceptional benefits, Turkish Sultan Selim I took a security certificate to Istanbul. Since then, its exact copy has been kept in the monastery museum.

Live Museum

Icon "Annunciation." XII century

In 2002, a special space was created in the monastery, which can be called a living museum. In hermetic showcases, where optimal temperature and humidity are supported, the most significant monastic values \u200b\u200bplaced. Though they are exhibited for everyone to review, but, strictly speaking, the museum exhibits are not. And the gospel in the precious salary, and decorated with pearls of the miter, and the golden church utensils from time to time are used in their direct appointment - on particularly solemn services.

In the Museum of Nine Halls. In one of them, church vestments are exhibited, the other hall is devoted to the Holy Great Martyr Catherine. An extensive exposure is the gifts of Russian kings and unique ancient manuscripts. But the main treasure of the monastery is icons.

Light inside icon

Due to the great remoteness from the Centers of Christianity, the Sinai Resident did not affect iconobor. There are more than two thousand unique icons for which you can trace the development of icon painting from ancient times to this day.

Icon "Jesus-Palektortor". VI century

The most valuable is the famous icon of the VI century "Christ Pantokrator", which Emperor Justinian on the completion of construction presented the abode as a gift. Such an ecoustical icons in the world remains literally in line. When creating paints, the ancient masters used molten wax, thanks to which the icon literally shone from the inside. But in subsequent years, the original ENKAUSTIC technique was lost.

The image of the "Pantokera" Christ is very unusual - the Savior's face asymmetric, and it makes peer at him again and again. What was the idea of \u200b\u200bthe icon painter? The answer to this question was found for a long time: such a reception was able to show two hypostasis of Jesus Christ - God and man.

The right hand of the Lord blesses believers, and the gospel in his left hand symbolizes power over the universe. It was this image of Christ that became the most common bribing space of ancient byzantine temples. This tradition is preserved today.

In their places

Most ancient icons refers to the Byzantine era. Some of them are written in the monastery itself, others are presented as a gift to pious pilgrims and rulers. Only a small part of them is stored in the museum, the rest can be seen on their usual places - in the temple of the transformation and in sixteen monastic chapels.

Icon "Moses in front of the unallible bug."
XIII century

Icon "Moses, receiving tested" XIII century

The famous icons of the XIII century "Moses in Nealaliim bunk" and "Moses, receiving a dressed" and to this day decorate the entrances to the chapel of the neutalist bunk, reminding about the greatest event in the history of mankind - the Epiphany. Here you can pray from the ancient icon "Christmas of the Blessed Mother of God" and feel the huge spiritual joy emanating from the "Annunciation" icon.

In almost every monastery chapel there is a shrine that art historians without any tensioners are called masterpiece icon painting. This is the "Lord of Almighty", "Ascension", "Stefan Voenarty", the Iverland icon of Our Lady, the image of the Virgin "Live source" and many others. In the same basilica of transformation, the temple icon of the Holy Great Martyr Catherine, the image of the Mother of the Mother "Kazan" above the royal gates and, of course, is twelve icons - monthly mines placed on the twelve pillars of the temple.

At the same time, the atmosphere of the monastery is far from the museum - the prayer was never interrupted in his walls and during the seventeen centuries a liturgy is performed daily. This marvelusion sanctifies not only the monastery itself, but also all the space around him. Are there many more places on earth?

Gifts of Russia

The first information about the holy place reached Russian lands shortly after the baptism of Russia. Already in 1001, Prince Vladimir sends the first ambassadors to Egypt. And from the XIV century, helping the abode from Russian princes becomes constant - even though Rus was practically ripped by interne-friendly strucks and an exorbitant tribute to Tatar-Mongolian Khanam.

Historical documents testify in detail about the size of this assistance. So, in 1558, Tsar Ivan Grozny sent a alms to a thousand gold to the monastery for a thousand gold, and a few years earlier at six hundred - "Sweets, proteins, foxes, as well as a fish tooth." His son, Fyodor Ivanovich, was sent in 1586 to Sinai eight hundred rubles for the device "Negazimnaya Cadyl" in the unhapite bunk and over the relics of St. Catherine.

After the troubled time, the help from Russia becomes even more tangible. King Mikhail Fedorovich - the first of the kind of Romanov - gives the abode of Mitra with precious stones. Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich complaints the gold-plating fold with the image of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the Bogomladse (now this shrine is kept in the altar of the temple of the transformation, to the left of the mining).

In the second half of the 20th century, an expensive silver cancer with gilding for the relics of St. Catherine was sent to the Sinai Resident. The famous traveler Vasily Grigorovich-Barsky, who visited the monastery in 1782, noted in his notes, that "Silver Kivot, the Soviet of Tsarevna Ekaterina Alekseevna, sister of the sovereign of Emperor Peter I." The emperor himself granted a large silver panicadilo monastery.

Not only the kings and boyars, but also ordinary people considered their Christian debt to take care of the distant monastery. It is difficult to list all Russian gifts stored in the monastery, and only some of them can be seen in the windows of the museum.

Sinai Code

It is characteristic that it was our compatriots who were the first to study the richest cultural and historical heritage of the monastery. The head of the Russian spiritual mission in Jerusalem Archimandrite Porphiry (Assumption) came to Sinai twice - in 1845 and in 1850. First of all, he was interested in the meeting of liturgical manuscripts. Among the ancient foliants, Russian Theologian managed to find a present treasure - Psalrtyar 862, which is now known as the Sinai Psaltry, or Psaltry Uspensky.

He studied the famous Sinai Code - the handwritten Bible of the IV century, which was written on the finest parchment and initially consisted of the ninety-two non-versed notebooks. However, the first thirty six disappeared, and rumors about them were different. O.Porfiri then recorded: "... As I heard, put in some monastery wall."

This information was confirmed after a hundred years. In 1975, a rebuilding building after a fire, the monks found a secret room in which one and a half thousand manuscripts and agriberbers were hidden. Among them were the missing pages of the Sinai Code.

But this is not the whole story of a long-suffering manuscript. Most of it, studied by Archimandrite Porphyria, was redeemed by Alexander II for nine thousand rubles. For this money, the monks in 1871 were attached to the temple of the transformation an openwork bell tower. In Russia, a unique document, unfortunately, was not long. In 1933, at the personal order of Stalin, the Sinai Code was sold to England.

Second after Vatican

In total, over 3300 liturgical manuscripts are kept in the monastery library, mainly in Greek, Arabic, Syrian, Georgian, Ethiopian and Slavic languages. This collection in its own way historical meaning I am inferior only to the collection of ancient foliants stored in the Vatican.

Following about. Porphyria (Assumption) Archimandrite Antonin (Kapustin) In the 1860s, attempted to describe and systematize these manuscripts. However, work on the catalog has not been completed.

Many manuscripts are still waiting for their thoughtful researchers, and therefore new finds and discoveries are not excluded in the walls of the Sinai Resident.

Lyudmila Dianova, photo Daniel Afrina

The shrines of the Sinai Peninsula have long been revered among the people. The desire to be closer to God and away from the persecution by Roman pagans led a large number of first Christians to Sinai. They found calm, silence, privacy and holiness there. Starting from the III century, the monks settled in small groups around the mountain Khoriv - near the neutralist bunk, in the Oasis Figer and other southern places. The exact location of these holy places is still preserved in the memory of local residents.

The search for holiness led other believers at the same time to the Holy Earth, to the mountainous and sultry Jewish desert. The first monks constantly tolerated deprivation. Nature was Nelskov to them, many became victims of nomads. But the monks continued to arrive at Sinai. The first monks were mainly herds who lived alone in the caves in extreme need. They prayed alone and got meals themselves. Only on holidays, hermits were going near the neutralist bunk to listen to their spiritual mentors and get holy communion. Since the hermits led a righteous lifestyle, they were natural missionaries among the pagan tribes inhabited by Sinai. By the time of Arabic conquest in the VII century, most people were Christians.

In 313, Emperor Konstantin Great gave Christianity the status of a recognized religion and provided freedom of religion in the entire Byzantine Empire. Like most of the subsequent Byzantine rulers, he patronized monastic orders spreading in biblical lands. This atmosphere of religious freedom breathed in monasticism new life. Monks Sinah turned to the mother of Konstantin, Elena, looking for her support.

In 330, on the command of Helena near the nealist, the Little Church was built, dedicated to the Mother of God, and the tower - refuge for monks in case of nomads. The pilgrims of the end of the IV century reported that Sinai had an important and prosperous community of monks. Among them was famous for the ex-higher officer of the emperor in Constantinople, St. Nile, whose works are still studying priests, monks and believers.

At the top of the Mountain during the Emperor of Justinian in the middle of the 6th century, a small temple of the Transfiguration of the Lord is built just above the place where the Lord granted the prophet Moses cut the covenant. In 1934, he was rebuilt, in the use of blocks left from the old building. Consecrated the temple in the name of the Holy Trinity. The left of the temple is a small cave in the cliff, in which Moses was hidden during the phenomenon of God's glory. In the church of St. Treets on the tops of Mount Moses, pilgrims will be able to commit Divine Liturgy.

Cave of St. John Districant

At one and a half hours walk from the monastery of St. MPC. Catherine is an abandoned monastery in honor of SVV. Nameless Cosmas and Damian, who was the center of monastic in the Byzantine period. Not far from this place is the Cave of St. PS John the Districant, in which the saint once wrote his famous "sotic". Near the cave there is a well and built a small church in honor of St. John the Districter.

Al-Tour - the capital of the province of South Sinai. This city is small, almost rebuilt over the past two decades. At the time of Pharaohov, the torus was a large port. Through it, there was mostly local trading between Sinai and Continental Egypt. In the Old Testament, El-Tore is called Elia. "In the early Middle Ages, El-Tour was a major center of Christianity. The first church was built there in the IV century. Then a small monastery arose near it. But soon the Bedouins ruined him and killed the monks. They are known in the history of the Church as Saints Rev. Fathers in Sinai and Raife beaten (memory 27 Jan.). Later in Torah on the very seashore, a new monastery was created relating to the Sinai Orthodox Church. He served as a shelter for pilgrims sent to the Sinai Mountain. Now the monastery is empty, but his church, whoars the name of St. George Raifsky still acts. The church was built in late XIX. century, her iconostasis of Russian work. In the Middle Ages, El-Tor was called Raifa.

Oasis Faran. Greek female monastery of seven nuns.
Oasis Faran is a biblical refide, where according to the Old Testament, the Jews defeated the locals - Amalikites. In the same place, Moses, by the will of God, made a miracle: hit the land with the staff, and a source scored out of it. Faran is the largest oasis of blue. He is very picturesque. Between the high rocky mountains, a narrow gorge planted with dative palm trees and fruit trees. In the early Middle Ages there was a major Christian center. Already in the IV century. In Faragan there was his bishop, who submitted to the Patriarch of Jerusalem. After the Arabic conjugation of Muslims, Christians began to be crowned into the depths of the peninsula, and by the end of the VII century. Those gone to the mountain chorive. The ruins of the bishopath are still visible, excavations are carried out there. They are adjacent to the small women's monastery Faran, belonging to the Sinai Orthodox Church. It was created a quarter century ago at the site of the monastic bed.

In the monastery there are two small churches. The main church is the name of the prophet Moses. She accepted his current species in 1950, but was built on the site of an old temple using its architectural elements. In the right side of the iconostasis, there is a Russian icon of St. Ioanna Forerunner - the contribution of one of our pilgrims. The second Church of Cosma and Damian, built quite recently. Its carved iconostasis is made on O. Crite. Around the monastery is an extensive garden.

Burning bush

The unhapusable bundle is an embraced by a flame, but not a corrosive bush, who was once seen by the Prophet Moses, is one of the Old Testament Previews of Our Lady and marks the Immaculate conception of Christ from the Holy Spirit: the Virgin of Mother, Virgin Mary remained and Christmas and Christmas. In church chants, we hear: "Jacques bunk is not burning Opolaim, Tako Devo, gave birth to ESI" and also: "Rejoice, busty unhappy." Every Saturday in the chapel serve Divine Liturgy.

Sources of Moses

The north of El Torah at the foot of the mountain is Moiseev Bath (Hammam Musa). These are sulfur sources, water temperature in which ranges from 26 to 28 degrees Celsius. Healing properties of sources are known with deep antiquity. Bathing is built near them, a small park is broken.